Ben Railton Joins "Keeping Democracy Alive" to Talk "Patriotic Education"

He called our current history education in our schools “a form of child abuse.” Teaching critical thinking and the real history of America would be shut down in Trump’s “Patriotic Education.” The popular 1619 Project and Zinn’s Education Project which dare to teach uncomfortable truths would not be allowed. Instead “patriotism education” would be restricted top just the mythic and celebratory aspects. Our guest professor Ben Railton, whose upcoming book is called Of Thee I Sing, the Contested History of American Patriotism, explains that the choice is not blind allegiance or treason, but that to effectively understand and deal with where we are right now kids need to be able to think critically.Trump’s version requires passivity.  That is not patriotism but blind nationalism. Railton is optimistic that this threat contains real opportunities.