re: #18 Dark_Falcon

I know. It’s sad. I work with highly educated people, but they’re specialized, and they know very little about key parts of US history. People have such a vague idea about how women got votes, for example, and just how volatile, angry, and stupid that fight got at times. It’s often presented as brave women pushing forwards and being recognized for their gutsiness, whereas it was generations of women being told they were sinning damned sluts for even suggesting such a thing, before it got anywhere.

I think the lack of knowledge of our own history really, really underlies a lot of the political problems we’re having today. The lack of understanding of how our government has worked and changed over time. The lack of understanding of the development of the market and the relationship between labor and management.

And of course, in subject of race relations. We both paint the sides as far too black and white— people who weren’t racist vs. people who were— we mainly paint it in terms of the minority groups fighting for their rights on their own, instead of in the context of larger social movements.

Oh, I could go on…

Is that enough, Mr. Tancredo? Do I get to vote now, you po-faced bastard?