Revisionist History- My Position on the value of teaching critical thinking skills

As a native New Yorker, I grew up in a highly charged political environment. Both of my parents served on the local Village Democratic Committee; in 1968 they declared support for two different presidential candidates, my mother for Robert Kennedy, my father for Eugene McCarthy. It would come as no surprise if I were to share that they were separated by 1970; for other reasons, but politics must've played a role.

I don't have a horse in the presidential race at this point; but given what is at stake, I hope that the budget cuts the schools have made, resulting in larger classes, do not impact on the efforts of our teachers to teach students how to think critically. To use Neil Postman's irascible phrase, we're all going to need finely tuned crap detectors to get through this election.

Critical thinkers recognize revisionist history; they recognize the difference between crass opportunism and political leadership. Critical thinkers are skeptics, they are willing to do the research themselves, and make up their own minds based on facts. If our schools cannot produce critical thinkers, we simply will not sustain our leadership in the world.

I bring this up in relation to the anniversary of 9/11 that is approaching. I am no conspiracy theorist, no defender of terrorists; about what happened on 9/11, even as a person committed to peace and a trained mediator, I believe our decision to go after Osama Bin Laden was the right decision.

As a critical thinker, though, I will not have history rewritten to suit the political ambitions of an individual. Like I said, I have no horse in the presidential race, but I can recognize the rear end of one when I see it. As a New Yorker, born and bred, and a Newburyporter by intention, I would urge you all to follow the link enclosed and learn more about candidate for president Rudy Guiliani.

There were people I knew and grew up with in the towers on 9/11. Some of them worked there, some of them were first responders (in my village outside of NYC, a lot of firemen and cops lived). Rudy Guiliani made the decision to place the Emergency Operating Center for New York City back into the towers, despite the written recommendation of his Emergency Services Director urging him not to do that. That center included a private apartment for Rudy, complete with monogrammed hand towels. It has been established that Guiliani used the attached apartment, within walking distance of City Hall, for trysts with Judith Nathan during his second marriage. The building was also owned by a developer who held a fundraiser for Rudy about four weeks after the lease was signed.

Guiliani claims to have spent as much time at Ground Zero as the workers did. According to his own records, he spent 29 hours there, total, mostly photo ops and interviews. During the same period of time, he spent 49 hours at Yankee Stadium.

History, they say, is written by the winners.

There are two man-made objects that can be seen by the naked eye from space, according to astronauts. One is the Great Wall of China, the other is the Fishkill Landfill outside of New York City. It isn't very likely that placement of the Emergency Operating Center outside of the towers would have saved the civilians, would have saved Brian Graifman's brother, and Jack Hardy's brother.

But if it had been placed where it was recommended, chances are real good that the minute remains of people I grew up with, first responders who proudly followed their parents into the police and fire departments of NYC, would not be scattered among the garbage and 9/11 detritus hauled to Fishkill.

Since 9/11, Rudy has made about $60,000,000 from a combination of Security Consulting businesses and $100,000 per lecture fees to talk about 9/11.

I guess you could say that this post represents my position on the value of teaching kids to think critically, to learn how to research questions, and to learn how to question answers.

This will be the only posting on my blog having to do with a specific presidential candidate, and I appreciate your taking the time to read it.

And I guess you could say this time, it's personal with me. Really personal.

http://therealrudy.org/