1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

In many recent discussions about education, Texas has leaned away from teaching about its darker truths, choosing instead to either omit or fluff up the truth to lessen the impact. Many in the Texas Legislature today believe that teaching the worst aspects of our history leads to nothing except extreme guilt for the descendants of those who would do irreparable harm to others. I am a 6th generation Cass County Texan who loves history, and I disagree with this view. History is a plethora of stories about the lives of our fellow humans. Our fellow Texans. I believe that, to truly love my state for who she truly is, it is necessary to understand "the good, the bad, and the ugly," so to speak. Even the ugliest parts of our history help to paint the picture of who we've become today. Pretending that history doesn't exist won't make it go away. You don't heal a wound by packing it with soil and pretending it isn't there. You heal it by letting it breathe and treating it with medicine. I believe that by honoring and respecting all angles of our past, we can come out a stronger Texas, one that is not afraid to face the truth while still moving forward in the light of day. It's time we teach our children how to be strong and stand with the weight of our truths, rather than to hide from it. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes we cry. However, other times we laugh, grin, and want to share what we've heard with anybody who will listen. Feeling emotion when you read history is the best part, in whatever form that takes. Texas history is not a story for the faint of heart, but it's ours, however it may come.