Revising History An issue recurrently disputed is the intentional misrepresentation and exclusion of topics which reflect negatively upon government action in history from curricula in public education. Due to various factors in the production and adoption of textbooks, details surrounding actions of people and government are often diluted or disregarded entirely in the texts if they appear at all taboo, or seem likely to cause disruption. Parties in agreement with this policy hold the argument that the exposition of political indiscretion poses a threat to the patriotic integrity of the society, and those in opposition object on the basis of intellectual liberty. The practice of omitting vital information regarding influential events from the resources of history courses to preserve positive public opinion of prominent figures should be eliminated, as it prevents the nation from obtaining an objective understanding of efficient government action or of their society's foundation, thereby increasing the likelihood of future political instability; in order to ensure the future progress of a nation, policy should be made to maintain that students are provided with complete factual and unbiased accounts of historical events. The exclusion of information from public education stems from several factors in the production of academic materials due to financial and ideological pressures in the publishing house and in the classroom. The fiscal issue emerges as in order to maintain a profit, publishing companies cater their materials to the opinions of the masses, snaking around controversial issues in their print to prevent a loss of sales. Another reason for such exclusion of facts from curricula is the avoidance of contest with the widely held notion that children should be shielded from conflict to prevent classroom altercation and instill within them a sense of patriotism; the preservation of a proud and nationalistic projection of a society is a common concern. The foremost cause of this practice, however, is bias in the administration responsible for producing and regulating textbook and course content. These committees, rather than being comprised exclusively of educators, often have multiple seats filled by advocates belonging to specific interest groups, religious or otherwise; this imbalance applies an ideological alignment to the administration itself thus altering the view with which historical events are projected in the material produced. Groups in defense of revision and omission of topics in history courses claim that displaying indiscretions of political figures or government action will negatively influence national identity of the country's youth, arguing for a 'respectable' portrayal of historical figures which would reflect honor rather than fallibility. Interest groups such as the American Legion sparked widespread debate on the issue in the 1920's and 1930's, announcing then of textbook authors that they were at fault in exposing to students the blunders of prominent political figures, and that the ideal textbook should “inspire the children with patriotism”, “be careful to tell the truth optimistically”, “speak chiefly of success”, and “dwell on failure only for its value as a moral lesson”. The primary ambition in textbooks commonly reveals itself to be the strengthening of patriotism in the nation rather than the education of readers on the political and economic conditions which led to their current environment. By representing figures in history with an air of heroism and neglecting mention of their failings and doing the same for accounts of pivotal events, textbooks often fall short of providing fully factual information. Historical events are the basis of a society, and information gained from previous actions prepare for similar situations in the future, making knowledge of a nation's history necessary for future stability, and necessary for a clear understanding of current affairs. Every citizen of a nation based upon liberty is entitled to accurate knowledge of the nation's history as the ideological climate and government structure of the society is based upon past events whether local or international. Not only is awareness of the basis of a society necessary for a citizen to uphold their personal liberties, but it is so as well for the continuation of government. To support the Freedom of Information Act in 1972, Richard Nixon proclaimed to the public: “When information which properly belongs to the public is systematically withheld by those in power, the people soon become ignorant of their own affairs, distrustful of those who manage them, and – eventually – incapable of determining their own destinies.” The removal of details surrounding situations in history which influenced the nation's current political or ideological standing is the elimination of the context around the changes that occurred in the society, preventing the public from truly comprehending the significance of those changes. This practice renders the public incapable of the judgment necessary to support their own nation when a political situation calls for mass input and that which is necessary for the potential circumstance in which there is concern for the continuation of government after a crisis. By providing complete factual accounts of historical events in public education and populating textbook production administrations with objective educators, future national stability can be promoted because this provides the public with an understanding of government processes. Free nations can be protected as such if their populations are well educated in the basis of that liberty, which can be found in the details surrounding historical events. Works Cited Henry, Michael. 'Sacred And Profane American History: Does It Exist In Textbooks?' History Teacher 44.3 (2011): 405-419. Academic Search Complete. Web. Pierce, Bessie Louise. Civic Attitudes in American School Textbooks. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1930. Print. Pierce, Bessie Louise. Public Opinion and The Teaching of History in the United States. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1926. Print. Romanowski, Michael H. “Excluding Ethical Issue From U.S. History Textbooks”. American Secondary Education 37.2 (2009): 26-48. Professional Development Collection. Web. Weiner, Tim. “The Cold War Freezer Keeps Historians Out”. New York Times. May 23, 1993. Print. Buchanan 4