If I were an officer in the Sutherland Institute, I would raise questions over the historical research in "Vouchers, Vows, and Vexations: The Historic Dilemma Over Utah's Education Identity," (Paul Mero, Sutherland Institute, 2007) that purports to relate the history of Utah's public and private schools in the 19th and early 20th centuries.Click here for the holes.
Had the author bothered to read some of the secondary literature on the topic, he would have come to a much different conclusion.
| * THOMAS G. ALEXANDER is the Lemuel Hardison Redd Jr. Professor of Western American History at Brigham Young University, emeritus, where he taught for 40 years. He is the author of numerous books and articles on Utah, Western, Mormon and environmental history. |
1 comment:
Rob, this is what I posted on the Trib site...
Mr. Alexander,
Either you did not read the essay or you are simply ignorant of the history of education in Utah. Your single disagreement, as stated, is over the early taxpayer funding of private schools in Utah. Sir, you are dead wrong. So let me put this simply...when tax dollars go to a school wherein the Book of Mormon and other LDS scriptures are taught AND LDS Church services are held on Sunday...we call that a private school, even if our forebearers called them "common schools" and eventually "district schools."
Every thing else you write in your op-ed is simply the same narrative from the Sutherland essay. It's almost as if you want to impress the readers with your breadth of historical knowledge...again, all in complete agreement with the Sutherland narrative...and then try to zing the Sutherland essay over a single point of disagreement...and even then you are incorrect.
There is a reason why your former colleagues at BYU have not weighed in on this...and that the Tribune took your solitary response.
Shame on you and shame on the Trib for not only creating a straw man, but then "nuancing" historical fact to simply pick at factual history.
I would welcome a public debate on this subject. Anytime.
Best, PTM
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