Pop Culture Sidebar: A History Major's Thoughts: Lies My Teacher Told Me

Mr. James W. Loewen
123 I-Know-More-Than-You-Do Lane
Condescendingville, CA

Mr. Loewen:
I am in the process of listening to an audio recording of your book, "Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your History Textbook Got Wrong".  While I agree with your main argument that history textbooks are, well, crap, I would offer the following notes for consideration:
1.  Perhaps people do not hate history so much because of the material, but rather because of people like you and your giant stick of superiority.  A little hint: people do not like being poked with what they don't know.  You may have a lot of great information, but if you act like a douche, people aren't going to listen.  In fact, they might just punch you in the face.  So ease up on the condescension there, buddy.
2.  Textbooks are propaganda.  They tout American supremacy and avoid all talk of, oh, let's see, all those times we invaded Central American nations and replaced their governments with ones of our own.  They turn every public figure that ever existed into a hero.  But by swinging all the way to the opposite side, you just sound like one of those guys who's still arguing about a UFO crashing in Roswell in 1947.  Take it from someone who used to argue that Andrew Jackson should have been brought up on a charge of genocide for his treatment of the Native Americans.  People don't want to hear you wail on their favorites presidents.*
3.  History textbooks make broad generalizations.   You don't have to then counter-balance that by giving every. single. detail. of someone's life.  It's enough to say Helen Keller was a militant socialist.  We don't need to know about every letter she wrote to Eugene Debs.**  You made your point.  MOVE ON.
4.  Referring to non-honors classes as "the slow high school classes" was perhaps not the best choice of words.
5.  What is your problem with Chester A. Arthur?  Sure, he might not have been Abe Lincoln, but sheesh.  He was still president.  The civil service act did some good.
Just a few thoughts for your next book about what's wrong with America today.  Thanks so much for listening.  Even thought you probably didn't at all. 
Sincerely,
Julia


*Not that I don't still think that's true.  I just don't talk about it as much.
**Yes, Helen Keller was a socialist.  She thought the Russian Revolution was the best thing since sliced bread.  Get over it.