(no subject)

[charliesmum]

In reference to my last post, I have a question to pose to all of you.

There's a passage in Terry Pratchett's Johnny and the Bomb where the main characters are talking about WWII and one of them says something about how they should mind because it happened a long time ago. (Of course, being Terry Pratchett and being a book about time travel, another character pointed out that it was happening NOW.)

I just wonder if, by reading about something that happened a long time ago makes it easier to dismiss it as something that 'used to happen' and thus ignore the more subtle signs of racism that we see today.

What do you think? I am not saying kids shouldn't be taught how things were, but in the context of reading materials, do you think it would be more helpful for them to read something that is more contemporary - something that highlights problems that exist today, so they can think and learn and maybe not do that themselves?

Comments

[just5miles.livejournal.com]

I always thought the point of reading about historical horrors was to remind us of what happens when we stop paying attention, or when we start letting too many little things just pass without correction. I hope that reading about things like that makes the kids think, "How can people have let that happen?" and "What can I do to prevent it from happening now?" I hope that it makes them notice the little racist/sexist/oppressive things that might be happening around them now, and encourages them to put a stop to it before it becomes endemic.