From the Woke Left, it is solemnly intoned as truth: America is a racist society, built on the exploitation of Native Americans and Blacks. It is rotten to the core, and only if the country as a whole joins together and implements profound changes could we begin to atone for our wretched past.
The right argues this is not true! American is not a racist society.
The important question is not whether this is true (there is a lot of truth to it) but whether to say it and when.
Part of what people learn when growing up is to choose what to say not based entirely on whether it is true but whether it is helpful. When introduced to a new person, you don't say, "You sure are ugly! And stupid too!" Even if they are clearly true.
Saying America is racist is emphasizing one aspect of history but totally ignoring another. A key question is how America compares to other countries. While we were being racist, what were others doing? Britain? France? Spain? China? Japan? Germany? Perhaps there are countries that did relatively little recent exploitation, but if so it was because they simply did not assume a large role on the world stage.
I am opposed to a curriculum that makes America's history of racism central. Probably the Right goes too far in trying to legislate it away, but it is still a very bad idea. I would rather frame US history by saying, "When people of any nation look back through history, they will see things their country did that were wrong, especially when judged by modern standards. Wherever they live, most people love their country despite past faults. It is a natural human tendency. It contributes to a nation working well and to the happiness of the citizens. America is no different. We have done things that are wrong, especially when judged by our standards of today. But we have also done a great deal that was right."
The map of Europe is the result of waves of ethnic cleansing. Four hundred years ago it was commonplace for Protestants to burn Catholics at the stake and vice versa. Every European nation that colonized the lands of people they thought of as "savages" did them grievous harm. The long history of China is one of cruelty. If a long history of atrocious criminal behavior is not documented for certain areas of the world, it is only because it was not written down.
People want to love their country, and Americans are no exception. Many have forebears who died fighting for it, and relatives who are signed up today to do so if necessary. As one small example of their affection, they want to root for our teams at the Olympics. Could those who feel our present is the rotten fruit of a racist past root for America at the Olympics? It's hard to see how if they are true to their beliefs.
There is a longstanding view in America that we are exceptional -- better than other lands. The Woke Left now wants us to believe we are exceptionally bad -- apparently worse than other nations. If they do think other nations are as bad or worse, they certainly don't emphasize it.
A great way to turn people away from progressive ideas is to emphasize the faults of America's past. Yes, we do have a racist past, but it is no help to put this front and center.
To what extent we have a racist present, and how best to present that if your goal is to reduce racism, is a topic for another day.
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