Voluntarily (adverb) To be forced by death.

Voluntarily (adverb) To be forced by death.
or: Wait, What?

And the hits just keep coming.

Kids, you've been patient with me and I really don't intend to turn the blog into a repository of political opinion but, the Colorado School board is still at it. Last week we learned of their plans to scrap reality for propaganda and brainwashing. This week, they're doubling down with specifics.

Board member Pat Mazanec is upset because AP courses don't teach that the US ended slavery "voluntarily". As in, Lincoln "voluntarily" resigned the Presidency. Excuse me for paying attention in class but, in terms of human life, the Civil War was the costliest war America ever engaged in. Over 600,000 lives were lost including several hundred thousand who died for the sole purpose of maintaining slavery forever. In the immortal words of Inigo Montoya, "I don't think that word means what you think it means."

But wait, don't touch that dial. It gets better…

Board member Julie Williams fears kids learning about the Black Panthers. She'd prefer lessons about Washington, Franklin, Jefferson. You remember them, the guys we learned about in kindergarten before they let us into grade school? Ms Williams, we're talking about AP, as in advanced placement, not remedial ed.

History classes get kids 5 hours a week; Parents get them for over 70 hours a week. Tales of patriotism and American exceptionalism belong: at the dinner table, 4th of July weekends, trips to colonial Williamsburg, not a history class.

We call them kids but, most of them are already driving. Couple more years they'll be voting for President and possibly dying in America's wars. If we expect them to so soon bear the responsibilities of adulthood it's time to prepare them, rather than coddle the self loathing.

Kids, you can't make this stuff up.

Happy Trails,
Smitty