Crash Course: The toxic myths destroying America

[View this email in your browser]( Your daily update from [Salon](. The toxic myths destroying America The United States has accumulated an inordinate number of myths about itself in its short existence, all to justify the horrors that it's perpetrated for some drummed-up noble cause. But this isn't patriotism; it's coded ways to burnish slavery, Indigenous genocide or dropping nuclear bombs. And so it goes for the Jan. 6 insurrection, if certain folks deign to call it an insurrection at all or merely a demonstration by "peaceful patriots ..." Donald Earl Collins points out one of the earliest examples of a curated myth comes from Thomas Jefferson, one of America's first great myth-makers. Apparently, he hid the ugly truth of Bacon's Rebellion, a white insurrection that was really about taking lands from the Indigenous by spinning it into a tale about fighting against the tyranny of colonial rule. Read the [full sordid story here](. Photo: Salon/VCG Wilson/Corbis/Getty Images/HappyFoto The ethics of anti-depressants for dogs Does Fido need to get on meds or will a visit to the dog park do? One of the most attractive qualities about dogs is how expressive they are. Whether it's their mobile eyebrows or wagging tail or boisterous "roo roo!" greeting when you return home, it's pretty easy to believe we can intuit their emotions. Naturally, this means owners also worry about their pup's mental health when they're down. In times past, boosting your dog's mood may have required an extra treat or activity. But somewhere along the way, a new trend emerged: medicating one's dog with psychotropic drugs. Read the [full story here.]( Photo: Getty Images/Capuski - Black cop shoots white woman: The [saga of Michael Byrd and Ashli Babbitt]( - [Why are we still taking out student loans?]( No, really - Surprise! [Lifetime's new “Harry & Meghan” movie]( isn't a total joke (but it's plenty weird) - [Mike Lindell claims]( lies about Dominion Voting Systems is good for business - [Showtime's "Billions"]( how the rich are - Beyond the crisis of democracy: [Does anyone still believe in liberalism?]( - Scientists say [a telescope on the Moon]( could advance physics — and they're hoping to build one - Only one presidential election has provoked civil war — [at least until now]( - [Sex ed in high schools]( shockingly bad. - Creator of PBS' "Guilt" talks about how [estranged brothers bond over killing someone]( - Stuck with [leftover flat beer]( Make this spicy, flavorful beer cheese spread - ["Shang-Chi" crafted a fantastic, badass fighter]( – too bad the movie was all about her brother Not a subscriber yet? [Sign up]( to receive Crash Course. For me, real crab is worth fighting for "Back when my wife Caron and I were engaged, she volunteered some startling information about herself: She makes her seafood salad with fake crab,"[D. Watkins writes.]( "I began to question my relationship with Caron, our engagement, and the life we planned on spending together. . . . I know this may sound dramatic, but I am not overreacting. We are from Baltimore, home of the best crab meat in the universe. "Her unexpected comments did more than ruin our night and draw a permanent wedge in the food side of our relationship. They pushed me back into the darkness of my adolescent years, where I first learned about crabsticks . . ." Photo: Getty Images/Joff Lee - ["The Great American Science Heist,"]( The Intercept - ["An Anti-Masker Just Tried to Zip-Tie a School Principal Over COVID Rules,"]( Vice - ["A Generation of American Men Give Up on College: ‘I Just Feel Lost,'"]( The Wall Street Journal - ["Female Hummingbirds Avoid Harassment by Looking Like Males,"]( The NYTimes - ["Margaritaville and the Myth of American Leisure,"]( Eater Abortion snitch hotline seeks new home The controversial site ProLifeWhistleblower.com, which was set up to anonymously report people providing or assisting Texans with abortions, could still be lurking out there. After domain hosting service GoDaddy booted the Texas Right to Life's site from its services for collecting personal information, the site hopped over to Epik. "We will not be silenced. If anti-Lifers want to take our website down, we'll put it back up," Texas Right to Life blasted in a blog post. Epik, [as Brett Bachman writes]( "has made a name for working with extremist websites that other companies have deemed too toxic: neo-Nazi propaganda, QAnon home base 8chan, Alex Jones' conspiracy theory network InfoWars, as well as right-wing social media sites Parler and Gab." As of Monday, it appears the site has been shut down, as the game of whack-a-mole continues. Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Have a tip for Salon? Feedback on this newsletter? [Let us know](mailto:brett.bachman@salon.com). [Share]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Forward]( Copyright © 2021 Salon.com, LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at Salon.com Our mailing address is: Salon.com, LLC 1000 N. West StreetWilmington, DE 19801 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. [Mailchimp Email Marketing](