Epigraph

One is astonished in the study of history at the recurrence of the idea that evil must be forgotten, distorted, skimmed over. We must not remember that Daniel Webster got drunk but only remember that he was a splendid constitutional lawyer. We must forget that George Washington was a slave owner...and simply remember the things we regard as creditable and inspiring. The difficulty, of course, with this philosophy is that history loses its value as an incentive and example; it paints perfect men and noble nations, but it does not tell the truth.
--W.E.B. DuBois

This statement is very powerful, and I can't help but agree with it. The same still seems to be true today. However, like many, I didn't know of the other side of the story until I read Loewen's first chapter, "Handicapped by History: The Process of Hero-making". People who are viewed as "heroic" seem to be perfect and flawless. No one seems to want to see the bad in some or accept the fact that they aren't perfect. History tends to tell the life of a person and only focus on what they are famous for. It may leave out many facts or instances for fear of changing someone's views on the person. The truth is, no one is perfect and people make mistakes. In a way, this may give some false hope. Many look up to them and don't know the whole truth. So, as W.E.B. DuBois stated, giving all of the facts may make history lose its value. It is possible that knowing everything may make history "unglamorous" to some. For example, Loewen tells of Woodrow Wilson. The large majority of the United States knows Wilson for leading our country into World War I and establishing the League of Nations. These things are very true, and while he still deserves credit, many don't know the other side of him. He was actually an extreme racist and wanted the continuation of segregation.