American History

The U.S. government works very hard to protect its image. And part of that protection is raising a generation of children who can conceive of nothing but the federally approved version of the country's history. We believe that our children are smart enough to make up their own minds, and that they deserve to see both sides of even the most controversial issues.

Let's take the space program as an example. America is very proud of its reputation as a space-travel pioneer. Students are "taught" about how John F. Kennedy dedicated the country to putting a man on the Moon and about the Apollo space program that was put together to make this dream come true. But are they ever told that the dream may have been just that -- a dream? Of course not: That would be speaking against the party line!

There is significant reason to doubt that humans have ever set foot on the Moon. Consider the following:

• If we can send people to the Moon, why don't we do it any more? Did we just get bored, or (more likely) was the government finding it too hard to keep the whole deception under wraps?
• The flag planted on the Moon by astronauts stands out like it's blowing in the wind, but there is no wind on the Moon. (This error is repeated on the Apollo mission patches, which show an eagle soaring over the Moon -- which it couldn't do because there is no air.)
• Why do "Moon rocks" look so much like just plain old rocks? Wouldn't a real expedition to the Moon have found something more interesting?
• If the first Apollo astronauts were on the Moon, then why does a credible, reliable, now-sober witness claim to have seen them at a Las Vegas blackjack table at the time?
• The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum has an actual Saturn rocket engine on display. But if this was sent to the Moon, how did the museum get it?
• Pictures "from space" show that Earth is round, but anyone who goes outside and looks around with open eyes can see that it is flat.
• Because nobody could directly observe people on the Moon, everyone had to rely on televised images -- indirect and easily faked. You don't believe everything you see in commercials, so why should you believe something else equally fantastic.
• If they can put a man on the Moon, why can't they make a decent frozen pizza?

Even if you are not convinced that the Moon landing was a hoax, this should at least be enough to give you pause. Why not let children hear both sides of this hotly debated topic and allow them to make up their own minds? Would that make the lives of teachers too difficult? Bring up too many hard questions?

It would be bad enough if schools limited their restrictions on the truth to the space program, but there are many areas of historical "fact" that experts call into question. For example:

• Lee Harvey Oswald was a lone gunman who shot President Kennedy. There is copious argument on this subject, and the number of people involved in Kennedy's assassination likely rivals the population of some countries.
• The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise. Many experts agree that the U.S. government knew about it all along but wanted the attack to succeed so that it would get people upset enough that a war with Japan would be popular, giving the government an excuse to go to war with Nazi Germany.
• You have to pay federal income taxes. On the contrary, many people do not pay income taxes by simply declaring themselves residents of a state instead of the country. According to some books, it's not only legal but it might also teach you something about the American judicial system.
• Columbus discovered America. Actually, Native Americans were here first, and if you ask any LDS member they will tell you that Native Americans are descendents of the lost tribe of Israel, so really the Jews discovered America.
• President is the most powerful elected office in the country. It's the highest ranked elected office in the country, but there is plenty of evidence that the President really has no power because he is completely beholden to the Trilateral Commission.
• American Idol isn't fixed. Seriously, does anyone believe this?

There are many, many more examples we could cite, but what would be the point? Special interests have a hammerlock on history, and we have to tip it over and let the truth spill out.