fandomhigh | 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?"

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"It would be nice if I could say that just living life took care of that part," Norman replied wryly. "But not many people actually let little things like 'the way things really are' get in the way of their fantasy world where nothing is horrible ever, and where it certainly isn't their fault."

Bitter teen, here. As if this school wasn't already full of those, right?

"When instead everyone should learn to apologize sincerely," Steve said. "None of this 'sorry if you were offended' nonsense, and just tell things straight. It's a lot easier in the long run--much less to keep track of when you're always telling the truth."

"Yeah," Norman replied, and then frowned a little. "But it's about more than just apologizing. It's about reconciling, too. About making amends for the horrible things that were done, for making it right again, as best as it possibly can be. And the damage from some things... that won't ever really go away. That doesn't mean you don't try."

Steve nodded. "Yes. Face it squarely and acknowledge that wrongs were done. George Washington did many great things, but he was also a slaveholder. We can't look away from that just because it doesn't fit the mythology we'd like. We have to examine what that means for our country, and also why we've insisted on ignoring plain facts for so long."

"Because being held accountable feels bad," Norman replied. "Because it's easier to live life at the cost of somebody else's suffering, to feel righteous even when the wrong choices have been made. Because if we have to face the ghosts our history left us, that doesn't mean we're as perfect as we wish we were. As we've always been told we are. And... it's really hard to let go of perfection once you think you've got it. Especially if you don't stop to look at what it cost to get you there in the first place."

It was possible that the ghosts Norman was talking about weren't entirely metaphorical. It was absolutely certain that the situation he was talking about, he was coming at with some experience.

"The enduring myth of American exceptionalism," Steve said with a slightly wry nod. "We're the good guys, so in the face of evidence that we're not always the good guys...we ignore it. Pass it off as a different time and pretend that there aren't consequences for actions generations down the line."

"We ignore it, we let the story change into something softer, less messy around the edges. Less dirty. We make victims into villains if they get any recognition at all. Anything to save face. Anything to protect the memory of the people who put us up onto whatever pedesdal we think we're standing on."

Steve nodded. "Any suggestions for how we can confront that willful blindness?"

Norman opened his mouth before entirely thinking through that question, and then shut it again. And then sighed.

"Call people out on their garbage and set a good example, I guess," he replied. "But some of it is so deeply seated in people's heads, talking reason isn't necessarily going to get through to them. But I don't think this is one of those questions with an easy answer, either. Work hard to change things going forward, to make sure that the story is set right again? Maybe? Like this class is doing."

Edited 2018-01-12 22:40 (UTC)

"Got to start somewhere, right?" Steve said.

"Might as well start here," Norman agreed.

Lies Your Other Teachers Told You, January 12, 2018

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