Steve Rogers (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
heroic_jawline) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2018-01-12 04:51 pm
heroic_jawline) wrote in fandomhigh2018-01-12 04:51 pm
Lies Your Other Teachers Told You, January 12, 2018
There were two teachers at the head of the class today and one of them looked like he was ready for a fight. The other mostly looked like he needed more coffee.
No points for guessing which was which.
"Welcome back," Tony said. "Everyone say hello to your other teacher, Captain Rogers."
Steve gave a quick wave. "Hello. It's nice to see some familiar faces. Today we're going to talk about the dangers of talking around actual, definable problems with historical figures, both past and present. Heroification makes people over into heroes. Through this process, people turn flawed, flesh-and-blood individuals into pious, perfect creatures without conflicts, pain, credibility, or human interest." He smiled. "I read that last part in a book, but it's true."
Tony smiled and looked like he was trying not to laugh. "While they were crucial to the founding of this country, many of the Founders were also slave owners or soldiers who helped demolish the native populations that were here long before our country was even an idea. But today we hold them up to the gold standard of what we think the country should be."
"Washington, Jefferson, Madison all owned slaves," Steve said, nodding. "Christopher Columbus wasn't here to prove the world was round. Andrew Jackson was a violent racist. Does it affect how we view their contributions to world history? Yes, because it makes them people, not cartoons."
"Washington, the very first president of the country and famed military general for the revolution, didn't even think the constitution would last more than a few decades," Tony added. So, take jerkwads who used it to argue for bullshit. "Though, that may be due to the fact that in no way was the country a unified state, more a loose confederact of different states who barely tolerated each other."
But details, details.
"Sometimes they still barely tolerate each other," Steve muttered. "Okay. The topic discussion today: why is it so dangerous to turn these very real people into untouchable icons?"
No points for guessing which was which.
"Welcome back," Tony said. "Everyone say hello to your other teacher, Captain Rogers."
Steve gave a quick wave. "Hello. It's nice to see some familiar faces. Today we're going to talk about the dangers of talking around actual, definable problems with historical figures, both past and present. Heroification makes people over into heroes. Through this process, people turn flawed, flesh-and-blood individuals into pious, perfect creatures without conflicts, pain, credibility, or human interest." He smiled. "I read that last part in a book, but it's true."
Tony smiled and looked like he was trying not to laugh. "While they were crucial to the founding of this country, many of the Founders were also slave owners or soldiers who helped demolish the native populations that were here long before our country was even an idea. But today we hold them up to the gold standard of what we think the country should be."
"Washington, Jefferson, Madison all owned slaves," Steve said, nodding. "Christopher Columbus wasn't here to prove the world was round. Andrew Jackson was a violent racist. Does it affect how we view their contributions to world history? Yes, because it makes them people, not cartoons."
"Washington, the very first president of the country and famed military general for the revolution, didn't even think the constitution would last more than a few decades," Tony added. So, take jerkwads who used it to argue for bullshit. "Though, that may be due to the fact that in no way was the country a unified state, more a loose confederact of different states who barely tolerated each other."
But details, details.
"Sometimes they still barely tolerate each other," Steve muttered. "Okay. The topic discussion today: why is it so dangerous to turn these very real people into untouchable icons?"
Re: Discuss!
Re: Discuss!