Princeton has decided to erase the name of Woodrow Wilson from buildings on its campus as well as from the Wilson School of international relations. President Wilson, you see, was a racist. Indeed, there is no doubt about Wilson's racism. He imposed segregation on federal institutions during his time in office. Wilson, you see, was also a Progressive, so he agreed with the predominant view held by the Progressives of his time, namely that African Americans were inferior to whites and needed to be held in check. Wilson proudly accepted the support of the Ku Klux Klan. He also strongly supported the Planned Parenthood organization founded by Margaret Sanger which had as its principal mission the reduction of the number of what Sanger called "human weeds", namely black children. Wilson, of course, was also the most prominent Democrat of the first thirty years of the twentieth century.
The problem, however, with Princeton erasing Wilson as if he did not exist is that he really did exist. The man was president of the United States. Should he be removed from history because his actions were, in part, reprehensible? I don't think so.
And while we are at it, why is it that Franklin Roosevelt is not being erased as well. This is a man who supervised the wholesale roundup and incarceration of every American of Japanese heritage during World War II. It did not matter if the Japanese Americans had done anything to indicate that they were security risks; Roosevelt had them all put in concentration camps. And, no surprise, Roosevelt didn't put Italian Americans or German Americans into such camps. Simply put, Roosevelt was a racist. (He was also a Progressive and a Democrat.) Shouldn't he be erased from history as well? Clearly, Roosevelt was the most prominent Democrat of the second thirty years of the twentieth century.
And how about Lyndon Johnson? As a senator from Texas, Johnson fought against every attempt to pass civil rights legislation for decades. Only once he became president did he change his position. And what is the famous quote from Johnson? You know, the words Johnson said when the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed Congress over the opposition mostly of Johnson's fellow Democrats? Here's what he said: "I'll have those N*ggers voting Democratic for the next 200 years." So why isn't Johnson also being erased? He was another of those racist, Progressive Democrats like Wilson and Roosevelt.
The reality is that we are all much better off learning about history rather than erasing it to protect the "feelings" of college students. If we erase all discussion of the Nazis, aren't we more likely to see their equivalent sometime soon than if everyone knew about their depravity? If we erase discussion of racism from history, how do we teach people about its evils.
In 1984, Orwell posited a world in which history was changed periodically to suit the then current views of the government. But history has already happened; it doesn't change. We need to know our past so that it can guide our future. The krypto-fascist movements that seek to erase Wilson and all the others are about as anti-American as they can be. We need to encourage free thought and knowledge, not regimented views that follow the government position that is currently in vogue.
The problem, however, with Princeton erasing Wilson as if he did not exist is that he really did exist. The man was president of the United States. Should he be removed from history because his actions were, in part, reprehensible? I don't think so.
And while we are at it, why is it that Franklin Roosevelt is not being erased as well. This is a man who supervised the wholesale roundup and incarceration of every American of Japanese heritage during World War II. It did not matter if the Japanese Americans had done anything to indicate that they were security risks; Roosevelt had them all put in concentration camps. And, no surprise, Roosevelt didn't put Italian Americans or German Americans into such camps. Simply put, Roosevelt was a racist. (He was also a Progressive and a Democrat.) Shouldn't he be erased from history as well? Clearly, Roosevelt was the most prominent Democrat of the second thirty years of the twentieth century.
And how about Lyndon Johnson? As a senator from Texas, Johnson fought against every attempt to pass civil rights legislation for decades. Only once he became president did he change his position. And what is the famous quote from Johnson? You know, the words Johnson said when the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed Congress over the opposition mostly of Johnson's fellow Democrats? Here's what he said: "I'll have those N*ggers voting Democratic for the next 200 years." So why isn't Johnson also being erased? He was another of those racist, Progressive Democrats like Wilson and Roosevelt.
The reality is that we are all much better off learning about history rather than erasing it to protect the "feelings" of college students. If we erase all discussion of the Nazis, aren't we more likely to see their equivalent sometime soon than if everyone knew about their depravity? If we erase discussion of racism from history, how do we teach people about its evils.
In 1984, Orwell posited a world in which history was changed periodically to suit the then current views of the government. But history has already happened; it doesn't change. We need to know our past so that it can guide our future. The krypto-fascist movements that seek to erase Wilson and all the others are about as anti-American as they can be. We need to encourage free thought and knowledge, not regimented views that follow the government position that is currently in vogue.
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