by Ernie McCrayToday there’s a move,spearheadedby a dictator-like-president,to hide truthsin our schools,an idea beyond ridiculoussince truthsare basicto learning,something made clear to mewhen I began teaching sixth gradein the 60’s,at a schoolwhere many of the studentslived in naval housing,their dads off fighting in Vietnam,leaving them to wonder what was really going on,what was real,and we engaged in deep conversationsto ease our anxietiesabout the reality of war in our livesthrough writing prose and poetryand making reel to reel tapesof our writingsto be mailed to their fathers,against a backdrop of other events going on in our societywhich we also delved into:the struggle for Civil Rights,the striking down of our heroes. Our classroom was abuzzwith critical thinkingat the coreof our learning environment. It would have been a sinfor me to keep truths hidden from them. We owe it to our childrento never think,no matter what the president desires,of wateringtheir learning experiences downto some kind of fairy tale visionof the American storythat focuses only on the good,bypassing the bad and the ugly. They need exposure to all the narrativesif they’re to be adequately preparedto take their place in the real worldas learned citizens.