Aly Wane: Creating Historical Accountability and Raising Good Conscientious Kids

So well said and tragically true.

— Molly

MEDIANEWS GROUP/THE RIVERSIDE PRESS-ENTERPRISE VIA GETTY IMAGES

DeSantis just said that the reason that he has been altering the curriculum on slavery in Florida is that he doesn't want white kids "to feel guilty."

1st off: If you're white and your kids feel bad about slavery, I can't say it enough: you've raised good, conscientious kids. You're supposed to feel bad about certain historical events. You know who else feels bad about learning about slavery? Black kids. It's ESPECIALLY hard for them and it is frustrating that this isn't acknowledged.

And secondly: learning about the hard historical stuff is what teaches you how to be a good person. I HATED it when I learned about the Holocaust. It was awful. But guess what? It turned me into a person who has devoted his life to making sure that never happens again. That's why we teach these things. It's not about "creating guilt." It's about creating historical accountability. That has little to do with blaming individuals.

This moral panic about the teaching of slavery has nothing to do with the moral development of kids. It's about the parents and the regressive political agenda.

— Aly Wane