Teaching Patriotism--with Conviction

Americans will debate for many years to come the causes and implications of the September 11 attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., as well as the foiled attack that led to the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in a Pennsylvania field. Between the first and second "anniversaries" of 9/11, another development deepened their awareness of the dangerous world they inhabit and of America's role therein--the successful war to liberate Iraq from its dictator and his murderous regime. Of course, the consequences--and contentiousness--of that conflict continue to resonate daily in newspaper headlines and on the evening news. In these challenging times, educators rightly wonder about their proper role. What should they teach young Americans? How should they prepare tomorrow's citizenry? What is most important for students to learn? These are weighty questions, and there is every reason to expect them to linger. In this article, the author believes that if Americans wish to prepare their children for unforeseen future threats and conflicts, they must arm them with lessons from history and civics that help them learn from the victories and setbacks of their predecessors, lessons that, in Jefferson's words, "enable every man to judge for himself what will secure or endanger his freedom."