Moral Crossroads

My 10th grade history class debated what they thought were the most effective forms of nation building. Some students mentioned concepts like religion, culture, and justice as effective forms of nation building and offered examples including Islam in Iran, Mexico’s use of murals and cultural icons, and South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission that helped to heal and reconcile South Africa’s people after the end of apartheid. I sensed an underlying tension: I had asked students to consider “effective” nation building without asking them to address issues of morality. I could sense that students did not want to agree with certain answers because it felt morally wrong to do so. Then, one student said he thought that Mao Zedong’s Little Red Book was an effective tool for building a nation. He said, “I think the Little Red Book and controlling education is the best way to build a nation. If you want to create cohesion, make everyone learn the same thing and teach them the same ideas. That way there is no dissent.” This comment seemed to cross a line. The class fell silent and the back-and-forth of the discussion stopped. The students were aware of Mao’s mass murders, imposed famine, and other atrocities. Before I could jump in, another student argued that people carried the Little Red Book because they were scared and feared Mao’s violence, not because they agreed with his ideologies. She concluded with, “That is NOT an effective way of creating community and building a nation.” The class was silent again. I did not know what to do. I knew that the student’s comments about Mao upset the class and I did not know how to respond or “restart” the debate.