[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 173 (Thursday, December 13, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TEACHERS: DO NOT BLAME ``AMERICA FIRST''

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN A. BOEHNER

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 12, 2001

  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, since the eleventh of September, our nation 
has demonstrated a genuine solidarity and an enthusiastic sense of 
patriotism. In the process, many parents have struggled to find the 
right way to tell their young children about the horrific nature of the 
terrorist attacks on our nation. Indeed, the events of September 11 
brought to the fore unsettling questions about the problem of human 
evil and hatred.
  As parents have sought to instill patriotism in their children--
telling them about the decent values that America represents and the 
civilized traditions our nation carries on--it seems that some teachers 
are sending young students the ``Blame America First'' message. Chester 
E. Finn Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, a senior 
fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and a former assistant secretary of 
education, has observed that the curricular guidance coming from state 
and local education leaders suggests that the United States brought the 
September 11 attack on itself--through its ``imperial'' foreign policy 
and ``ignorance'' of other cultures.
  Nothing could be further from the truth; this is not the kind of 
overly politicized message students should be hearing. I'd like to 
commend Mr. Finn for exposing this activity. I'd also like to commend 
former Education Secretary William Bennett for developing an 
alternative to this kind of anti-Americanism. Mr. Bennett's education 
firm K12 has creating an instructional resource for parents and 
teachers to use in teaching children about patriotism. Available on the 
K12 website and geared for most ages, the lessons--ranging from civics, 
history, and geography to singalongs and storybooks--emphasize the 
principles that make America the beacon of liberty it is today.
  The September 11 terrorist attacks may prove to be the largest, most 
significant event in our lives. We need to ensure that our children 
understand what caused it; we need to make sure the truth is not lost 
in a fog of political correctness.

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