- Approved ~ Lord Løki
During his live-streamed talk with the Office of Strategic Services Societyon Thursday, Mattis said he believed that education in the US should not gloss over uncomfortable topics, such as the effects of slavery, which still reverberated in contemporary society.
“As I look at the way American history is taught in our public schools, in many of our universities, I’m not sure how much affection I would be building in my students the way it’s being taught,” Mattis said.
“I believe in teaching the good, the bad, the ugly – and our country was born with a birth-defect that we imported from the Old World – called slavery – and we’re still dealing with the after-effects of it,” he added.
Mattis’ comments come as senior US military leaders have grappled with the racial inequality protests throughout the country in recent months. The protests culminated in a dramatic stand-off as National Guard forces were deployed in several states, and federal troops were placed on stand-by orders in the summer.
Military leaders like US Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued memos that said the services were aware of the “frustration” many Americans were feeling, and that the military needed a transparent discussion about the effects of racial injustice.
Adm. Mike Gilday, the Navy’s top officer, said in a video that “we can’t be under any illusions about the fact that racism is alive and well in our country … and I can’t be under any illusions that we don’t have it in our Navy.”
US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown Jr., who is African American, also released an emotional video outlining his own experience in the work place.
Arthur Julien
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