Cleon Skousen, in his 1958 book The Naked Communist, listed 45 Communist Goals designed to undermine America and destroy it from within (i.e., convert it socialism, communism). The 45 Communist Goals were read into the Congressional record in January 1963. I'll list just three (of the 45) below that are most relevant to this discussion of history education.

29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."

31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.

Whether or not they identify themselves as "communists" or simply as "progressive historians," the actions of revisionists to undermine and discredit the Constitution, the Framers and American history in general have profound effects on our ability to function as a constitutional republic or any form of self governing society. Our liberties and freedoms, such that remain, depend on our knowledge and education and will to defend those liberties. Those who seek to enrich and empower themselves at our expense, whether they come from the "progressive" left or the neocon empire-building right, seek to do so by centralizing power in the hands of a small elite. It is our duty to oppose their power-grabs at all costs, or else surrender liberty for ourselves and our descendants.

A recent correspondence with my friend Bill Vallante, author of the Black History Month series, focused on Martin Luther King, Jr. and the NAACP's efforts to eradicate southern history and symbols. There is ample evidence collected by J. Edgar Hoover's FBI (much of which is sealed by federal courts) to suggest that MLK, Rosa Parks, John Lewis and others attended 'education camps' in Tennessee [ Highlander Folk School ] funded and organized by communists. There is further evidence that MLK acccepted payments from Soviet spies and American communists (CPUSA). King founded the SCLC in 1957, but the NAACP has a longer history of affiliation with communist organizations, accepting grants from the Garland Fund starting in 1922, etc.

Again, regardless of their intent, is it a coincidence that the NAACP is carrying forward with its mission (most vigorously since the 1990s) to eliminate and destroy all things Confederate? The record is clear that MLK did NOT express problems with or concerns about Confederate symbols and truthful American history. It was the later NAACP that adopted that mission. Their efforts at the ethnic cleansing of Dixie are well documented. The Southern Poverty Law Center has numerous communist affiliations including its Board Chairman of NAACP fame, Julian Bond. Former NAACP head Kweisi Mfume embraced Fidel Castro and advocated for Cuba.
NAACP Group Profile - discoverthenetworks.org

By attacking the motives and history of the Confederates, the NAACP and other revisionists are IN FACT attacking the Founding Fathers, the Founding Principles and the Constitution. Aside from plain old self-defense, the Confederates were defending the principle expressed in the Declaration of Independence that "governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed." The principle that justified the American colony's secession from the British Empire is the same principle which justified secession of the southern states from the Union in 1860-61. In fact, the southern states had even greater legal standing than did the colonists of 1776.

As we all know, the centralizers won the war in 1865. Since then, the role and rights of States within the federal system has dimished with each passing year leading to greater and greater centralization of power in the welfare/warfare empire headquartered in D.C. Those who seek to control how we feel about our past are belligerent in requiring political correctness. As Thompson writes, "They don't seek open debate; they seek total control." By poisoning our history and pride in our heritage, those who seek total control seek to control the future. As Orwell wrote, "Who controls the past, controls the future; who controls the present controls the past."

We have ridiculed Georgia's education establishment, especially Kathy Cox, for submitting to the 'dumbing down' of our history. Their efforts to truncate American history are deplorable. They proposed to teach American history ONLY AFTER 1876 in high school. Except for brief overview, all teaching of the Founding period was to be accomplished in the fourth grade. In essense, they want to consign the first 100 years (after the Declaration) of American history to comic book treatment and condensation.

Thompson's book is not all bad news. He describes a number of efforts to restore true history education. His message is that we can and must resist. The book is brief, only sixty pages, but it's worthwhile. Everyone with children in public or private schools should deliver a copy to their children's history teachers. They should take pains to keep their oral histories alive. They should document their family history and make sure their children know it.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans (Georgia Division), for its part, have submitted "The Other Side of the Coin" (available online or on CD) to public schools for use in their history curricula. We note the ongoing controversy in Texas over school textbooks shows that conservatives do in fact realize they've been losing the culture war and need a counter-offensive.

As we have repeatedly maintained, education is a keystone in all our efforts to restore and protect freedom. Many of the battles currently being waged against American Heritage and religious heritage are taking place in our schools. The Founders believed that proper education (controlled locally) was the key to maintaining liberties. We could not agree more.