Is It Education or Politics?

There was a period in history when a few nations from Western Europe came to dominate much of the World.

The reasons for this are complex and is some cases a matter of luck but from the sixteenth century to the last one we saw this colonialism and warlike culture dominate.

During that time, they defended themselves as bringing civilization to the natives, many of whom had long cultural histories that while different were often well developed.  Still the Europeans were saving their souls by bringing their religion to them while often enslaving or abusing their bodies.

The only thing that was insisted on was that the home European country profited from the exchange.

In this country we essentially joined the group of colonial powers after we managed to escape the control of one of them.  We proceeded to expand across this continent and ultimately to places in more remote locations.

We look at this growth with some pride as America became a great nation but in doing so we trampled on the rights of others, enslaving some, displacing or killing others. 

So to learn history requires learning all of this, the good and the bad.  To try to sanitize it for our youth is simply indoctrinating them into a false world.

They say ignoring history dooms you to repeating it and while it would be hard to replicate some of it, we see many States trying to replicate the post restoration period by trying to control who votes.

Honest education without political intervention is the best education, even if it covers things you don't like.