Facts and feelings

  I am not responsible for the circumstances of my birth. I had nothing to do with that. I am simply the product. My race wasn't my choice. My social position in society wasn't my choice. Fact is, I didn't have much of a choice about anything until I was well into my teens. By that time, I had been indoctrinated into whatever culture I belonged to. That is the same for each and every one of us. But as we grow and mature, we can change the doctrines that we were taught, alter our view. And that is the portion I am responsible for. Often it is an uncomfortable time, teenage angst and all of that being what it is. And then there is the societal pressures to fit in. We are pressured to adopt the popular view. 

 I felt a bit of that pressure yesterday during an online discussion. I came to realize that I am expected to be on the apology tour for every injustice suffered by African Americans. It was expected of me that I accept the blame for all of that. I was informed of my white privilege, how I couldn't understand anything about black culture and how I should be paying reparations. My position is, I'm not responsible for any of that. I have done nothing to anyone. As far as I know my ancestors were not involved in any of that either. I do have English ancestors, so it is a possibility that they were somehow involved but before 1776, before we were America. 

 What was my transgression? I asked a simple question. There was a controversary surrounding the teaching of an AP African-American studies class being offered in Harford County schools. As with most things on social media the headlines skewed the facts a bit and in general were misleading. I was interested to know what the actual curriculum was. I said, isn't it just history? And that ignited a firestorm of comments. I was immediately attacked as a racist for even suggesting that it was simply a history class. No, this class was to teach black students, and white ones too, about every injustice, every wrongdoing, every heartbreak and misery that African Americans have had to endure for the last four hundred years in America! Eventually I did manage to get a copy of the actual course description. Yes, it does appear as that is the focus of the course. Didn't change my mind though, all that is indeed history and I have no problem with anyone being taught that. 

 I do think a great deal of that will depend upon who is teaching the course and what the professors' personal feelings may be. But that could be said about every course of instruction and so doesn't preclude the teaching of this one. The view of Stonewall Jackson in the southern states and the one taught up north are certainly different. Lots of examples of that. What is the objective of the course? That is what was being challenged, called into question. I understood that but I can't know that answer as it is dependent upon the instructor. What are the "correct" answers on the test. Answers that I suspect could be debated by scholars at great length. 

 If we are teaching history, teach all of it. My only concern being are we teaching history or ideology? I believe that is what was being questioned by those opposing the course. For me it is not unlike other ideologies being pushed in our society today. Many of those falling under the guise of inclusiveness. If you oppose them, you are not being inclusive. History is the recitation of facts. This is what happened. Why it happened is another course of study altogether. Facts and feelings. Different things entirely. Am I responsible for history? Only for my own is my feeling, only for my own.