Sanitized History

            Sanitize definition: to make less offensive by eliminating anything unwholesome, objectionable, incriminating, etc.

We sanitize our history.  We erase all kinds of social, cultural, and economic conflict from it.  We run away, in a sense, from ourselves, from what we and our ancestors – whoever they are – created.  Indeed, this history is highly peculiar, for it avoids acknowledging the accompanying social inequalities that capitalism (and any other economic system, for that matter) creates as it remakes society according to its own rules and imagination.  The matter of privilege — and of white privilege in particular, given the majority-minority state in which we live today — is largely relegated to the dustbin of history.  The truth be told, the silences in our histories speak as much truth to power as the histories we publicly uphold.

We must strive to teach a plural people’s history for Texas students in the twenty-first century.  A recent study by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) contains in it past, current and future projections for the public and nonpublic high school graduates of Texas from 1991-2022. (1)   According to this study, Texas Latino high school graduates will be greater in number than Anglo high school graduates beginning with the 2010-2011 school year.  By May 2020, the date through which the current social studies curricular standards under discussion will presumably apply, Latino high school graduates in Texas will number an estimated 156,000 students.  By comparison, by the end of the current decade Anglo high school graduates will number 102,000.  That is, the statewide spring graduating classes in May 2020 will host 54,000 more Latino high school graduates than their Anglo counterparts.

https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/126436

            While I was looking for a reasonable explanation and plausible definition of “sanitizing history,” I came across this article. There’s more, but I excerpted the two paragraphs to help support what I’ve said in another article and what I’m about to say in this one.

            The fear that “old white men” are feeling about becoming the minority is palpable in their attempts to revamp the voting rules (violating our constitutional rights) as well as with their reluctance to support police reforms. They are afraid—big time—and have been for some time because they (those understanding karma) fear being treated the way they have treated minorities of color. They can deny this all they want, but the proof is in how for decades they have attempted to erase large swaths of history in order to make themselves look like better human beings.

They have rather successfully brainwashed people with their revisionist histories about how awful white men are as human beings. It’s not all white men, just those who are racial bigots and would rather hate others than change their minds. When we look at how Texas changed the related content in history books to pacify their egos and allowed Texas students to be led by lies, we see the proof in some of the Texas legislators now—they didn’t want their children to know how horrible their ancestors had been, so they either erased the true history, or sanitized it so it would not seem so bad. They have eliminated the parts of history they find objectionable and unwholesome and offensive since they were the culprits. But they have also eliminated the opportunity for students in Texas to know truth, to see for themselves and to learn to think for themselves which results in not being controlled.

With this particular view of what it means to “sanitize history,” we begin to understand how or rather why textbook publications, supplying the Texas school districts, were so easily convinced to exchange the truth for a lie. In the long run, it helped those in powerful positions to ignore all the wrongdoings of “white men” for centuries.  The massacre of Native Inhabitants, treatment of slaves, Chinese railroad workers, Japanese Interment camps, Jim Crow laws, segregation, and generally racist policies that excluded or eluded most people of color in this land. But one thing is certainly true as pointed out by Richard Calderon, the author of the article referenced—white people will soon be the minority in the United States and perhaps, that is the real reason why “white lawmakers” are trying so desperately to keep immigrants out of the United States—especially those from Central America, the Middle East and Africa.

When “white people” use the bible to justify their behavior or attitudes, it is out of fear that “we” the others would discover the truth and lo and behold we have. We have discovered that Jesus was a person of color having come from the Middle East, He loved everyone, and had a real problem with slavery and hypocrites.  “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).  I am convinced that White Evangelicals that teach they are superior to others are the biggest liars on the planet and they lie to their congregations to control what they do and how they think. That is not to say that other religious denominations don’t do the same thing, but let’s get real, religions are designed to control people and convince them to swallow whatever lies they’re told.

Now, for those of us who know how to read and how to think, we know better. Many of us are “true Christians” and we know what is expected of us is that we are to love one another unconditionally. Therefore, if we are busy loving one another, we don’t have time to promote hate or fear of others because love conquers all. Love will even conquer the need of people to sanitize history for their own sakes, but will conquer the need of those who were mistaught to influence their need for truth. Fearful people, put undue constraints upon others, controlling what they’re exposed to and limiting their ability to develop critical thinking skills, especially about the history of our nation, the true, unsanitized version of history.

Yes, haters of truth—the world is not flat, the Holocaust and slavery were very real, vaccines have saved lives, Easter is not about a rabbit or chickens, parents buy toys for kids at Christmas, and no one human being is superior to another. Did you catch that? Truth matters, and Black Lives Matter as well as all others. Stop The Hate America—in order for us all to matter and to survive and thrive, we must stop hating and start loving.

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The Children Will Lead!

It is truly unfortunate that our nation is once again, struck by indefensible killings of students and their teachers. What’s even more horrific is the silence from those lawmakers who are more committed in their continuance of accepting donations from the NRA than in establishing and enacting Common Sense Gun Laws. To offer their, “thoughts and prayers” without doing anything concrete to stop the stupid is as insulting and heartless as one could possibly be. Exactly what are thoughts and prayers going to do to stop the senseless carnage and loss of life?

What our “elected” politicians seem to forget is that prayers without action won’t change anything. But the children understand this–they know thoughts and prayers won’t stop a determined shooter from going into a school and gunning down students who came to school to learn, not to die.

Emma González understands and those students in Parkland, FL understand— that it is the responsibility of lawmakers to change the course of events by enacting Common Sense Gun Laws–who at the moment seem frozen into complete impotence because they’re afraid to buck the NRA after taking millions in contributions to them. They are bought and paid for by NRA and nothing short of a miracle will cause them to mobilize and do what should have been done long ago.

How many times must we sit back and watch the news and see how children and other innocent people have been gunned down by those who legally purchased guns, in particular assault weapons, with more ease than some teens can buy cigarettes? This is totally unacceptable. The visit by trump to visit a victim in the hospitable was just as tasteless and inappropriate as his throwing paper towels to victims of the hurricane in Puerto Rico. Attempting to console people is not an opportunity for a photo op in which he comes off looking like a grinning fool. No one appreciates the “thumbs up” gesture in a time of sorrow and mourning. No empathy capable by him and his lack of compassion for the families is absolutely abhorrent.

I’m supporting the planned walk-out by many students across the nation on April 20, 2018 and any other protest, including my own creativeness in reaching out to those who voted for him to understand, if we don’t change the way we think about the use of assault weapons, their child could be next. And perhaps that’s what it’s going to take–a number of trump supporters losing their children to gun violence or the lawmakers losing a child to gun violence–maybe then, they’ll see the need to get off their butts, return the money to the NRA and do the job they were elected to do–establish sensible laws for the benefit and protection of all Americans.

The children of Parkland, Florida will lead the charge but they won’t be alone. The nation will be right behind them, supporting them every step of the way. At least those of us with a heart will be right behind–the rest–well–they’ll have to deal with the consequences of their inaction.

I am a legal gun-owner, but I do not own an assault weapon because I have no need for one and neither does anyone else who is not actively serving in the military or law enforcement. That’s the bottom line for me. No one else needs an assault weapon since their own purpose is to kill and destroy lives. For the lives that were taken–killed for no reason–left behind families whose lives are destroyed as they muddle through life, trying to understand–why?

Anyone who supports the NRA and it’s lack of human decency is complicit in all who are killed by those who are “exercising their 2nd amendment rights.” Any elected official who will not denounce the use of assault weapons and will not ban them, will have the blood of every person killed on their hands and God will judge them accordingly, but the voters will put them out of work to make sure they do not have an opportunity to be the cause of another loss of life.

If the children are willing to take the lead, the rest of us must be willing to follow and make sure elected officials honor lives over money. It is time we stop asking the question, “Is it time to talk about guns,” for it is past time to talk and do what needs to be done to save lives, not collect money.

Call your congressional representatives at 202-224-3121 and demand they establish Common Sense Gun legislation, now–that includes banning assault weapons.