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this post was submitted on 16 Jul 2023
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Huh I wonder why we don't learn that in school. /s
Don't wanna give you any ideas that there were violent protests in the United States since it's inception
Or that meaningful labor rights can only be gained successfully through violent protest.
Or don't teach your students working class history. Don't want to give them any ideas make them think that going on strike is cool
They actually did teach me about that stuff in school. It was in the textbooks and everything. I don't believe the Battle of Blair Mountain was specifically mentioned, but there was plenty said about slavery, organized labor, civil rights, and so forth. I interpreted it as a celebration of our forefathers' victories over their oppressors, and a cautionary tale of what oppression looks like, so that we will never allow it to be repeated.
And now, here we are, allowing it to be repeated.
The content of educational materials is not the problem. Not the materials I was exposed to, at least. The problem I see is that most people don't think too hard about what happened and don't try to imagine themselves in the shoes of the oppressed. Even when I press people to think this through, they stubbornly refuse, often saying flat-out that they don't care. I doubt any teacher or textbook can fix that.