“We’ve only learned about other people's history.”

Isn’t it funny that we pretend third world cultures are worth studying in school?

Sure, you can study them in an anthropological sense, if that’s your specialty; learn their languages and customs and so forth. But to present primitive cultures to children as exemplars of advanced civilizations… well, it’s laughable. Brute ethnic pride has simply replaced reality, history be damned.

Rush Limbaugh was shilling for his Rush Revere books, which may themselves be a stealthy way to teach about actual American history rather than multicultural history; and so he took a call from a girl who appreciated his more traditional approach:

CALLER: I called to thank you for your Rush Revere book because, so far, we spent our whole seventh grade year learning about Muslim and African cultures and their history and with your books I finally get to learn about American history that’s accurate, and I really appreciate it. RUSH: Olivia. I want to make sure I heard you. Did you say you are in the seventh grade? CALLER: Yes. RUSH: And they haven’t begun teaching American history yet, you’re learning about Muslims and other conditions, other cultures, and their history? CALLER: Yes, that’s correct. That’s correct. RUSH: And you’re not learning American history yet? CALLER: Nope. We’ve only learned about other people’s history. RUSH: I mean, that’s hard — literally — in all of your years in school, or just this year have you not been taught American history? CALLER: Well, last year I didn’t really get to learn a lot about American history. It was again a lot about, like the Romans, and again more Muslims and Islam cultures and history. And I do really like American history, and — RUSH: Wait a minute. This is your second year in a row of being taught about Muslim and Islamic cultures and history and still no direct American history education? CALLER: No. RUSH: What do your parents think of this? CALLER: They don’t really like it because — well, yeah, they don’t really like it.

The most poignant line is when the girl forlornly informs Limbaugh, “We only learn about other people’s history.” That should be in a right-wing political ad.

Then again, what are you really supposed to do in a multiracial school system? Should you have all these minorities presented with a truthful account of how shitty and basic their cultures’ heritage is and how glorious Western Civilization is? I would imagine that would be a bit embarrassing for all parties involved. Hence multiculturalism is truly a no-win situation when it comes to education, as in other areas.

Also consider the opportunity cost of teaching White children about Muslims and Africans instead of Beethoven and Mozart, not to mention giving them a coherent understanding of European history. One can’t study the whole world in grade school; best just to focus on Europe and America. But as you can imagine, that is not what is happening.

The worst part is how passively this poor 12-year-old girl accepts her abominable public education, and how eagerly she thirsts for something which speaks to her culture.

Follow Malcolm Jaggers @malcolmjaggers