Textbook Editing

We have engrained in students the idea that what's in the textbook is absolute truth.  (That's probably why students who don't see themselves in the textbooks can take such a hit to their sense of self...but that's a topic for another rant.)  However, textbooks sometimes serve as political statements rather than educational resources.  For example, in a Virginia social studies textbook, a claim was made that thousands of black troops fought for the Confederacy.  While it is true that some black soldiers did fight for the Confederacy, the claim that thousands fought has not been proven historically.  Statements like that seem pretty deliberate on the part of the writer.  Now, the Virginia ed. department has had to issue a statement of clarification regarding the passage.  Since this passage was noticed and brought up by a parent, I don't know if it is blatant politics or incompetence that allowed for the approval in the first place.