# "Revisionist History"-Not just a lefty thing.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 15, 2018, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406 "2018-09-15T20:33:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2018, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/1 "2018-09-15T20:33:42Z")
I thought this story worthy of discussion especially after all the accusations of “trying to erase history” that came in the wake of the Confederate statues controversy. > **[Texas Board Votes To Cut Hillary Clinton, Helen Keller From History Courses](https://www.yahoo.com/news/texas-board-votes-cut-hillary-060257161.html)** > > But it's keeping the part about Moses informing America's founding documents. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2018, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/2 "2018-09-15T20:41:54Z")
Not _just_ a lefty thing? When is it ever? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2018, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/3 "2018-09-15T20:49:54Z")
Erasing history is not possible. Taking down statues, yeah, that’s totally possible. “Revisionist History” is a bullshit term with respect to racist hero monuments and their removal. Lying to schoolchildren about history? Totally possible. If anything, the left is willing to look at, admit, and try to repair all of the shit warts involved in America’s history. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2018, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/4 "2018-09-15T21:06:00Z")
In what way is this “revisionist” history? The recommendation of the study group to the Board was that students not be required to focus on so many people in history. Notice that the “article” linked doesn’t even bother to list any other people currently required to be discussed being dropped. It’s laughably limited in information. [Here’s a link to a somewhat better article discussing the changes.](https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2018/09/14/history-curriculum-texas-remembers-alamo-forgets-hillary-clinton-helen-keller) Notice that Barry Goldwater is being dropped for the same reason Hillary Clinton is, and that there are many other people being dropped who are not specifically listed. This sort of headline bait is exactly what makes people who are supporters of President Trump believe that the “media” are biased for “Liberals.” ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2018, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/5 "2018-09-15T21:06:22Z")
Can’t teach everything. Where would you find the time? ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2018, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/6 "2018-09-15T21:10:39Z")
That article is not available in Europe (big shocker), but if we were looking for evidence of right-wing bias in the assessment, dropping Barry Goldwater, a famously racist republican who got his ass kicked, is not exactly a knock-down argument. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2018, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/7 "2018-09-15T21:42:50Z")
Every day, I keep wondering what the latest round of idiocy from the red states will be. I remember studying Tilden vs Hayes twice in high school Once, in American History as the end of reconstruction and a small bit about the electoral college. Then, in American Government, we studied Tilden vs Hayes again to go into more detail about the popular vote versus the electoral college. Since then, twice the winner of the popular vote has lost the presidency. In 2016, there was an effort, however futile, to see if the electoral college would work as originally intended and make their own independent judgement if Donald Trump was suitable to serve as president. Even if you’re a die hard Republican, I can’t see any argument against studying Bush vs Gore and the 2016 election. They are important in American history. If the school board had decided they weren’t going to include Reagan vs Mondale, Bush vs Dukakis, or Bill Clinton vs Dole, then I’d be fine with that. I agree you can’t cover everything. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2018, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/8 "2018-09-15T22:00:17Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > That article is not available in Europe (big shocker), but if we were looking for evidence of right-wing bias in the assessment, dropping Barry Goldwater, a famously racist republican who got his ass kicked, is not exactly a knock-down argument. Cite for Goldwater being a racist? [This](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/michael-gerson-barry-goldwaters-warning-to-the-gop/2014/04/17/9e8993ec-c651-11e3-bf7a-be01a9b69cf1_story.html?utm_term=.167ea87d2b61) seems to be a fairly balance approach from the Washington Post (I hope you can see it if you are in Europe): > [@](#): > > “While not himself a racist,” concluded Martin Luther King Jr., “Mr. Goldwater articulates a philosophy which gives aid and comfort to the racists.” This is based on his vote against the Civil Rights Act, which although misguided was based on principles of small government rather than on any wish of harm or negative consequences to any person of color. My reasons for making this distinction include a desire for precision in public discourse, and a conviction that there are, in fact, useful principles to glean from a small government approach. Often those principles are outweighed by social concerns, but not always. This does not mean that I am either in favor of or opposed to having school children study Goldwater as part of their history lessons. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2018, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/9 "2018-09-15T22:44:31Z")
There’s a lot to disagree with Barry Goldwater with, but I don’t think he was a racist. He was well known for his photography of Native Americans. > **[Goldwater took photography hobby seriously.](https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/2014/04/11/barry-goldwater-photography-richard-nielsen/7518017/)** > > Barry Goldwater, an avid amateur photographer, left behind more than 15,000 photographs. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2018, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/10 "2018-09-15T22:55:28Z")
Revisionist is not a dirty word and I wish people would stop treating it like it is. Nor does it have any political implications whatsoever taken in isolation. If you are not willing to revise your understanding of history as new facts come to light, you’re an idiot and a shit historian. The last major Carolingian, Charles III ‘the Fat’, was probably not a lethargic incompetent as usually branded by pre-21rst century historians. He just got unlucky in terms of succession and the most focused on records to survive from his realm were written by politically hostile commentators. Those records were then filtered through the lens of historians looking for someone to blame for the Carolingian collapse. History is theoretically fixed, Doctor Who not withstanding. Our understanding of it is not. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2018, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/11 "2018-09-15T22:59:31Z")
This story just kind of caught my eye because there are similar efforts underway in Michigan. One instance was the intended purging of the term “democratic values”, because, despite their denials, it reminds folks of that political party. No word if the terms “community” and “society” were under consideration for banning due to similar concerns. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2018, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/12 "2018-09-15T23:59:41Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > There’s a lot to disagree with Barry Goldwater with, but I don’t think he was a racist. He was well known for his photography of Native Americans. > > [Goldwater took photography hobby seriously.](https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/2014/04/11/barry-goldwater-photography-richard-nielsen/7518017/) That’s an unusual definition of racism. When Goldwater had to make a choice between supporting racists and supporting black people, he chose to side with the racists. I don’t know if Goldwater chose this because he was a racist, because he sympathized with racists, or because he figured he’d get more votes from racists. But it was an immoral choice. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/13 "2018-09-16T00:33:19Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > When Goldwater had to make a choice between supporting racists and supporting black people, he chose to side with the racists. I don’t know if Goldwater chose this because he was a racist, because he sympathized with racists, or because he figured he’d get more votes from racists. But it was an immoral choice. Or, Goldwater “sided with the racists” because he thought there was some other important principle at stake: IIRC, he disagreed with at least some federal civil rights legislation on federalism grounds, and also on libertarian opposition to government interference with the decisions of private business owners to end segregation (as opposed to the government itself either racially discriminating, or interfering with the decisions of private business owners by legally _mandating_ segregation, both of which libertarians would rightly oppose). I think Goldwater was wrong about that; racial segregation in a large part of America was all-pervasive, and had clearly been sustained and perpetuated as part of a society-wide racist system, which very much included racial discrimination by the state itself, as well as state-mandated racial discrimination by private enterprise (various Jim Crow laws requiring segregation in assorted public accommodations). To just say “OK, from now on, there won’t be any more state-sanctioned or mandatory racism–other than that, y’all are on your own” was inadequate in the face of this history. But I don’t think it’s fair to just say Goldwater was a racist. I strongly support free speech, for example, even when that means “supporting racists”, but that’s not because I’m a racist, or because I sympathize with racists; it’s because I believe free speech is very important (and “hate speech” laws in practice are very often used to repress powerless minorities rather than to protect them). ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/14 "2018-09-16T01:09:16Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > Or, Goldwater “sided with the racists” because he thought there was some other important principle at stake: IIRC, he disagreed with at least some federal civil rights legislation on federalism grounds, and also on libertarian opposition to government interference with the decisions of private business owners to end segregation (as opposed to the government itself either racially discriminating, or interfering with the decisions of private business owners by legally _mandating_ segregation, both of which libertarians would rightly oppose). > > **I think Goldwater was wrong about that;** racial segregation in a large part of America was all-pervasive, and had clearly been sustained and perpetuated as part of a society-wide racist system, which very much included racial discrimination by the state itself, as well as state-mandated racial discrimination by private enterprise (various Jim Crow laws requiring segregation in assorted public accommodations). To just say “OK, from now on, there won’t be any more state-sanctioned or mandatory racism–other than that, y’all are on your own” was inadequate in the face of this history. > > But I don’t think it’s fair to just say Goldwater was a racist. I strongly support free speech, for example, even when that means “supporting racists”, but that’s not because I’m a racist, or because I sympathize with racists; it’s because I believe free speech is very important (and “hate speech” laws in practice are very often used to repress powerless minorities rather than to protect them). Goldwater later said he was wrong to oppose civil rights legislation. I think that admission is as likely as anything (along with his landslide defeat) to be the reason Texas educators want to banish him from history. Cite: John Wayne in “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”: _Never apologize, it’s a sign of weakness._ ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/15 "2018-09-16T02:27:05Z")
To actually address the topic of the thread: I’m sure determining exactly which historical figures and events should go in a grade school history curriculum is a difficult and complicated task. After all, there’s a lot of history, and only so many hours in the school day or school days in the year. That the Texas Board of Education voted to keep the alleged influence of Moses on our nation’s founding documents tells me all I need to know about their fitness for that task. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/16 "2018-09-16T02:51:23Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I don’t think he was a racist. He was well known for his photography of Native Americans. Impressive. A new twist on an old revelation: “I can’t be racist, i photograph \*many people’s/I] black friends.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/17 "2018-09-16T02:52:50Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > Or, Goldwater “sided with the racists” because he thought there was some other important principle at stake: IIRC, he disagreed with at least some federal civil rights legislation on federalism grounds, and also on libertarian opposition to government interference with the decisions of private business owners to end segregation (as opposed to the government itself either racially discriminating, or interfering with the decisions of private business owners by legally _mandating_ segregation, both of which libertarians would rightly oppose). > > I think Goldwater was wrong about that; racial segregation in a large part of America was all-pervasive, and had clearly been sustained and perpetuated as part of a society-wide racist system, which very much included racial discrimination by the state itself, as well as state-mandated racial discrimination by private enterprise (various Jim Crow laws requiring segregation in assorted public accommodations). To just say “OK, from now on, there won’t be any more state-sanctioned or mandatory racism–other than that, y’all are on your own” was inadequate in the face of this history. > > But I don’t think it’s fair to just say Goldwater was a racist. I strongly support free speech, for example, even when that means “supporting racists”, but that’s not because I’m a racist, or because I sympathize with racists; it’s because I believe free speech is very important (and “hate speech” laws in practice are very often used to repress powerless minorities rather than to protect them). I understand the point you’re making. But I feel that the people who were invoking states rights in defense of racism didn’t really give a damn about states rights; they just wanted to defend racism. It’s like the people who want to say they are pro-life but support capital punishment; if you’re opposed to abortion just say that. Don’t try to invoke a higher-sounding principle if you’re only applying it to the cause you actually care about. As for Goldwater, when he was running for President one of the main themes of his campaign was his opposition to the Soviet Union. He said it wasn’t enough for us to just achieve peaceful co-existence with the Soviets. He said America should actively work on undermining the Soviet government and his justification for this was the fate of all of the people who lived in the Soviet Union and were being oppressed by their government. Now by itself, that might be a good principle. But why didn’t Goldwater apply the same standard domestically? Why did he feel an obligation to help Russians who were being oppressed that he didn’t feel for Americans who were being oppressed? As a Presidential candidate, didn’t he owe Americans at least as much support as he was claiming was owed to Russians? I think Goldwater just had a blindspot that was typical for white Americans of his generation; when he thought of Americans, he thought of white people. He was aware of black people but he just didn’t see them as real Americans in the same way. So he saw civil rights as a difficult burden that was being placed on Americans; he didn’t see it as an effort to help Americans. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/18 "2018-09-16T06:15:44Z")
I believe my mistake was mixing up Goldwater and George Wallace. My bad. According to CBS: > [@](#): > > The board also made decisions to keep some references in the curriculum which had been recommended for removal by a working group tasked with streamlining the curriculum, such as a description of the “heroism” of people who defended the Alamo, according to The Dallas Morning News. The board voted to keep references of “Judeo-Christian” values and their influence on American politics and history. > > They also voted to reinsert the Biblical figure Moses as an influence on American politics, and remove philosopher Thomas Hobbes from the section on “individuals whose principles of laws and government institutions informed the American founding.” So replacing _real_ history with fantasy. Lovely. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/19 "2018-09-16T08:10:15Z")
All history is, to some extent, a constant process of revision: it is not the imposition of final revealed truth. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406/20 "2018-09-16T10:52:46Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > All history is, to some extent, a constant process of revision: it is not the imposition of final revealed truth. Is that the truth? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revisionist-history-not-just-a-lefty-thing/821406.md?page=2)