Christopher Scalia:
It is not about ignoring new historical discoveries, and, for example, our understanding of slavery and exactly how inhumane slavery was, but the focus tends — in Trump’s telling, and I think a lot of conservatives feel this way, is that that gets so much emphasis.
Americans — the constant emphasis on that makes Americans feel ashamed of their past. There are things about our past that should embarrass us and shame us, but those aren’t the only things we should be hearing about.
And I think the president’s right to say that, in institutions that are funded by the federal government and that are open to all Americans, especially as we approach the 250th anniversary of our founding, it’s a good idea to really put the emphasis on celebrating America’s history, including new discoveries historians have made through new methods.
