European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 21, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Pad the Book on discovering America Andy Rooney Tribune Media they re planning to rewrite the history books for new York state schools. When they do kids growing up in new York Are going to end up with a View different from that of kids from the other 49 states of How our country got this Way. A panel of experts has recommended revisions in the books that would put More emphasis on the part non White americans played in building our country. Their report is called a one nation Many Peoples a declaration of cultural just As soon As i saw them use the world a Peoples a i knew the panel was in deep trouble. In the history books in most places in the United states Columbus will continue to have discovered America in 1492. Not in new York. There. Wont be a chapter on How Columbus sailed Here and discovered America. Instead there will be Only a few Iines mentioning Columbus As someone who came to a land that was already settled. The panel thinks this will pacify indians who get mad when they read where Columbus discovered a place they a lived in for hundreds of years. You have to admit it was a Little overbearing of the europeans to make the claim that Quot Columbus discovered America in 1492." if the indians had paddled a Birc bark Canoe to Rome that year could they claim they discovered Italy i done to know what Well do with Columbus Day. The italians have taken it Over As theirs and they wont like this new Deal. I Don t want to get in bad with a lot of indians myself but they did t do much with the country before the English the French the italians the germans and the scandinavians got Here. When the europeans arrived indians did no to even have wheels yet. Who knows How Long it would have taken the indians left on their own to replace smoke signals with the Telephone or campfires with Light bulbs they a probably argue they were better off without them. The idea this new York education committee seems to have is to make history fairer and put less emphasis on the part european immigrants played in making the United states of America. That Sok where those groups or individuals in them really did do Good things we done to know about. There have been great Black leaders left out of history books and its wrong but i Hope the committee does no to make up a lot of stuff As if every ethnic group and both sexes had equal parts1 in the development of our country. There Are a lot of reasons Why they did no to and those should be explained. For All the greed that motivated it and All the bloodshed that resulted from it the Early colonization of foreign lands by europeans produced most of what a Good now in the civilization that the whole world recognizes As the Best on Earth. Its going to be difficult to get impartial writers to do this rewrite Job properly. Different ethnic groups Are going to be arguing about How important their forefathers were in building America. As a person of scots Irish ancestry in a going to be hopping mad if they done to give a lot of space to the part my people played. There be a St. Patrick a Day Parade every year if it Hadnot been for the Irish. It was the Irish who brought potatoes to Idaho and George Bernard Shaw to America. You talk about important. The scots have never gotten a fair Deal in the history books either. Remember among other things they brought scotch to America. So lets get with it new York state if you re going to rewrite the history books you re not going to satisfy everyone with one Book. You better plan on having one history Book for women one for men one for each european group one for african americans one for american indians 1 i a and one for the Road. And one Hist suggestion new York state you better first teach the kid. To read and write. Andy Rooney is a torpor stars and stripes heavies turn lightweights in to face Offsey Jill Lawrence the associated press d her. An Aykroyd used to dismiss Jane Curtin a opinions in a popular saturday night live parody with a terse a Jane you ignorant that was one of the nicest things he called dueling political pundits have moved to the morning shows since then and their More civilized insults Are tailored to the breakfast Bunch. A you Are the Only spin doctor in Washington who could be sued for malpractice a began one recent Exchange. A talk about spinning. In a getting dizzy a a came the retort. A we try not to be too obnoxious a said Republican a maker Mike Murphy the malpractice accuser. A we done to want anyone to lose their Cereal a added his sparring partner democratic pollster Mark Mellman. They Are the newest example of a genre that goes Back to the Aykroyd Curtin matchup and the commentators they were spoofing a James Kilpatrick and Shana Alexander of Point counterpoint which ran in the late 1970s on cd so 60 minutes. The explosion of group slug fests such As in no a crossfire and the syndicated Mclaughlin group has meant new employment opportunities for political consultants and columnists across the ideological spectrum. But the Nior Ning shows serving up banter Over easy for sleep fogged viewers have opted for the less obstreperous pairs. At the moment viewers in some markets can see Mellman and Murphy in a syndicated weekly segment of the Fox morning news. No cd a today show meanwhile has a lock on the two toughest Media men in political circles a Democrat Bob Squier and Republican Roger Ailes who did president Bush a 1988 commercials. I a we started working against each other in 1968,�?� said Squier. A the electric moment was the night before the election. He did the telethon for Nixon i did the telethon for Humphrey. We be been going after each other Ever Ailese ads ridiculed Michael Dukakis ill fated visit to a tank manufacturer and showed inmates exiting prison through a revolving door. But morning viewers Aren t seeing that Side of Ailes. At his most cutting he has been relatively mild a branding the democratic leadership conference an oxymoron for example and calling Dan Quayle a the democrats Hist great on the whole Squier has been even More amiable than Ailes a to the Point of giving free advice to the gop. He once explained How the republicans were handling the recession All wrong. A i said they were crazy to keep denying a recession that everybody knows we re in a Squier said. A the idea was to declare it started so they can announce that they re solving it. Five Days later they admitted there was a recession. I done to know if there a any connection but it gave me pause about giving them Good Mellman and Murphy the new kids on the Block stick to gentle wisecracks. A a we re on different to cards and we re serious about winning. We done to talk about the strategic stuff a said Murphy. Which leads to remarks like a George Bush a idea of Domestic policy is repainting the Lane lines on the highways Mellman Natch and a this cuts the ranks of moderate foreign policy democrats about in half Murphy after Bob Strauss was named ambassador to Moscow. Then there arc Murphy a recurring variations on spin a the Art of making sure any political development appears to be a coup for your party or client. One week Mellman was a spinning the facts so much you ought to be in the another time he was exuding so much spin that a you ought to be in the ice there a no Money involved although the two Chubby strategists contend they should be paid by the Pound. A we do it for love a said Mellman. A we done to even get a Limo. We have to drive ourselves to the Ailes and Squier Are paid what they characterize As a minimal fee for their Abc gig. Still said Ailes a i have no idea Why i do it. I question it every morning when i get up at that hour. The last two times i was in California and i had to do it at 4 15 the exposure does no to Hurt everyone has fun real insights Are not unheard of and nobody takes it seriously a least of All the 21, 1991 sunday a Page 7
