BakerECJohnsonCH12

In Johnson's book "Lies My Teacher Told Me" chapter 12 dealt with the issues of how many textbooks are pitted on the basis of speaking in a "white" tone. Johnson believes that many of the textbooks, especially social studies and subject of that nature are having a negative effect on not only minority children but also white children. The theory is that when dealing with history one must have some emotional response to what is being brought in, whether it is forced or not. When books are read from only one point of view which generally triggers an emotion it is often times negative. Many books Johnson talks about are written from a white point of view which when read by privileged whites is some what productive because they can relate and put a good emotion toward it. On the other hand when an African American or Native American begins to read and contemplate these readings more negative feelings come into play. These negative feelings may be having a impact on these children which is much less than desirable. When someone reads something they believe is unfair or unjust in a certain way they may tend to block it out and forget it which in turn results in a lack of knowledge. Johnson talks about a student of his who had been teaching in a school in with a large Native American population the celebration of Thanksgiving came up and one boy said that he was told not to listen to what any white man had to say because it was wrong. This shows Johnson's point that when things are told in a certain point of view they may sometimes be dismissed rather quickly. Johnson also discusses the impact of education on the idea of the Vietnamese war. With a logical idea most would think that the more educated on is the greater the desire would be on average that war would want to be avoided. This was what was expected of the census taken in January 1971. The result however confused many social scientists and scholars. Apparently the less educated people were the higher the average was that they wanted the troops to return home from the war. What is believed to be the reason now is that people in the upper third of the educational and pay range of our society is believed to support society more since they have done so well in it where as the “lower class” are more empt to resent what is supposedly good for society.
1. Why was that idea not thought about before the polling?
2. What was the point for the census, the government wasn't going to listen anyway?
I can agree with what the author is saying because when I was in school I would find it almost warming to hear that our ancestors were such great people. After learning about how whites were so domineering over other races and could be so horrible toward others I found myself appauled, these views were not coming from the "white" state of mind but looking in and emotions played a large part in my thoughts. I don't however agree with blocking out because I don't like what I hear, since I've learned how bad some whites have been I have gained curiosity.