[PornoDoggy]

When I read a description of a report like that I admit I have a knee-jerk reaction to want to dispute it. A lot of that is due to the inevitable preprogrammed, sweeping idealogical statements of nonsense ("destroying this countries most valueable resource.... its children") that certain idealogues are going to make as they leap on that report as "evidence" that society is going to hell, yadayadayada.

Many of these people are every bit as determined as those they oppose that instruction to schoolchildren meet idealogical litmus test standards - they just differ on WHAT the standard should be.

When you get right down to it, however, there is a lot to the premise. Attempting to evaluate the actions of the European settlers of North America (or colonizers of Africa, Asia, and South America) from the perspective of 21st century values is every bit as moronic as continuing to teach the whitebread pablum they forcefed me when I was a student in the 60s. I don't think that teaching the history of the Vietnam war as "all bad" is of any value to students - any more than teaching the history of the Vietnam debacle with all the blemishes, warts, lies and deceptions glossed over is of value.

So, yeah, Mikey ... knowing the way that people like you will interpret that sort of a report does make me react in a certain way. Once I take a minute and think, however, I can see the truth in it.