Textbook excerpts on 9/11

We have reported on the sorry state of US textbooks for years and these examples prove little has changed.

6 Sep 2009, The Lowell Sun
A sample of excerpts about 9/11 and related issues from widely used high school-level textbooks:

World History: The Modern World (Prentice Hall 2007)

On the morning of September 11, 2001, teams of terrorists hijacked four airplanes on the East Coast. Passengers challenged the hijackers on one flight, which they crashed on the way to its target. But one plane plunged into the Pentagon in Virginia, and two others slammed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York. More than 2,500 people were killed in the attacks.
-This would have been a great time to discuss how people filled with ideological zeal can use it as an excuse to harm others. A good lead into the history of violent confrontation based solely on a desire to convert, kill or enslave others. Entire chapters (if not books) would not be adequate to discuss the single most important terror attack in the history of humanity.

World History: Modern Times (Glencoe 2006)

The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were acts of terrorism. Terrorism is the use of violence by nongovernmental groups against civilians to achieve a political goal. Terrorist acts are intended to instill fear in people and to frighten their governments into changing their policies. The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, killed all 266 passengers and crewmembers of the four hijacked planes. Another 125 people died in the Pentagon. In New York City, nearly 3,000 people died. More Americans were killed in the attacks than died at Pearl Harbor or on D-Day in World War II.
-Yeah, that clears it all up.  What killed the people at the Pentagon?  Mold?  This is starting to show a pattern of incompetence among textbook authors. What was the goal of the terrorists and who were they? Simple questions children ask should be anticipated and answered by textbook designers. You do not help any child by lessening the importance of world events.

The Americans: Reconstruction to the 21st Century (McDougal Littell, 2006)

On the morning of September 11, 2001, two airliners crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and a third smashed into a section of the Pentagon near Washington, D.C. A fourth airliner crashed in a field in the Pennsylvania countryside. Nineteen Arab terrorists had hijacked the four planes and then used them as missiles in an attempt to destroy predetermined targets. The first three planes hit their targets. In the fourth plane, passengers fought the hijackers and the plane went down short of its target.
Explosions and raging fire severely weakened the twin towers. Within two hours of the attacks, both skyscrapers had tumbled to the ground. One wing of the Pentagon was extensively damaged. About 3,000 people were killed in the attacks. They included all the passengers on the four planes, workers and visitors in the World Trade Center and Pentagon, and about 300 firefighters and 40 police officers who rushed into the twin towers to rescue people. The attacks of September 11 were the most destructive acts of terrorism in modern history. America: Pathways to the Present (Prentice Hall, 2003, 2005, 2007)
-Still inadequate, but at least it might make the front row kids ask, “what is an arab”? I hope that their own curiosity will allow them to learn about the role islam played in the attack.

In New York, the impact of the fully fueled jets caused both towers to burst into flames. Debris rained down on employees evacuating the buildings and on emergency workers rushing to respond to the scene. The fires led to the catastrophic collapse of both 110-story buildings as well as other buildings in the World Trade Center complex. Emergency workers battled fires and began a search-and-rescue operation. Tragically, the speedy response to the disaster led to the deaths of hundreds of firefighters and police officers who were in and around the buildings when they collapsed. The number of people missing and presumed dead after the assault was estimated to be 2,800.
-Nice…blame the first responders for their own deaths. Had they waited a few hours before responding, they would all be alive now. Great message to impart on innocent children.

Law-enforcement agencies immediately began an intensive investigation. Countries around the world pledged to support efforts to hunt down the criminals responsible for the attacks. Within days, government officials named Osama bin Laden, a wealthy Saudi dissident, as a “prime suspect” for masterminding the plot. Bin Laden, the head of a terrorist network of Muslin extremists known as Al Qaeda, was believed to be hiding in Afghanistan.
-Uh oh, they mentioned muslims, obl and terrorism in the same paragraph—how dare they!  As you can all clearly see, this still is not a very good account.   But, compared to the other examples, this one is far ahead of the norm.

The American Vision: Modern Times (Glencoe 2006)

The rise of the oil industry increased the Middle East’s contact with Western society. As Western ideas spread through the region, many Muslims — followers of the region’s dominant religion — feared that their traditional values and beliefs were being weakened. New movements arose calling for a strict interpretation of the Quran — the Muslim holy book — and a return to traditional Muslim religious laws.
-Blame big oil not islam—as Borat would say, “it’s nice”. The real shame here is that there are few alternatives.   Essentially, three powerful publishers control what information your children have access to.  You have seen the results, take action or become part of the problem.

These Muslim movements wanted to overthrow pro-Western government in the Middle East and create a pure Islamic society. Muslims who support these movements are referred to as fundamentalist militants. Although the vast majority of Muslims believe terrorism is contrary to their faith, militants began using terrorism to achieve their goals.

-So there you have it.

Luckily for me, I have no children in American schools, but this still disturbed me. The weakening of our education system and the policy of indoctrination over education is disgusting. This is also not just an American experience, it is a global problem.  Heaven forbid any country, culture or ideologies teach the truth and prepare another generation for today’s complex world.

SOURCE: AMERICAN TEXTBOOK COUNCIL

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