The threat can be eliminated, the Patriot Act was
uncontroversial, and Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Some
time ago, I got curious about what the high school kids are
reading these days in history class. A quick consultation with a
few teacher friends led me to The American Vision by Professors
Joyce Appleby, Alan Brinkley, Albert Broussard, James
McPhereson, and Donald Ritchie. It's one of the most popular
American history textbooks aimed at eleventh grade students. As
I understand it, the 2003 copy I hold in my hands would've been
used in a typical classroom for five to eight years. In other
words, this is the American history book that shaped a lot of
the young people who've recently joined the ranks of adult
society, or at least eligible voters. How have they been taught
our shared past? As I flipped through the table of contents,
pondering where to begin, I suddenly felt foolish, for I hadn't
anticipated that the last chapter would be titled, "The War on
Terrorism." Do you mean to tell me that his