Politics and Patriotism in Education

N NOVEMBER of 2001, less than two months after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Cen ter, Nebraska's state board of education approved a patriotism bill specifying content for the high school social studies curriculum accordance with the state's 1949 statute the Nebraska Ameri canism law. Social studies, the bill read, include in struction . . . the superiority of the U.S. form of govern ment, the dangers of commu nism and similar ideologies, the du ties of citizenship, and appropriate patriotic exercises. The board fur ther specified that middle school in. struction should instill a love of 1 country and that the social studies curriculum include exploits and deeds of American heroes, sing-ing patriotic songs, memorizing the 'Star Spangled Banner' and 'Ameri ca, and reverence for the flag.' Nebraska was not alone. Within a few months, more than two dozen state legislatures introduced new bills or resurrected old ones aimed at ei