Note: Comments of readers are their own and do not reflect the feelings of Bob Lonsberry or lonsberry.com.
78 Responses to:
AMERICAN HISTORY PUSHED ASIDE
# 1. 5/1/12 6:55 AM by Tony P
Hey Bob-
first step.....abolish the NEA. Then get back to basics. No more "transgender awareness" bullsh!t and other such insipid crap. Throw Al Gore's movie out of the classroom too. Allow the Pledge and a prayer back into school.
Then.....we can go to work on the colleges.
Tony
# 2. 5/1/12 7:02 AM by Golden Oldie
When all 3 Einsteins on Teen Jeopardy don't know what a friggin' Spanish Galleon is we are all in big trouble.
I sorta know who Rosa Parks is, but I'm not sure if she was not allowed to eat at Woolworth's lunch counter or if that was another civil rights deal. Axe Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson, they know everything.
Anyway, I've eaten at a Woolworth's and it was pretty good overall, but I wouldn't risk my life for anything Woolworth's had.
Do we blame Rosa Parks if we have to risk our lives to eat at McDonalds or ride on the bus?
Who do we blame when such a large percentage of our kids can't read, don't know crap about their "checkings", and don't graduate from high school?
Rosa Parks is as big of an American hero to me as George Washington or John Glenn.
And if you ask me, Nelson Mandela is the person I admire the most in the world today, along with all the "first responders" you care to name.
So go ahead, break my heart, stomp on my soul, and call me a racist.
# 3. 5/1/12 7:14 AM by Dave - Buffalo
Those who can't do, teach...Those who can't teach, teach gym.
# 4. 5/1/12 7:16 AM by Poplar Beach
American history used to be on of my favorite subjects, far easier than math and English for a day dreamer to get into.
Learning about our history can be exciting, when I went to college, becoming a history or science teacher was my goal.
A friend told me yesterday that his 6 year old grand daughter, told him that her teacher said Barack Obama was a great president and she should tell her parents to vote for him, I am wondering if this was part of the history lesson for the day.
A generation of students who were taught PC revised history are now teachers in our schools today!
A scary proposition!
# 5. 5/1/12 7:22 AM
Turn to the Holy Spirit for a remedy. Don't you know that problem solving skills are a rarity in this day in age. It's a complaining society and there are few that have the ability to fix a crisis. How long have we been talking about the City School District? Well, its been forever and nothing has changed.
# 6. 5/1/12 7:24 AM by Tom Dey - Springwater, NY
I like your name list and guess I learned something at Aquinas despite my difficulty with American History. One book was a giant red tome. The style was factual with very little spin. The risk our founders took - against all odds - is astounding and now little appreciated. Their structuring of the federal government is inspired genius. I fantasize that some would return today to address a joint session of congress.
# 7. 5/1/12 7:31 AM by MLC
I feel the same way about preaching global warming. I am constantly battling my 8 year old about man made global warming!! I'm raising a patriot, he will know the truth. I can't depend on the schools to get it right.
# 8. 5/1/12 7:43 AM by History 101
Bachmann and Palin have butchered American History and they were seeking the two highest offices in the land.
# 9. 5/1/12 7:43 AM
FORWARD socialist soldiars!
FUBO
# 10. 5/1/12 7:47 AM by tom - penfield, ny
Yes Bob, that is why we home schooled two of our children and sent the other to a Christian high school. I know you think home school parents are weird, but we could not wait for the public school system to be the way you think it should be. It is a shame to have to pay expensive school taxes, and then be forced to do it ourselves or pay for private schooling.
# 11. 5/1/12 7:47 AM by DD
History books belong to the victors of any war. Liberalism is winning this war while the other side does little except whine about it in blogs and personal websites. That's the cold truth about this war.
# 12. 5/1/12 7:52 AM by rjstaff - Rochester,NY
So very true. Now the question is what can we do about it?
# 13. 5/1/12 7:54 AM by Brian
My son, now 18 and in college, learned American history from me and read books I have collected. He wasn't taught it in school, but I made sure he learned it!
# 14. 5/1/12 7:55 AM by Alex
And all these years I thought that George Washington was the first President of the United States.....he was not.
# 15. 5/1/12 7:56 AM
"The truth shall set you free". The corollary is that pretense will enslave you. Political correctness is pretense.
# 16. 5/1/12 8:00 AM by RC - Bloomington
Come on Bob, this just isn't true. Coming to theaters soon is a movie on Lincoln and the history of him as a Vampire Hunter...haven't you seen the previews?
# 17. 5/1/12 8:10 AM
re-"It would be a rare high school graduate who could tell you anything substantive about John Adams. Or Meriwether Lewis, Hyman Rickover, Clara Barton, Dolly Madison, Crispus Attucks, Jefferson Davis, Jack Pershing, Henry Clay, William Tecumsah Sherman, George Marshall, Grover Cleveland or Luther Burbank."
Not too many people can tell you much about the 12 apostles that Jesus hand picked that would later eat his last meal with him (except remembering Judos) But this does not diminish or prevent them from leading a great christian life. Likewise, you don't have to know a thing stored in the archives of american history on order to be a great citizen of the United States.
# 18. 5/1/12 8:10 AM by Troy
Future members of the Tea Party!
# 19. 5/1/12 8:11 AM by OldVietVet - Rochester, NY
Yea! But what is there to be done about this sickness, when there is no political or social antidote? One thing the Founding Fathers of our Nation did not,could not foresee, was the destructive elements of distracton on the one hand,and central education on the other;Sponsored by the mass media on behalf of moneyed interests,and reaching levels of absurdity undreamt of in the 18th century,the informed and responsible citizenry that Jefferson and Co. envisioned as necessary for the continuation of our Republic has given way to a mindless audience for T.V./entertainment crapola; And a central school system that fulfills the requirements for the perpetration of the American version of the Communist Big Lie.Lets hope we do not wind up as the notable wreck of the 21st century-following hard in the footsteps of the USSR.
# 20. 5/1/12 8:12 AM by Mark
I've asked dozens of people including many seniors in highschool what the capital of Canada is. There has not been one correct answer. How sad is that.
# 21. 5/1/12 8:17 AM
#7, your 8-year old is correct, and you are incorrect.
Which is about par for the author of this blog and most of the commentators.
"You are the biggest loser."
# 22. 5/1/12 8:17 AM by Mike - Mt. Morris
It's not the teachers fault entirely that their students do not have the knowledge. Many teachers do more then fair job of trying to provide the assets for those who want to learn. But when some students go to school just to hang out & cause trouble, this then makes it more difficult for those who want to learn. Don't blame the system, blame those who don't want to be part of the solution. Teachers can try to teach all of their students, but if those students see no point or value in learning, what is the use in trying.
# 23. 5/1/12 8:17 AM by GEORGE (THE OTHER ONE) - GANANOQUE ONTARIO CANADA
*
I used to roll my eyes at the boobs that Jay Leno presented on his 'J-walking' segments and assume that there had been hundreds of individuals interviewed to produce the four or five presented. Sadly that is not the truth. They are but accurate examples of the illiterate and uneducated product of the American educational system. Even Canadian students know more American history than American students know about their own country.
The American educational system has produced, in a container of unknown size, a large volume of relative low pressure into which matter is forced, through a small aperture, by the relatively high pressure outside that container.
"It sucks!" ( A statement that, frighteningly, illustrates the depth of vocabulary of the average American student. Don't believe me? OK. Go ahead and 'axe' them a question.)
# 24. 5/1/12 8:22 AM by Sally
Please stop screaming that the sky is falling. Did you check out the NYS Regents Scores in American History before you wrote your column?
# 25. 5/1/12 8:26 AM
I think to hear your version of history would be horrifying to anyone that really studies history and cares about the truth.
History is subjective as it is usually written by the victor and is mostly used to make partisan incorrect arguements.
If histroy was more objective people would be more interested.
Where's the outrage over Bush & Obama's history of decimating the constitution?
America for the average Joe is acquiesence to power, to the owners of the country.
This land was made for you and me but its been stolen by the monied interests who control the political process - left, right, up & down.
# 26. 5/1/12 8:27 AM by Abner D
It's all nicely detailed in Rules For Liberals, Chapter 3: The Children - How We Can Use Them To Destroy America From Within
# 27. 5/1/12 8:30 AM by Ace
George W. Bush went to a private school and he turned out to be one our best Presidents'.
# 28. 5/1/12 8:32 AM by Tony - Gates
Keep em dumb and they will vote republican.
# 29. 5/1/12 8:38 AM by Ted
Most of my coworkers would have a hard time telling anything substantive about the people you mentioned and they own their own houses, are married with children, and make a lot of money.
So what value does knowledge like this have?
# 30. 5/1/12 8:41 AM by Poplar Beach
#7 Good for you! The argument about man made global warming is a farce. Global warming and cooling are natural recurring events, documented by history. If man has contributed, to global warming, it really does not mater very much.
If we were to stop driving fossil fueled cars, close every fossil fueled power plant, in fact, stop using all fossil fuels in the USA, an impossible task, global warming would be slowed by 2% at most.
If a crisis is to come, due to global warming, it would come in 100 years instead of 98 years, and to gain those 2 years, every American would have to disappear!
# 31. 5/1/12 8:42 AM by Rex
I these kids are our future parents...God save us.
# 32. 5/1/12 8:42 AM by Dave - Jennerstown, PA
Let's face it... the reality is that a large number of todays students don't have the mental capacity for learning, nor do they have parent(s) at home who are willing or able to help. So our school systems would rather dumb-down the curriculum so that those students don't feel badly about themselves. As a country, we spend too much time and money making sure that 'poor' folks get everything thing the system can give them. I say we deduct from these hand-out payments the cost of their cell phones, cigarettes, lottery tickets, etc.
# 33. 5/1/12 8:45 AM by Sandy - Pittsford
The ironic part of this story is that this article is a true reflection of how our current media operates. Get half the side of the story and only report what fits your agenda.
# 34. 5/1/12 8:48 AM by Carol
If you ask these kids, about sports, or about Justin Bieber, some reality show, a video game they will ace it.
Do not be surprised that there are many adults walking around just like these kids.
# 35. 5/1/12 8:51 AM by Clyde
Why waste time studying and thinking? That's energy much better used for having sex and birthing of additional illegitimate children.
# 36. 5/1/12 8:53 AM by prick - webster
Bobby-boy,
#3 Dave---Dumbass!
#6 Tom Dey---Pontificating Dumbass!
# 37. 5/1/12 8:54 AM by NascarDad - Richmond, VA
I see your Rosa Parks and raise you a Cesar Chavez.
In Virgina the 7 great Americans for the History in 3rd grade are as follows:
George Washington Thomas Jefferson Abraham Lincoln Martin Luther King, Jr Thurgood Marshall Rosa Parks Cesar Chavez
With all apologies to Justice Thurgood Marshall, wouldn't the first Chief Justice, John Jay, or the longest serving, John Marshall, seem to be more important a figure?
With all apologies to Rosa Parks, If you insisted on including a second protest leader along with King, why not Susan B Anthony?
But Cesar Chavez, that is out of far left field. More important than the Father of our Constitution, John Madison? Or Benjamin Franklin? Or even George Washington Carver, or Henry Ford? That is pure tripe.
I explained to my son about all of the figures and went into depth on them and why they were important, and also explained why some of them were included and asked him to pick some other Americans who might have been included instead or alongside the ones the textbook presented.
# 38. 5/1/12 8:57 AM by JMiller - Herriman,Ut
#11 is right on only one point, we are at war. The two sides of the current civil war are battling for total control. Sadly I feel it is only a matter of time before blood will be spilt in this war. When that happens one side will take the last of our freedoms and we will live in total tyranny after that. This is the consequence of allowing the evil that is liberalism to go unchecked under the pretense of compromise.
# 39. 5/1/12 9:01 AM by Tom - Mt. Morris
Am I a dying breed or what? A young kid came up to me and asked me what time it was and I said twenty of eleven and he had no idea what I was talking about.
# 40. 5/1/12 9:06 AM by Fred
When I was 12 years old I knew who the VP was, he was the guy that was NOT the crook, Gerald Ford.
# 41. 5/1/12 9:07 AM
Enough already with the NEGATIVITY.
Let's have your next column be something uplifting for a change.
There must be something positive to write about. Mother's Day? Puppies? Some random act of charity bestowed or received?
Why keep feeding the outrage machine day in and day out??
# 42. 5/1/12 9:08 AM by Abby - Penfield
This is why FOX News Propaganda is so successful.
# 43. 5/1/12 9:09 AM by Marty
Third World status - here we come.
# 44. 5/1/12 9:13 AM by Helen - Fairport
Since before Reagan told people their Government was the enemy Republicans have been wanting to eliminate the Department of Education and have been trashing the teachers of our children for decades!!!
# 45. 5/1/12 9:14 AM by Andrew - Henrietta
I did pretty well in history and have a decent understanding-- even a respect for American heritage and accomplishments-- but I don't recall offhand who Meriwether Lewis, Hyman Rickover, Dolly Madison, Crispus Attucks, or Luther Burbank are, nor could I tell you very much about Clara Barton, Jefferson Davis, Jack Pershing, Henry Clay, William Tecumsah Sherman, George Marshall, or Grover Cleveland. And I'm distantly related to Clara Barton!
Also, student performance in Math is far worse than history. No wonder we had so many mortgage failures.
# 46. 5/1/12 9:16 AM by Jodi - Wayne County East
This is proof that manufacturing in the U.S. is not dead.
We are quite possibly the largest producers in the world of the marxist Obama Regime's, "Useful Idiots".
Ignorant, slothful, gluttonous, entitled, parasitical, something for nothingers.
Lacking in wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and the most basic logic and reasoning skills necessary to salvage and retain our great nations constitutional heritage of individual liberty with personal responsibility for all.
Products of our nations public education and political system of the last forty years.
It has finally come to fruition.
We are now fully reaping what we have sown.
The socialist/marxists may have already won from within simply by majority vote. Simply by overwhelming numbers.
This is the same way the muslim religion is step by step planning to dominate the world. One more baby, one more soldier, one more vote at a time.
If you have not waken up to this yet time is literally running out.
We will be lucky if we have another ten to twenty years left. Even tomorrow could be too late.
The Bible is true. We are certainly heading full speed into the End of the Age. The period of the anti-christ, the false profit and the beast.
Don't be ignorant of the coming tribulation, the great deception of the false messiah to come and the judgement and wrath of God that will fall upon this earth.
Do you know Jesus as your personal Lord and savior?
Are you Rapture Ready?
# 47. 5/1/12 9:24 AM by Cheryl - Brighton
No Child Left Behind brought us the teaching for the test approach to education.
A problem with teaching to the test. You learn it for the test. Then you forget it. No context. No discussion of why something happened or why it is important. No requirement that you reflect on it or write about it.
# 48. 5/1/12 9:30 AM
Yup, those danged liberals are guilty of every thang gone wrong in America.
Who the h*ll cares if George Washington owned 300 slaves and always tried to hide that fact. So what if he benefited mightily from the sweat of other peoples brows and became stinking rich because of it.
More over it ain't good for kids to know that cause it might put ideas in their heads to do that themselves to get rich.
No, we should stick to the sugar coated version of history and stand proud and tall of our wage theiving, back whipping scoundrels of our illustrious past.
Do not look into the light!
# 49. 5/1/12 9:33 AM
One other thing...
Hey Tony P......BITE ME!!!!!
Go join the Ku Klux Konservatives and have a lynchin' to make yer heart go pop.
# 50. 5/1/12 9:41 AM by Jolene - Sandy
Off topic: I am getting so annoyed with your picture popping up on my facebook page with everyone telling me to read your "Mitt Romney's underwear" column. I know your number one on the google thingy and extremely popular now with this column. Just hits a nerve when I'm asked to read it. Have a nice day.
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