Texas ed board vote reflects far-right influences
By APRIL CASTRO, Associated Press Writer April Castro, Associated Press Writer
AUSTIN, Texas – A far-right faction of the Texas State Board of Education succeeded Friday in injecting conservative ideals into social studies, history and economics lessons that will be taught to millions of students for the next decade.
Teachers in Texas will be required to cover the Judeo-Christian influences of the nation's Founding Fathers, but not highlight the philosophical rationale for the separation of church and state. Curriculum standards also will describe the U.S. government as a "constitutional republic," rather than "democratic," and students will be required to study the decline in value of the U.S. dollar, including the abandonment of the gold standard.
Just this cartoon on red state science http://vadlo.com/cartoons.php?id=93
ReplyDeleteThis type of action is not in really anyones interest. People need to be taught things from all aspects of society, so that they themselves can make an informed decision. People should not be taught with a bias, but rather be able to think critically about issues. Where I come from the problem with most 14yr - 16yrs olds is that they lack opinions and getting them to discuss issues is a good and healthy thing. I am in favour of people being taught views from all sides and not from one point of view.
ReplyDeleteThis is a perfect example of the republican agenda. They use fear to stir people to action. They mistakenly believe that America was founded on Christian beliefs. It wasn't. Most of the founding fathers were Deists, Unitarians, and otherwise 'non Christian' folks. George Washington was the only Christian in the bunch.
ReplyDeleteBut there has been the movement for sometime that America needs to return to its roots, that the non-Christians are threatening to all of us Christians. Again, they weave fear and scare into their messages.
Actually the ones who scare the ever-living snot out of me are the Ted Haggards, the Pat Robertsons, the James Dobsons, the Jerry Falwells and others of that ilk who are trying to ram their agendas down my throat.
Leonard Pitts wrote an excellent column on this very matter, Ferret. Here is the link:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/10/1521498/playing-the-same-old-game.html
He sums it up nicely.
Thank you for your comments. I would post this article on The Advocate, but I am banned from that paper. Of course, Victoria is of a like mind with the far right.
ReplyDeleteWe want to be different from Muslims and their way of educating and we have become just like them. Shoving religion and one viewpoint down the throat of our youth only molds their minds and I do mean mold, as in the green, slimy kind. What happened to teaching students to think, discuss and disect ideas? Shoving one way of thinking down the throat of youth smacks of Hitler Youth, Jim Jones, Muslim extremists, and other brain-washed organizations.
America was founded for profit. The ships which came over here were sent for investment purposes. So if you are really going to teach as the founding fathers wanted, let's sell stock in the schools and students.
You can't stop ideas just because you don't like them.
ReplyDeleteEnough said
Legion, I'm a little confused as to whom you are referring. The Bible Belt Christians or me? I believe that ideas should be discussed and disceted by school children, but it the Tiny-minded Bible Belt people have their way, it will only be ONE way of thinking.
ReplyDeleteFerret
Sorry, my comment was directed to the extreme on both sides of some issues, but to the Tiny-minded Bible Belt people in this case.
ReplyDeleteActually, I was watching a movie, (while I was reading the blogs), and that was one of the characters lines, I thought it fit.