I'm not sure I understand the intent of your post: are you suggesting that teachers fear to address controversial issues? If material is handled in a scholarly and professional manner -- rather than reducing it to sides in some sort of debate (were slaves happy under slavery?: yes or no?) -- then no one would find objectionable the educational purpsoe of seeking knowledge. What would be wrong, in the sense of disciplinary ethics, would be to suggest that the existence of contradictory viewpoints invalidates all other viewpoints. David Kiracofe David Kiracofe History Tidewater Community College Chesapeake Campus 1428 Cedar Road Chesapeake, Virginia 23322 757-822-5136 >>> <[log in to unmask]> 03/03/07 12:32 PM >>> I am surprised that no one admitted that if they included teaching materials that suggested that Black slaves might have been happy under slavery that they would no longer be allowed to teach. True? To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html