My son told me they were learning about the American Revolution. "Dad, did you know Thomas Jefferson was a rapist?"
"Oof, that seems harsh, bruh."
"That's what our teacher said. Slaves can't consent to rape and he was a hypocrite for writing the Declaration of Independence."
"Does that diminish the Dec. of Ind. in your eyes, then? The personal morality of the author?"
Pause. "Kinda."
Homeschool your kids.
So if you homeschooled your kids, you'd never teach accurate history because there are some warts here and there?Homeschool your kids.
My son told me they were learning about the American Revolution. "Dad, did you know Thomas Jefferson was a rapist?"
"Oof, that seems harsh, bruh."
"That's what our teacher said. Slaves can't consent to rape and he was a hypocrite for writing the Declaration of Independence."
"Does that diminish the Dec. of Ind. in your eyes, then? The personal morality of the author?"
Pause. "Kinda."
As the Brits were quick to point out, the Declaration was hypocritical from the outset, and no sex is needed to make that the case. But the Declaration was also used as a force for the advancement of various civil rights movements over the years, as the idea of all men (and women) created equal was transformed from a contemporary hypocrisy on slaveholders' parts to a national and even global aspiration for humans to work toward achieving. Jefferson's moral failings need not detract from the unique role for good that the Declaration has played over the course of history.
Also, if we're going to be so quick to judge past figures by contemporary standards - and I'm not saying we shouldn't; just pointing out we shouldn't be selective - it would behoove us to remember that up until very recently, the institution of marriage throughout the West was such that no wife could really be said to be capable of giving legal consent by modern standards, and therefore that virtually all men were rapists.
My son told me they were learning about the American Revolution. "Dad, did you know Thomas Jefferson was a rapist?"
"Oof, that seems harsh, bruh."
"That's what our teacher said. Slaves can't consent to rape and he was a hypocrite for writing the Declaration of Independence."
"Does that diminish the Dec. of Ind. in your eyes, then? The personal morality of the author?"
Pause. "Kinda."
I’ll bet you dollars to donuts that when they’re learning about MLK they won’t be delving into his sordid personal affairs…
Why not? I did - in public school. The sordid side of Jefferson and MLK were not the most important. They should be noted but probably not a lot more than that.My son told me they were learning about the American Revolution. "Dad, did you know Thomas Jefferson was a rapist?"
"Oof, that seems harsh, bruh."
"That's what our teacher said. Slaves can't consent to rape and he was a hypocrite for writing the Declaration of Independence."
"Does that diminish the Dec. of Ind. in your eyes, then? The personal morality of the author?"
Pause. "Kinda."
I’ll bet you dollars to donuts that when they’re learning about MLK they won’t be delving into his sordid personal affairs…
Judging 1765 behavior by 2025 standards is historical heresy. It should be discussed, but hot button words like rape should be avoided in a high school setting. On my phone, so will add more later.
Judging 1765 behavior by 2025 standards is historical heresy. It should be discussed, but hot button words like rape should be avoided in a high school setting. On my phone, so will add more later.
Pretty dumb to LOL about that, whatever it is you're laughing about. The federal government does not control K-12 curriculum. State and local governments do that. You know - exactly what we Republicans want, control at the state and local level.So if you homeschooled your kids, you'd never teach accurate history because there are some warts here and there?Homeschool your kids.
lol. And what would those be compared to the history that US govt. wants to use to brainwash our kids?
I am going to agree with Mark, the inflammatory words should not be used but it is valid, even important, to discuss Hemings.
My son told me they were learning about the American Revolution. "Dad, did you know Thomas Jefferson was a rapist?"
"Oof, that seems harsh, bruh."
"That's what our teacher said. Slaves can't consent to rape and he was a hypocrite for writing the Declaration of Independence."
"Does that diminish the Dec. of Ind. in your eyes, then? The personal morality of the author?"
Pause. "Kinda."
I’ll bet you dollars to donuts that when they’re learning about MLK they won’t be delving into his sordid personal affairs…
You mean the rape of young girls?
My son told me they were learning about the American Revolution. "Dad, did you know Thomas Jefferson was a rapist?"
"Oof, that seems harsh, bruh."
"That's what our teacher said. Slaves can't consent to rape and he was a hypocrite for writing the Declaration of Independence."
"Does that diminish the Dec. of Ind. in your eyes, then? The personal morality of the author?"
Pause. "Kinda."
As the Brits were quick to point out, the Declaration was hypocritical from the outset, and no sex is needed to make that the case. But the Declaration was also used as a force for the advancement of various civil rights movements over the years, as the idea of all men (and women) created equal was transformed from a contemporary hypocrisy on slaveholders' parts to a national and even global aspiration for humans to work toward achieving. Jefferson's moral failings need not detract from the unique role for good that the Declaration has played over the course of history.
Also, if we're going to be so quick to judge past figures by contemporary standards - and I'm not saying we shouldn't; just pointing out we shouldn't be selective - it would behoove us to remember that up until very recently, the institution of marriage throughout the West was such that no wife could really be said to be capable of giving legal consent by modern standards, and therefore that virtually all men were rapists.
well put. To me, attacking anyone who is not able to defend themselves or their behavior seems a bit wrong. If Jefferson was convicted and documented to be a rapist according to laws and courts, that’s one thing.
But, the obsession of liberal arts profs to drag everyone in history through the mud by making up theories based on modest or circumstantial evidence really irks me.
My concern is the ability of young people today to believe the first thing they are told or that pops up on their phone. But also, the transience with which they hold any belief. **(personal eye rolling anecdote to follow)My son told me they were learning about the American Revolution. "Dad, did you know Thomas Jefferson was a rapist?"
"Oof, that seems harsh, bruh."
"That's what our teacher said. Slaves can't consent to rape and he was a hypocrite for writing the Declaration of Independence."
"Does that diminish the Dec. of Ind. in your eyes, then? The personal morality of the author?"
Pause. "Kinda."
Did Jefferson abuse his role as plantation owner to have sex with his slaves? Undoubtedly. I don't think you could construe it any other way. Did he do it in a way considered magnanimous for his time? Also, likely undoubtedly.
Was it coercion or even sexual assault by today's standards? Possibly. Was it considered as such then? Not even the most progressive of us would say yes.
I think the teacher is obviously failing your son, and badly. Teaching history without historical context is galling to me.
Almost as bad as:
"Were you aware Stalin was able to guide the Soviets to be a world power through sophisticated and amazingly efficient reource allocation?"
**My daughter came home for Fall Break. On car ride home, as she is wont to do, she tried to pick a fight about politics or whatever. Says "something like 1000 kids at Purdue committed suicide last year." I chortle and tell her that if 2-3% of the Purdue students committed suicide they'd shut down the school and investigate the water supply. She was convinced this was true. clearly she had misconstrued something she heard somewhere from somebody but she was willing to die on the hill. I asked her to find a source.
Spoiler - she's still looking. I'll probably send her this from her own school newspaper. Admittedly, only through the 2023 school year. A point I'm sure she'll glom onto.
The point being, they don't even look half the time at any standard sources of factual information.
https://theconversation.com/im-an-mlk-scholar-and-ill-never-be-able-to-view-king-in-the-same-light-118015#:~:text=The%20most%20damaging%20memos%20describe,the%20two%20were%20romantically%20involved.My son told me they were learning about the American Revolution. "Dad, did you know Thomas Jefferson was a rapist?"
"Oof, that seems harsh, bruh."
"That's what our teacher said. Slaves can't consent to rape and he was a hypocrite for writing the Declaration of Independence."
"Does that diminish the Dec. of Ind. in your eyes, then? The personal morality of the author?"
Pause. "Kinda."
I’ll bet you dollars to donuts that when they’re learning about MLK they won’t be delving into his sordid personal affairs…
You mean the rape of young girls?
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