The Tools of Deception: A Matter of Context

by Peter J. Celano

The Tools of Deception: A Matter of Context

If anybody doubts that the public education system is deliberately undermining the patriotism and psyches of our children, they must be playing "see no evil, hear no evil". Consider the following conversation that occurred between a member of our church staff and her daughter, after a day at public school:

"I hate Andrew Jackson!" the daughter declared.

"What do you mean, you hate Andrew Jackson? You mean President Andrew Jackson?" her mother queried.

"Yes. President Andrew Jackson. I hate him. I just hate him!" the daughter replied.

"Why would you hate Andrew Jackson?"

"Because he wouldn't allow any women or blacks to his inaugural party! Anybody who wanted to come was permitted, as long as they weren't women or blacks!"

Our children are being taught carefully selected portions of history, and not being provided any historical context to interpret them in. What child wouldn't look at this scene as absolute proof of Andrew Jackson's bigotry, racism and sexism? What more would anybody need to know about this evil man?

Much of what our children are taught about history is revised or reinterpreted according to politically correct standards. The parts they are permitted to interpret themselves are carefully presented so that the desired incorrect conclusion is inevitable! These controlled conclusions are the most hideous of all, because the child will need to question his or her own reasoning in order to correct the errors.

This kind of contextless representation is commonly used by cult leaders to support their own views with scripture. Why are such tactics now in common use in our public schools? Not too long ago, we tried to teach a balanced sense of history and encourage a spirit of patriotism through our education system. Now we instill the fear of imminent death due to the destruction of our natural resources and a hatred of the "evils" of the founding fathers, our nation and our heritage. Along with this comes a sense of implicit individual guilt, inherited just because the child was born an Evil American.

We the People are forced to pay for this usurpation of the hearts and minds of our children through local, state and federal taxes-- and we cooperate even beyond that. We cooperate by not taking an active interest in the education of our children. We cooperate by not educating ourselves adequately so we can recognize disinformation when we encounter it. We cooperate by not teaching our children the importance of checking out facts directly, in the proper context, and coming to their own conclusions. In short, we have stopped thinking, and we are teaching our children not to think.

There is a simple solution to this dilemma, but it involves hard work. We must first recognize that most of us have been woefully negligent in our own education - and that the only way to attain a useful education in the areas of history, politics or philosophy it to seek out materials and do our own studying. We must then take an active role in teaching our children how to think for themselves, how to discern fact from fiction, and how to come to their own conclusions. In other words, we must take responsibility for ourselves and for our own children, rather than entrusting our minds and theirs to Big Momma and Daddy government.

A generation of subservient slaves is being developed of our children, right under our noses. To whom are we going to entrust their lives, and the lives of their children? And when freedom has become nothing more than a misty dream, how will WE be excused for our role in the fate of our descendants? There is no excuse. There is only responsibility. The context of this is reality.

c Copyright Peter J. Celano, 1996. All rights reserved.