Texas Board of Education cuts Thomas Jefferson out of its textbooks.
Texas Board of Education cuts Thomas Jefferson out of its textbooks.
The Texas Board of Education has been meeting this week to revise its social studies curriculum. During the past three days, “the board’s far-right faction wielded their power to shape lessons on the civil rights movement, the U.S. free enterprise system and hundreds of other topics”:
– To avoid exposing students to “transvestites, transsexuals and who knows what else,” the Board struck the curriculum’s reference to “sex and gender as social constructs.”
– The Board removed Thomas Jefferson from the Texas curriculum, “replacing him with religious right icon John Calvin.”
– The Board refused to require that “students learn that the Constitution prevents the U.S. government from promoting one religion over all others.”
– The Board struck the word “democratic” from the description of the U.S. government, instead terming it a “constitutional republic.”
As the nation’s second-largest textbook market, Texas has enormous leverage over publishers, who often “craft their standard textbooks based on the specs of the biggest buyers.” Indeed, as The Washington Monthly has reported, “when it comes to textbooks, what happens in Texas rarely stays in Texas.”
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Way to go Texas! Lead us into your wilderness!
March 12th, 2010 at 5:09 pmSend lawyers, guns and money, the sh!t has hit the fan…
March 12th, 2010 at 5:09 pmSecede already. Shouldn’t the Dept of Education be deciding what is in text books, no some Christo rubes in Texass.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:11 pmOh, no! A nation of half-wits is on its way!
March 12th, 2010 at 5:11 pmThe Texas Board of Education building a bridge to the 16th century!
March 12th, 2010 at 5:11 pmPublishers! Don’t acquiesce!
March 12th, 2010 at 5:13 pmMaybe they will require that female students wear veils when in public. Texas has a bad case of the crazies.The American Taliban has a home in Texas.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:14 pmEverybody was disgusted with John Calvin in his day, too.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:14 pmJohn Calvin is a religious right icon? I thought he was Presbyterian. I never knew Presbyterianism was considered religious right. I do remember in the 60s that the Presbyterian Synod supported pro-choice. I haven’t been to church in 35 years so maybe my memory is not serving me well.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:15 pmAdmittedly, Jefferson doesn’t fit in at Texas. His writings include all sorts of references to philosophy and other classical studies. Not to mention that his ideas were starkly radical for his time. In short, another Kenyan-born communist-fascist-socialist-anarchist.
Intersting that they should choose Calvin. Calvinism led to only one denomination – and that denomination today is far from practicing the radical Calvinism. And Calvinism conflicts severely with the current trappings of the religious right which emphasis the free choice aspects of salvation.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:15 pmNow is the time Gov Perry. Secede!!
March 12th, 2010 at 5:15 pmThe Board refused to highlight the seperation of Church and State ??????????????????????????????????????
HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH ????????????
March 12th, 2010 at 5:16 pmJesus! How could this happen? Why are they allowing this? Religion has no place in schools. We will be raising a generation of half-wits. Now it’s Jefferson, next evolution. And already some schools are teaching ‘Creationism’ or some crap. This will be our downfall as a nation. We will be raising children who have no concept of Science. depressing.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:16 pmOMG! Why don’t you f**kers secede, already?
Thomas Jefferson — author of the Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, third president of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia
The man above was replaced with a FRENCHMAN who never even lived in this country? These idiots are traitors to the United States. Jail them.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:16 pmCan’t wait for the next president to come from there…
/snark
March 12th, 2010 at 5:16 pmpezmiztix says:
finally a movement toward the truth about our great nation. john calvin was the glenn beck of his day. thank god for texas.
What exactly does an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation who lived from 1509 to 1564 have to do with our nation?
March 12th, 2010 at 5:17 pmApparently Texas’s goal is to drag the rest of the nation’s students down to their own level of willful ignorance (with apologies to those good TX liberals – get OUT while you still can!).
IOW, they’re laying the groundwork for future GOP voters.
Man, could they use Molly Ivins now.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:17 pmwhat am i stupid?
no, i’m texas!
what’s the difference?
(brought to you by spongebob squarepants)
March 12th, 2010 at 5:17 pm“when it comes to textbooks, what happens in Texas rarely stays in Texas.”
This time it will.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:18 pmWe will be raising a generation of half-wits.
Texas already did that. Then, they put ‘em in charge of deciding what would be taught in their schools.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:20 pmintellect just had it’s alamo.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:20 pmTexas Board of Education cuts Thomas Jefferson out of its textbooks.
LOL>>> well thats got to hurt all the tea baggers and trolls who keep using his quotes.
So troll how you explain that old Tom is not good for us.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:20 pmIt is obvious that it is time for national standards in textbooks. However with the internet, it is becoming possible for each teacher can tailor textbooks for their own classes.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:21 pmIt’s long been said in Texas by Texan’s…
“Never let the Facts stand in the way of a good story”.
Another truth about Texas Christian GOP Goobers is that what they lack in facts or history or science, they make up for in passion.
Translation: you can never try to argue with these Goobers based on merit or facts or reason. They’ll have none of it.
But, find a “Texas Proud” flag-draped bumper sticker of a slogan for them to rally around and then, watch the work get done.
Who ever has the best over-emotional “Texas Pride” bumper sticker slogan -wins. That’s as deep as they get.
So far, the Christian GOP “secessionist” Goober’s have it.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:21 pmThe last time I looked, this Nation was a Democratic Republic, the One and Only such Nation on Earth. Does this mean that democratic elections become ‘constituional republic’ elections? There are few things worse than agressive stupidity!
March 12th, 2010 at 5:22 pmThis is some real creepy sh*t.
And seriously, who is going to stop this?
Oh, and someone mentioned the publishers? Hell, Murdoch owns a publisher and I’m sure he would be happy to print this fake history.
This country is goi’n to hell.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:24 pmDoes it strike anyone else as odd that the alledged voices of the right here at TP never call out the clearly idiotic nonsense of the pezmiztixs and the like? Why would that let themselves be defined by this clearly fraudulent posers unless of course they too are insincere in their convictions….
March 12th, 2010 at 5:25 pmIf Texas keeps this up they mind as well switch their textbooks with bibles (that would save more money). Texas BoE…you fail.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:26 pmShame shame shame.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:26 pmPerhaps the deep thinkers on the Texas school board became enamored with Calvin’s theory of Predestination. The elect are God’s true chosen people but not all people can be chosen. Maybe they think that Texas is predestined to be the cultural nucleus of the USA.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:27 pmThe ludicrous notion that the founders intended an explicitly Christian nation aside, these fruitbats never follow their logic completely through. They purport to assert America as a Christian nation, but WHOSE Christianity? Baptists observe different doctrinal elements than Methodists, who differ from Unitarians and Universalists. Catholics employ a different liturgy than Protestants, and sacraments differ. And yet, they are all Christians. Who shall be privileged? The colonies at any given time boasted Quakers, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, Puritans, and Catholics. Most of these had internal factions to boot. Are we to parse them all, or include them all? If the latter, does that not defy these fundamentalists’ attempts to construct—however tendentiously and artificially—a “thread of continuity” throughout American history? The Christian Church is not now and has never been a homogenous cultural or historical phenomenon, and yet these fools pretend otherwise.
Utterly disgraceful, these people. Their faith is so weak that they must impose their views on everyone to validate their own lack of conviction. Their patriotism is so flaccid that they cannot understand a nation strengthened by diverse and disagreeing views. They are enemies of freedom in the purest sense—herein lies their greatest hypocrisy.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:27 pm.
What’s next…
… Jesus Christ as founding Father?
.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:28 pmSoap@27, My husband has been grumbling for months how hard it is for Middle Class Americans. His family isn’t making it easier. When he talks about our soaring Health care costs(They have S.S. and Medicare) and the taxes we have to pay (They haven’t had their home reassessed in years), they turn a deaf ear. He keeps talking about Canada.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:28 pmCan’t we saw them off this continent and set them adrift? Don’t we now have that technology?
March 12th, 2010 at 5:30 pmSo I gather then that they think that we’re not promoting ‘democracy’ around the planet but rather ‘mobocracy’?
The right is now trying to demonize democracy along with progressivism. Check this out from the awful Heritage Foundation today:
But President Obama’s progressive base is way past rational thought when it comes to health care. They want it passed at any cost. And as George Will pointed out yesterday, the very essence of progressivism sublimates the democratic process to the rule of experts in Washington. No one can say if this bill will finally pass, but if it does, it is abundantly clear that our republican form of government will be permanently damaged by it.
Meanwhile, most Progressives aren’t exactly ecstatic about the bill of course. But hopefully (especially with the exchanges) it’ll be better than the status quo.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:30 pmIf these mud eating brain dead hicks were actually elected to set the standards I strongly doubt that the children of most of the Texas electorate will be smart enough to be able to read the crappy textbooks that incorporate this bilge.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:31 pmI thought Texas wanted to secede from the Union. This know-nothing move proves it should be allowed to do so. Not including one of the main authors of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution in favor of a religious leader (granted, a major one, but this is a public school social studies curriculum, not one on comparative religions) is stupid not to mention inadequate education! I hope the publishers of the U.S. come to their senses and refuse to allow these changes to textbooks in other states. Texas can go its own way with its students the losers.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:32 pm32 Red Pill says:
The ludicrous notion that the founders intended an explicitly Christian nation aside, these fruitbats never follow their logic completely through. They purport to assert America as a Christian nation, but WHOSE Christianity?
EXACTLY!
And let’s hear that explanation…so we can all have a good laugh…
MY God is better than your God…NO, MY GOD is better than YOUR GOD…NO, NO, NO MY GOD…
blah, blah, blah
And then they start shooting at each other.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:33 pmThe blatant advocacy for stupidity leaves me speechless.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:35 pm“The Board refused to require that “students learn that the Constitution prevents the U.S. government from promoting one religion over all others.””
Pfft, what do the Texans know about the Constitution, they weren’t even part of the USA when it was written.
I’m thinking we in Mexico got lucky when Texas seceded…
March 12th, 2010 at 5:35 pmYes, my party will stop at nothing to shove their alternative reality down people’s throats and then cry Obami’s the one indoctrinating teh childrens.
However, most students in America do only what their teacher assigns, and most teachers will choose not to peddle the bullshit of a Texas BOE. I can’t tell you how many teachers during my school years would insult the textbook assigned for their courses. The open willingness of a BOE to inject politics into educational material should be a call to arms to all teachers in America.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:36 pmMax Anax junius-1 (sponsored by DOW Chemical) says:
.
What’s next…
… Jesus Christ as founding Father?
–
March 12th, 2010 at 5:37 pmYou got proof that he wasn’t? I mean who else walked along the boat as George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware and who’s policies still protect our freedoms? That’s right Jesus Christ!/snark
So hows this going to impact the no child left behind? I mean they will not be able to past the test.
hell not sure they be able to pass a test to get into collages even UT or is it TU longhorns.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:37 pm“– The Board removed Thomas Jefferson from the Texas curriculum, “replacing him with religious right icon John Calvin.”
WTF?
Was this all predestined? Hey – did you hear about the calvinist that fell down the stairs, picked himself up and then turned heavenward exclaiming “Thank God that’s over!”
March 12th, 2010 at 5:37 pm38 Pennsylvanianne says:
I thought Texas wanted to secede from the Union.
Actually…I saw a thing a few weeks ago, where some clown wrote to Scalia and asked about seceding.
He wrote back and said…it canNOT happen. It is not allowed by the Constitution, etc. for a state to leave the union. It was designed specifically to stop a state from doing such…
Whatever site that was had a copy of the Scalia letter posted.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:37 pmAnother common expression used by Texan’s to describe a really really stupid person of Texas lineage is…
“All hat. No cattle.”
I think this applies nicely to the Texas Board of Education. Gov. Perry, too.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:37 pmMan, could they use Molly Ivins now.
Jeez! I’ll bet Molly is turning over in her grave right now.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:38 pmBonnie says:
——————————————————————————–
John Calvin is a religious right icon? I thought he was Presbyterian. I never knew Presbyterianism was considered religious right. I do remember in the 60s that the Presbyterian Synod supported pro-choice. I haven’t been to church in 35 years so maybe my memory is not serving me well.
Oh no, it’s pretty liberal…I was born in 1990, so I wasn’t around for the whole Roe vs.Wade decision, but from what I’ve been taught through my church ( I’m Presbyterian), we’re pretty open-minded about that kind of stuff, and gay marriage as well.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:38 pmWe are talking about a state that is brain washed. Perry is probably a sure win even though he burned an innocent man.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:38 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Next they’ll say that the pioneers and pilgrims didn’t land on Plymouth Rock; it was actually Corpus Christi.
Geez…
March 12th, 2010 at 5:39 pmJohn Calvin? This guy?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_calvin
He was French. And no wonder they would love him…he’s from the Flat-Earth era.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:39 pmWhy do they support Calvin? Don’t they know that he was what they would call a “liberal” today?
March 12th, 2010 at 5:41 pmThe only thing I can see as a positive to this is if it goes through anyone educated in Texas would have to stay there because (hopefully) the rest of the country wouldn’t recognize any diploma from any Texas school.
Companies interviewing for hiring…You went to school where? Hahahahahahaha…sorry we have enough janitors.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:42 pmHe was a bit of a theocrat though..I shudder to think of what he did in Geneva what with his elders councils, book burnings, etc.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:42 pmjwest says:
It can be summed up this way, “The mexicans gave us the taco and the burrito.”
And you turned them into Taco Bell. Not cool, man. Not cool.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:43 pmThis sickens me. We hear all the time how our kids are getting dumber and dumber each and every year. This will only accelerate the problem!
Though, the sad fact is that the majority of Texans will blindly vote for their changes and not question any of their changes. That is the sad fact of the conservatives. (I.E. their lack of thinking!)
We need to do something to keep their history rewrites from affecting other states.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:43 pmjwest are you another insincere poser trying to make the right look bad? Just wondering…
March 12th, 2010 at 5:44 pmlinz@54, LOL! We are talking about people who ain’t to bright. Remember when the ‘Baggers’ backed Brown in MA? The bought the whole ‘Truck driving populist’ bullsh*t. WE knew better. He is a corporate shill who USED them. He got in and threw them under a bus.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:44 pmAnd you turned them into Taco Bell. Not cool, man. Not cool.
Oh man, now you’re making me hungry!!. “Yo quiero taco bell!”
March 12th, 2010 at 5:44 pmOk instead of replacing T.J. with John Calvin, how about replacing him with Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes?
/snark
March 12th, 2010 at 5:45 pmI’m glad my kids are done with school. Otherwise I’d have to home-school them to protect them from religious whackjobs.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:45 pm#43 bizarro,
March 12th, 2010 at 5:45 pmWell, in the Bible it does say He calmed the waters…
… And you know how these Talibangelists see their Bible as the Constitution.
.
Heh, now I have this image of linzloo as a chihuahua, sitting at her keyboard, furiously dancing a flamenco as she types a response.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:46 pmCan they just secede already and take the rest of the south with them ? We can call this new nation DumbAsshatIstan..
March 12th, 2010 at 5:47 pmHmmm…maybe what other states will need to do is certify that an education in Texas is not adequate or acceptable in their state.
Texas may issue high school diplomas, but they are unacceptable for college…or better yet, WORK.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:47 pmThe new tactic for autocratic mind control…don’t burn the books, just rewrite them.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:47 pmI can’t wait until Texas drops Lincoln, FDR and Obama from history as if they never existed. TBOE is no better than Pravda. The Communists were keen on writing people out of history as well as photoshopping them out of pics.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:48 pmI can’t wait to hear the reaction of fake doctor hunt to this development.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:48 pmHoodathunk(sponsored by the Church of Holy Beer) says:
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Heh, now I have this image of linzloo as a chihuahua, sitting at her keyboard, furiously dancing a flamenco as she types a response.
ROTFL!!(:
March 12th, 2010 at 5:48 pmWow. I just read from the link up top. It was even worse than I thought at first.
11:59 – Board member Ken Mercer suggests this standard: “understand how government taxation and regulations can serve as restrictions to private enterprise.” Bob Craig points out that the amendment is misplaced. It is — the section in which it would be inserted deals with government policies on “science, technology and society,” not “private enterprise.” Moreover, would Mercer object to a standard that discusses how taxation and regulation can be a benefit in some circumstances? We doubt it. Perhaps he doesn’t consider that when he drinks an unpolluted glass of water.
12:03 – Mercer moves his movement to a section on the economy. It passes.
Btw – the word ‘capitalism’ has been struck from the standard because it has a “negative connotation”. Now it’s all about ‘free enterprise’.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:48 pm24. Wiz said, “it is becoming possible for each teacher can tailor textbooks”
The thought of some of my past teachers getting to doctor the curriculum according to their own personal ideas – THAT scares me !
No longer even constrained by the Texas school board’s need to get 3 people to agree. They can make a lesson plan out of their own little, individual world !
March 12th, 2010 at 5:48 pmI have lived in Texas since 1963. I don’t know
which I am most ashamed of: Bush being elected
governor, Bush being elected president (either
time), Perry covering up his executuon of an
innocent man or our so-called “Board of
Education” re-writing history.
It will be interesting to see what happens when
March 12th, 2010 at 5:49 pmHispanics start exercising their political
muscle. What will white Texans say when history
books start giving a different version of the
Texas war for independence against Mexico? Or
when the Texas Rangers are seen from the view
of non-whites?
Hoodathunk(sponsored by the Church of Holy Beer) says:
Heh, now I have this image of linzloo as a chihuahua, sitting at her keyboard, furiously dancing a flamenco as she types a response.
I had that already — now more so. :-D
March 12th, 2010 at 5:49 pmYet one more example of why conservatives are never able to solve problems. They are resentful of real history and insist on bending things to meet their emotional needs. Thus, the lessons they learn from this skewed history are also skewed, and result in foolish choices.
It’s a big drawback to their disdain for education (which happens to be number 11 on Lawrence Britt’s Fourteen Defining Characteristics of Fascism)
March 12th, 2010 at 5:51 pmMy guess is that they are just upset that old TJ had a thing for the brown sugar. You all take care and feel free to b itch slap the fakers in my stead. Those fish won’t cut themselves…
March 12th, 2010 at 5:51 pmcheers-
Ok, if Texas can’t secede, can we divorce them?
March 12th, 2010 at 5:51 pmOh and if any real voices of conservativism ever show up remember to be polite…
March 12th, 2010 at 5:52 pmjwest says:
——————————————————————————–
ralph, stopped hiding under the bed?
Now, now jwest being dumb and fearful is no way to go through life..
March 12th, 2010 at 5:52 pmjwest says:
It can be summed up this way, “The mexicans gave us the taco and the burrito.”
Rape Apologist, the contributions of Mexicans are more than just food…but of course you wouldn’t know that…
March 12th, 2010 at 5:52 pmYeah, jwest, exactly. We progressives behave exactly the same way you regressives do. Good assumption there.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:52 pmIf they don’t want to acknowledge the “real” history of our great nation, Texas needs to secede from the Union and see how well they do on their own.
they can start their own history from the time they secede.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:52 pmWill do, dbadass.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:53 pmMy apologies; I meant rape apologist jwest.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:53 pmMax Anax junius-1 (sponsored by DOW Chemical) says:
March 12th, 2010 at 5:56 pm#43 bizarro,
Well, in the Bible it does say He calmed the waters…
… And you know how these Talibangelists see their Bible as the Constitution.
–
Which is funny because most fundies haven’t read either of them.
That’s the difference between fish and trolls. Trolls often cut themselves. They’re that clumsy.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:56 pmLets trade. Mexico gets Texas and we get Baja California.Cabo is so much nicer than College Station.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:56 pmafter all, he thinks that rape happens to people who “deserve it” whereas it happens to anyone, even those whom these rape apologists would consider doing everything “right…”
March 12th, 2010 at 5:56 pmThank God for people like Mary Helen Berlanga, with courage & honesty.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:57 pmI’d go for that. So many more surfing beaches.
They can even have Oklahoma as a state to be named later.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:57 pmjwest, if you’re gonna phone-in your trolling, at least offer a massage like pez dispenser does.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:59 pmOh, how I miss the carefree days when jwest was just in charge of who did and who didn’t graduate from Cornell…
March 12th, 2010 at 5:59 pmjwest says:
——————————————————————————–
ralph goes “fact free” people.
hey mr. big stuff, who do you think you are?
*Facepalm*
March 12th, 2010 at 5:59 pmdbadass – some are already speculating that striking TJ from the standard might have had something to do with the fact the he was a ‘Deist’.
Newton helped formulate a science of mechanics. He painted the universe is a vast and harmonious machine. This principle was in turn applied to religious and social life. Many came to believe that it was possible to find God through a natural religion, and to discover the moral laws of existence through reason, allowing the creation of a well ordered society was possible where people can live in harmony and prosperity.
Ahhh, harmony and prosperity. Sounds good to me.
Jefferson was typical of Southern Deists. One of the leading American intellectuals, he shared a great fondness for Voltaire, and like other deists of his day, Jefferson loathed all forms of Christian orthodoxy.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:00 pmIs jwest going attempt to “beat down” ralph in the pez dispenser’s absence?
March 12th, 2010 at 6:00 pmOops, I did it again. I meant:
Rape apologist jwest, if you’re gonna phone-in your trolling, at least offer a massage like pez dispenser does.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:00 pmOrmsby says:
——————————————————————————–
GALLUP: NEW LOW FOR O
Prove it.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:00 pmThe trolls are forgeting that historically, Obama is doing fine. These guys are drinking the Kool-Aid. Obama kicks both the Repugs and Dems as*ses.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:00 pmBut then again, dbadass, you’re probably right.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:01 pmOh, I’m getting the picture now…
rape apologist jwest, how about you put on your pez dispenser costume and give me that rubdown you’ve been promising for so long? My lower back could use some work.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:02 pm@106 And they look at his approval ratings and go “haha he only has a 50% approval rating” while forgetting that Bush’s approval rating was usually about 20-30%!
March 12th, 2010 at 6:03 pmrape apologist jwest says:
Hey that sounds like an effing good idea. Thanks Zooey!
Good luck.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:03 pmjwest says:
You ready to be a man and stand up for you and your wrong side party of gNOp?
I understand that you are scared easily but its ok,
remember what FDR said, “Only thing we need to fear is fear its self.”
with ever journey you need to take that first step.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:04 pmOkay, so… dochunt is also Alfred, rape apologist jwest is also pezmiztix… what other troll dual identities do we have positively identified?
March 12th, 2010 at 6:04 pmOk which asshat voted me down at 105?
March 12th, 2010 at 6:04 pmOrmsby says:
GALLUP: NEW LOW FOR O
If that is true there is still a long while before he reaches Dubya’s low, 27%.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:05 pmwhat other troll dual identities do we have positively identified?
Who’s arronk’s doppelganger again?
I get so confused… no, wait… not confused. Bored.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:05 pmHey Texass, why not cut to the chase and go for John Birch over George Washington or Abe Lincoln?
March 12th, 2010 at 6:05 pmjwest says:
ralph, there’s more where that came from. Ready to beg for mercy?
Cover your butt Ralph!
March 12th, 2010 at 6:06 pmCan Texas please, please just secede already.
Then we can separate the genuine traitors from the real patriots when the Union attends the live screening of Rick Perry’s Alamo.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:07 pmjwest says:
——————————————————————————–
115, uh oh, someone’s not be “polite”.
Uh-oh someone can’t speak English very well!
March 12th, 2010 at 6:07 pm96. Ormsby says:
GALLUP: NEW LOW FOR O
We are still waiting for the link please.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:09 pmThis happens when you drink water laced with cow shit. You’re bound to contract E-coli of the brain.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:10 pmI see the trolls have gotten together to do whip-its after school on a Friday.
As long as it keeps them out of Mrs. Pez’s meth stash, she’s happy.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:11 pmjwest says:
122, Again, not “polite”>
–
Sorry.
Ralph please cover your butt.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:13 pmjb says:
Hey Texass, why not cut to the chase and go for John Birch over George Washington or Abe Lincoln?
Well the Civil War is considered a national time of intermission now. Though I don’t know why John Wilkes Booth is now made an honorary Texas Ranger and credited at being at the Alamo.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:13 pmhar5125 (brought to you by the Independent Faction) says:
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96. Ormsby says:
GALLUP: NEW LOW FOR O
We are still waiting for the link please.
Don’t waste you’re breath on this idiot..The only links he can get are the links he can pull from his craphole.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:13 pmTwajie thinks Drudge is a meaningful source for anything.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:13 pmralph the wonder llama, official spokesllama for the Llama Milk Council® says:
I see the trolls have gotten together to do whip-its after school on a Friday.
As long as it keeps them out of Mrs. Pez’s meth stash, she’s happy.
LOL>> yes last time the really dumb ones used the meth powder as talcum powered for there diaper rash.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:14 pmthen they snorted the ajax and found a whole new reality.
ralph the wonder llama, official spokesllama for the Llama Milk Council® says:
I see the trolls have gotten together to do whip-its after school on a Friday.
As long as it keeps them out of Mrs. Pez’s meth stash, she’s happy.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:15 pm–
Mr. Pez must be happy they’re not raiding the fridge and taking his beer. One beer and these trolls are vomiting on the carpet and it would suck to have to clean that up.
Ok jwest is that you who keeps voting me down?
March 12th, 2010 at 6:15 pmSo a founding father, and former president of this nation is not as important as a controversial religious leader? The man wasn’t even a citizen of this country, where as the man he replaces was a PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!
I feel sorry for the future generations.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:16 pmjwest keeps spewing and molesting
March 12th, 2010 at 6:17 pmDrudge.
Have the trolls not gotten it yet that there are certain keywords for which they’ll just end up being the monkey with the gun and just shoot themselves?
I guess there are two types of Republicans in this world: Dick Cheney and Chris Wallace.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:18 pmTrolls trust polls till they give a result they don’t like
March 12th, 2010 at 6:19 pmOrmsby approval down, the rest of his life …. not so good
March 12th, 2010 at 6:20 pmMy God, folks. Are we going to throw insults at each other day after day?
This isn’t getting us anywhere.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:21 pmIs that the same poll where all of America is against health care and wants Boehner to take the Dems to the woodshed?
Yeah, thought so.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:21 pmOrmsby responded to my post referring to Twajie.
drhunt1 = Alfred
rape apologist jwest = pezmiztix
Ormsby = Twajie
is anyone writing this down?
dbadass is searching for a sincere conservative… we can’t even get one who can stick with a single screen name.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:23 pmOrmsby …. worship any Sky-Fairy you want
March 12th, 2010 at 6:24 pmOrmsby?
http://www.gallup.com/poll/126578/Americans-Life-Evaluation-Reaches-New-High.aspx
Not good for R’s who are hoping for a landslide…
March 12th, 2010 at 6:25 pmBill Kristol reads the same polls.
Does not mean he understands the materials present.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:25 pmRalph, I think they just draw a screen name out of a hat when they punch in. It takes them a few posts to get settled into their shtick. And then when one gets in trouble, they have a Chinese fire drill.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:25 pmWow, Purple State got promoted to godhood in the troll world? Cool.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:26 pmThe contributions of Hispanics or Latinos if you would prefer go beyond the trolls’ stereotyping of just food…
Let’s take for example Dr. Charles Finlay…whom Dr. Reed credited with being the first to discover the link between yellow fever and the mosquito…
March 12th, 2010 at 6:27 pmOrmsby wrong all the time, write it down …. got it!
March 12th, 2010 at 6:28 pmI hear Glenn Beck is making a Christmas sweater for his chalk board. Do we need to get Larry King to ask Glenn if he has a sexual fascination with school supplies?
March 12th, 2010 at 6:28 pm(chastened)
Purple State, you’re right.
… but it’s Friday and the trolls are especially wiggly today.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:28 pmMy, how thoroughly un-American. When are these seditious rats going to get around to their promised secession so that we may rid ourselves of them for good and all?
If they do secede, there will finally be a purpose for the border fence, keeping Texans out of Mexico.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:28 pm@11
When it suits them. They’re predestinationists when it comes to capitalism and why they’re granted their paycheck by GOD and HOW DARE YOU tax them to pay for things like “health care”.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:28 pmDr. Carlos Finlay*
March 12th, 2010 at 6:28 pmLordy…. wish we had Ann Richards and Molly Ivins back. Sure hope the textbook people balk….
March 12th, 2010 at 6:31 pmUSCKitty =^..^= yes, my name really IS Kitty…well at least to my students… says:
The contributions of Hispanics or Latinos if you would prefer go beyond the trolls’ stereotyping of just food…
Let’s take for example Dr. Charles Finlay…whom Dr. Reed credited with being the first to discover the link between yellow fever and the mosquito…
Careful…someone might pray in your name for speaking the truth!
March 12th, 2010 at 6:33 pmOrmsby says:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/113980/Gallup-Daily-Obama-Job-Approval.aspx
Disapproval is up and approval is down. Not good
Reagan was inaugurated in January 1981. By February 1982, his approval dropped to 39%.
President Obama’s approval is a full 12 points higher in February, while having to deal with a much bigger mess and a much more hostile Congress. Right now Obama’s is 47%, which is still higher than Saint Ronnie!
March 12th, 2010 at 6:35 pmShould have let Aaron Burr have his way.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:35 pmAbsolutely right. The whole “prosperity gospel” crap is almost pure Calvinism, as I understand it, and directly contradicts Matthew 19:23-24
I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:37 pmAll I’m saying is that I’m getting tired of this concept that the loudest voices here have to declare themselves the most correct in what they say.
I’m especially OFFENDED by those who just forsake the topic and go right to the off-topic blathering only to get insults from others. I’m equally offended by those who come here just to get insults thrown at them. then leave laughing to themselves, knowing they derailed the conversation.
I understand people get outraged at what the conservative base either drums up or fights with. I understand that we draw people who see us, in their minds, as being hypocrites. FINE. I get it. So let’s have a logical and meaningful conversation already.
This place is really starting to bug me. It’s a shame, since 1) the topics that are brought out are what encourage me into getting more political WITHOUT the loud obnoxious debates that have nothing but insults, and 2) there are people here that really DO want to argue logically without wanting to physically hurt the other side.
No offense to people here, but that’s something I rather appreciated out of “backup”. At least he was willing to argue logically.
I’m sorry about the diatribe, but for crying out loud, knock off the bickering and insults.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:39 pmhar5125 (brought to you by the Independent Faction) says:
Ormsby says:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/113980/Gallup-Daily-Obama-Job-Approval.aspx
Disapproval is up and approval is down. Not good
Reagan was inaugurated in January 1981. By February 1982, his approval dropped to 39%.
President Obama’s approval is a full 12 points higher in February, while having to deal with a much bigger mess and a much more hostile Congress. Right now Obama’s is 47%, which is still higher than Saint Ronnie!
Reagan was so average when compared to a better Republican president in Eisenhower. But in the party of pick-and-choose, the Repubs always go with the nearest loser.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:39 pmPurple State, believe it or not, I’m with ya.
I recognize that I’ve been a little overboard with the Whack-A-Troll the last couple of days. My bad.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:44 pmReplacing Thomas Jefferson with John Calvin is bizarre. I would love to have been a fly in the wall when those negotiations took place.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:49 pmRalph, it’s a little of everyone. I know I’m going to sound like I’m some Democrat without a spine, but I want to see true progress in our society, and letting this website escalate into what happens every day in Capitol Hill just sickens me.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:51 pmhar5125 (brought to you by the Independent Faction) says:
President Obama’s approval is a full 12 points higher in February, while having to deal with a much bigger mess and a much more hostile Congress. Right now Obama’s is 47%, which is still higher than Saint Ronnie!
Much of the dissatisfaction is related to the lack of progress on creating jobs. The most important issue is the voters pocketbook and it always governs elections. If jobless rates come down in a significant way, the approval ratings will go up. The wild card is voter anger at both parties in the November elections.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:54 pmMaybe, but some us are worse than others, and the last few days I’ve been one of the most egregious offenders.
Now don’t get me wrong; I’m still an avid Whack-A-Troller, and I think it’s got its place in the discourse, but I recognize that I’ve let myself go too far on occasion. Like today.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:56 pmPurple State, there has been more and more posters calling for this. Whacking trolls is kind of like eating Pringles. I’ve been guilty of it, probably will be again but I do agree with you. Since it is pretty clear there is no real hope of helping trolls, maybe we can all support each other in fighting the habit of sinking to their level.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:58 pmOnes faith in their religion gives them no no right to try to impose your religion onto others…sucks they’re doing it through our education system.
Theocrats, whether Christian, Muslim or Hindu or something else are all evil people. Unfortunately, the Christian Taliban is here in the USA.
March 12th, 2010 at 7:02 pmHoodathunk(sponsored by the Church of Holy Beer) says:
March 12th, 2010 at 7:04 pmPurple State, there has been more and more posters calling for this. Whacking trolls is kind of like eating Pringles. I’ve been guilty of it, probably will be again but I do agree with you. Since it is pretty clear there is no real hope of helping trolls, maybe we can all support each other in fighting the habit of sinking to their level.
–
Agreed. More of us (myself especially) just need to keep repeating, “don’t insult the trolls, ignore them.”
@174
Yeah, I think the vitriol would be much lessened if the moderators (if there are any) just yanked the obvious troll accounts. They add NOTHING at all to the discussion.
March 12th, 2010 at 7:04 pmBut sometimes those Pringles look so tasty…
March 12th, 2010 at 7:07 pmSo let me get this straight. Once any student from Texas tries to get into a college that isn’t in Texas, they’ll fail because they won’t know who the hell Thomas Jefferson was? Or that he got busy with someone who looked just like me. One Sally Hemmings? At least when a school receives an application from students in Texas they can just stamp REJECTED on the envelope without bothering to open it and send it back to the moron!
March 12th, 2010 at 7:07 pmGreat going, Texas. You proved the axiom yet again!
The axiom:
Religious indoctrination leads to willful ignorance and stupidity.
(The TX school board is made up of mostly White evangelical mythology-lovers who have a hate-relationship with history and reality.)
March 12th, 2010 at 7:08 pmWill the good people of Texas get angry when their students dail standardized tests and can’t get into reputable colleges and universities?
March 12th, 2010 at 7:08 pmRalph, repeat after me…Pringles are empty calories. I know it isn’t easy. Just one snide crack, puhleeze! Just one. We can do it together. Resist!
March 12th, 2010 at 7:15 pmedonline says:
March 12th, 2010 at 7:17 pmWill the good people of Texas get angry when their students dail standardized tests and can’t get into reputable colleges and universities?
–
Nah. That’s what field trips to the Creationist museum in Glen Rose, Texas and scholorships to places like Texas Christian University and Liberty are for. Remember: to the fundamentalists higher learning is for secularists.
Why wait for these raving loons to secede? Can’t the rest of the country excommunicate Texas or something? Maybe Mexico will take Texas back if we pay them enough. The average IQ of the American populace will increase dramatically with Texas gone!
March 12th, 2010 at 7:17 pmThis has been going on for far too long. Time for textbook publishers to rebel and isolate Texas in the outhouse they so richly deserve.
March 12th, 2010 at 7:19 pmThe fundy/repiggie dream world…make it up as you go along. As long as they get to do the make believe stuff.
I think thats why they call it mythology and fantasy.
March 12th, 2010 at 7:22 pmHoodathunk(sponsored by the Church of Holy Beer) says:
The fundy/repiggie dream world…make it up as you go along. As long as they get to do the make believe stuff.
I think thats why they call it mythology and fantasy.
March 12th, 2010 at 7:27 pm–
It’s scary that they want some sort of Christian Madrasas. How long before we remove those heathen science teachers and start teaching Biblical alchemy?
Texas does not control the content of standardized tests. All students at one time or another will have to take a standardized test. Usually, it is the ACT that high schoolers take for college entrance. If the curriculum is substandard, then the student scores will be reflected in the tests.
March 12th, 2010 at 7:28 pmBut if the textbooks used in most of the country exclude many important facts (because Texas said so), then students in many states will be crippled in the same way as Texas students. No Thomas Jefferson? Enough.
March 12th, 2010 at 7:31 pmThose Pringles are fattening, guys. Resist the Pringles, and the urge won’t come so often.
In order to keep this website healthy, we should swear off the “junk food” thrown at us and be “heart-smart”?
Geez, now I’m starting to want a cheeseburger.
March 12th, 2010 at 7:35 pmquestioneverything says:
I am sure Virginians will have a lot to say about Jefferson being dropped out of the book.
March 12th, 2010 at 7:37 pmKeeping them ignorant, racist, brainwashed and stupid.
Maybe Texas should be dropped from all text books.
Or just maybe they order all those text books to burn them.
March 12th, 2010 at 7:45 pmShoulda let Texas secede.
Oughta wall it off, now. It serves no civilized purpose.
March 12th, 2010 at 7:48 pmjonny says:
Shoulda let Texas secede.
Oughta wall it off, now. It serves no civilized purpose.
March 12th, 2010 at 8:00 pm–
Agreed. Wall it off and stick a sign on the bank of the Red River that will warn them about what kind of a hell hole Texas will become when religious fanaticism takes over after the government stops sending them $.
bizarrobrain (brought to you by The Citadel of Satanic Kitten Worship and Tidy Cat) says:
jonny says:
Shoulda let Texas secede.
Oughta wall it off, now. It serves no civilized purpose.
–
Agreed. Wall it off
The biggest benefit is that the average IQ of the country will go up.
March 12th, 2010 at 8:02 pmThe scariest part is that Texas will one day have as many congressional seats as California.
I wish we didn’t need Texas.
March 12th, 2010 at 8:10 pmpags2 says:
bizarrobrain (brought to you by The Citadel of Satanic Kitten Worship and Tidy Cat) says:
jonny says:
Shoulda let Texas secede.
Oughta wall it off, now. It serves no civilized purpose.
–
Agreed. Wall it off
The biggest benefit is that the average IQ of the country will go up.
–
Haha.
Perhaps we should be encouraging this. Stoke up all the bible-thumpers to leave their jobs and houses, sell-up and go move to Texas. Then wall up Texas.
March 12th, 2010 at 8:11 pmBTW, the only possible excuse for Texas blows.
Memphis BBQ, Kansas City BBQ, and SC BBQ rule. Texas BBQ is rat’s-ass cowboy sh!t.
Not worthy of the name.
March 12th, 2010 at 8:17 pmClearly they are preparing to become either their own country OR the northern most province of mexico. Either way, this Education board should be put in JAIL!!!
Good riddance fools…
March 12th, 2010 at 8:40 pmSo, the Insane State of Texas has decided that we are going to raise a Generation of BIGOTED, RACIST, IGNORANT DUMMIES!This damage will be with us for decades.
March 12th, 2010 at 8:56 pmI fear for my country.
Winski says:
Clearly they are preparing to become either their own country OR the northern most province of mexico. Either way, this Education board should be put in JAIL!!!
Good riddance fools…
–
Kick these bastards from the education board, ban them from serving in a seat of power like that again and then jail them.
Maybe we should let Texas secede…they’ve already expressed that they want to. We will sit back and watch as Mexico annexes Texas to get its oil. One of Mexico’s biggest legal export’s–mostly to the United States–is oil. A country like that would love to get their hands on more of it if it weren’t defended very well. And then the fundie Texans will become a linguistic and religious minority in Mexico. It’s the world’s largest Spanish-speaking nation, and one of the world’s largest Catholic nations.
Plus like jonny said, their BBQ sucks.
March 12th, 2010 at 8:57 pmReplacing Jefferson with Calvin? Seriously?
That’s like replacing Einstein with a grapefruit.
March 12th, 2010 at 8:59 pmThere is no excuse for indoctrinating children with conservative ideology. Obama should have the Department of Education come down hard on these fascists.
March 12th, 2010 at 9:03 pmWhat country before ever existed a century and a half without a rebellion? And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.”
Yanno, its bizarre that TEA partiers use this quote then Texas TEA omits Jefferson, the guy that wrote it.
March 12th, 2010 at 9:22 pmGive Gov. Lick Perry his wish – give Texas back to Mexico. Let them solve Texas problems.
March 12th, 2010 at 9:24 pmhar5125 (brought to you by the Independent Faction) says:
Ok instead of replacing T.J. with John Calvin, how about replacing him with Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes?
March 12th, 2010 at 9:29 pm———————————————————–
Wait? You mean that’s not the Calvin they are referring to?
So within our own country, the American Taliban are quietly creating their own Palestine.
March 12th, 2010 at 9:30 pmThe phrase “removed Thomas Jefferson from the curriculum” is deceptive and grossly inaccurate.
Thomas Jefferson was simply removed from a list of major Enlightenment thinkers, with a board member making the arcane point that Jefferson’s ideas were all derivative and added nothing to the Enlightenment. Personally, I believe this to be correct.
I was only able to find a draft of the Texas social studies standards, but the History section does include requiring students to learn how constitutional government has been “influenced by people, ideas, and historical documents,” and states that the student is expected to “…analyze the contributions of the political philosophies of the Founding Fathers, including John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, on the development of the U.S. government.” This is the appropriate place to study Jefferson’s influence.
March 12th, 2010 at 9:35 pmCalvin’s writing and preachings provided the seeds for the branch of theology that bears his name. The Presbyterian and other Reformed churches, which look to Calvin as a chief expositor of their beliefs, have spread throughout the world. Calvin’s thought exerted considerable influence over major religious figures and entire religious movements, such as Puritanism, and some political historians have argued that his ideas have contributed to the rise of capitalism, individualism, and representative democracy in the West.
Then they go and drop the description of democratic from governemnt?
Whooo boy. I sense some major confusion at this educational board
March 12th, 2010 at 9:36 pmHoly crap!
And I mean that in the literal sense, too. :o|
March 12th, 2010 at 9:44 pmPlumb Bob says:
I don’t think it is a minor historical fact that Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and a large contributor to the Constitution.
March 12th, 2010 at 9:44 pmTo keep from being complete idiots I would suggest reading the ACTUAL document – http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/teks/social/ELEM_TEKS_amended.pdf
but that would take too much effort, huh????
Try to have a brain and not make blanket derogatory comments based on a biased article.
March 12th, 2010 at 9:48 pmThe federal government of the United States is the central government entity established by the United States Constitution, which shares sovereignty over the United States with the governments of the individual U.S. states. In 1790, the Federalist political party, lead by Alexander Hamilton, believed in a strong federal government, which is where the name came from. The Democratic-Republicans, or the Republican political party today, lead by Thomas Jefferson, believed in a weak federal government.
Well, its clear that the Texas education boards hamster wheel is off its base.
March 12th, 2010 at 9:51 pmIs that the same weak Federal govt one of you said should create national standards??????????????? Hmmmm
March 12th, 2010 at 9:53 pmXisithrus says:
But, but, but Jefferson endorsed a free public school education. Thus he cannot be a dem or republican. He is a Socialist.
March 12th, 2010 at 9:53 pmBut, but, but Jefferson endorsed a free public school education. Thus he cannot be a dem or republican. He is a Socialist.
Heh.
March 12th, 2010 at 9:56 pmbut that would take too much effort, huh???? -=Partin=-
I attended Texas public schools from 3rd to 12th grades and so I dont feel a need to read the pdf. And they are, to me, quite historically confused today. I cant find that Calvin even ever came to the states or had anything to do with enlightenment. He was mainly interested in reforming the French churches where the ‘freedom fry’ [GOP term] was born.
March 12th, 2010 at 10:03 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Seems Texas has problems with education other than history.
March 12th, 2010 at 11:01 pmhttp://ncse.com/news/2009/03/science-setback-texas-schools-004708
This is a huge “victory” for the GOP. They’ve successfully injected Religion into politics and our Constitution multiple times this year alone.
They have this sunny, delightful, white vision of American history that just didn’t happen. They want to say America was founded on “Judeo-Christian” beliefs…but it wasn’t. I believe most of our “founding fathers” were, in fact, Deists.
It’s funny though, because the 1st amendment, which allows religious freedom but also separation of church and state, is the only reason these people can voice their religious beliefs freely. But in this weird power grab they’re basically stomping all over the part of the 1st amendment they don’t like while keeping the part they do.
And the funniest thing is that the First Amendment was written by Madison, a well known deist. SO the Christian-right has a DEIST to thank for being able to rewrite history and indoctrinate our kids…somehow, I don’t think Madison or ANY of our Founding Fathers would be OK with this kind of religious and political influence ending up in our childrens’ public schools…
I thought the Christian-right claimed to be “Constitutionalists?”
The religious-right is attempting to indoctrinate our kids through historical and scientific texts, and I believe this is a serious breach of our Constitution’s Separation of Church and State. These people are purposefully adjusting American history to use it as a vehicle for an intended agenda instead of advocating for the most accurate and quality education for our children. These people are purposefully putting our kids right in the middle of a massive controversy just to get their way. They are using OUR CHILDREN to make some kind of point! How far will we let these extreme fundamentalist go until we fight back?!
If anybody knows how to fight back on this, PLEASE post how. I want to get in touch with people in Texas who are fighting back. I want to know what I can do in order to prevent this from happening. How can a breach of separation of church and state be so blatant yet be allowed?
This is what private schools are for. As soon as Evolution is allowed to be taught in Church is the day that Religion can be discussed in our TAX PAYER FUNDED, public schools.
March 12th, 2010 at 11:03 pmpags2 says:
Neither does the Texas Board of Education, which is why they have included Jefferson among the founders to be studied in the history topic concerning constitutional influences.
But they are correct in excluding Jefferson — read very carefully, now, I’m about to make a very fine distinction (for the 2nd time) — they are correct in excluding Jefferson from a list of major Enlightenment thinkers, since he was actually not one of those. You may disagree if you like, but it’s actually an historically relevant distinction.
March 12th, 2010 at 11:14 pmDon’t wait for them to secede – they won’t. They want the taxpayer money that the Feds send to them. America will have to eject them. Seriously – is there a way to do this? Without force of arms, that is.
March 12th, 2010 at 11:23 pmbulletproofair wrote:
Check your facts. Yes, some modern revisionists have attempted to paint Madison as a Deist, but in fact he was a member of the Episcopalian Church. In Madison’s day, church membership involved signing a statement of faith, and the signatures on those documents were taken very, very seriously. If Madison was, in fact, a Deist, then he was also a liar, and would have been publicly discredited if it had become known. It is far more likely that he was an orthodox Episcopalian, and that modern historians who know nothing of religion or theology have taken completely orthodox statements to be Deistic.
For an example, see this brief web discussion. The author of this piece thinks the following statement sounds “downright Deist”:
That’s not Deist at all. It doesn’t even sound Deist; a Deist would expect no intervention from God because God never intervenes, not because “we are but men.” This statement is clear, orthodox Christian theism; it’s an admission that mere mortals can never take it for granted that God is on their side, since they are innately sinful. But those who have never studied Christian theology (and who may gain some internal validation from finding that Madison agrees with their own skepticism) do not recognize orthodox Christian thinking when they encounter it.
March 12th, 2010 at 11:30 pmTexas could sure use some Deists on their Board of Education. Personally, I would like to spread the worship of Frog via public schools, but I’m willing to settle for keeping religion out of the public sector. I worship Frog on my own time.
March 13th, 2010 at 12:12 amYou’d think that these right-wing Repubs in Texas would like Thomas Jefferson, after all he did own slaves… But, maybe the fact that he had sex and a long affair with a pretty female slave has turned off these right-wing Repubs…
March 13th, 2010 at 12:19 amWikipedia has an extensive entry for the Age of Enlightenment, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment, and low and behold no mention of Calvin.
March 13th, 2010 at 12:19 amWikipedia is not an academic source.
March 13th, 2010 at 12:32 amIf they truely removed Thomas Jefferson from the curriculum, and if they truely “replac[ed] him with religious right icon John Calvin.” they’ve lost their mind.
People like John Calvin and Thomas Hobbs are very important figures in history but this is America and Thomas Jefferson was both a “main” founding father and President of this country.
A part of me suspects something foul is afoot.
Could they actually be trying to throw Jefferson down the memory hole?
March 13th, 2010 at 12:37 amcd says:
Wikipedia is not an academic source.
What do conservative retards like you know about “academic sources” again? You morons use the “bible” to undermine actual history. Just FOAD you piece of sh!t moron.
March 13th, 2010 at 12:41 am“just the bleepn facts”
more like just ad hominims.
March 13th, 2010 at 1:00 amLemme say I am from Texas and very liberal so this is pretty embarrassing but dont worry guys not all texans are like this…. just a lot of them :( We will join the 21st century eventually. Many of us are atheist liberals so it’s cool
March 13th, 2010 at 1:10 amDumbassistan Uber Alles
March 13th, 2010 at 2:07 amSo much for the extreme right zealots spewing about a “liberal agenda”.
March 13th, 2010 at 2:49 amcd says:
“just the bleepn facts”
more like just ad hominims.
Yawn, more projections from the teabagger lunatic domestic terrorists… zzzz…
March 13th, 2010 at 3:09 amWhy don’t they save money by not having textbooks and just make the kids listen to Beck and Limbaugh all day? Everything they said sounds like the most invasive plan of indoctrination since hitler youth.
March 13th, 2010 at 3:25 amHonestly, it enrages me that there are so many comments considering all Texans as a whole to be dumb-asses, it is simply not the case. Run by idiots, yes. It is unfortunate that our politicians reflect the people of Texas as a whole. But I’m getting off topic.
Now, REALLY? Texas Board of Education, as a current high school junior in your state, whhhhhhhy? You cannot just make up history. Thomas Jefferson (in my opinion, the fiercest of all the founding fathers) our third president, author of “The Declaration of Independence”, and the one who doubled the size of our country, you cannot just pretend he didn’t exist. Just because he’s a deist who never lived up to your ~values~ doesn’t mean you can erase all traces of him from the curriculum. Stop being so goddamned ignorant. He was a great man~
FAIL.
March 13th, 2010 at 4:04 amThe Texas SBOE removed Thomas Jefferson from the World History curriculum, not the US History curriculum. Nobody is proposing Thomas Jefferson should not have a place in US History classrooms. This fact, however, does not justify the board’s decision.
March 13th, 2010 at 4:25 amWe are a constitutional republic, not a “democracy”, so they did get that right.
March 13th, 2010 at 5:53 amMaybe it is time for Texas to seceed from the Union …..
March 13th, 2010 at 5:54 amwould love to see the Republicans build an electoral base to win a GE for the next 100 years….
244: partially correct. We are a constitutional republic based on democratic principles (both direct and indirect democracy).
But the point is that the board struck the word because it would remind readers of the democratic party.
March 13th, 2010 at 5:56 amLuke
WRONG. We are a constitutional republic AND a democracy. Check the dictionary definition the two are NOT mutally exclusive. That is a rightwing talking point and a particularly stupid one at that
March 13th, 2010 at 6:20 amYou’re right to bring up definitions. The modern use of the word “democracy,” which (according to the OED) includes representation and recognition of equality, must be much different from what was debated in the Federalist Papers (10, 14, 48), where we see a distinct disdain for democracy. (I am in agreement with Gore Vidal about the source of this dislike of democracy, but that may be off topic.)
Madison defines a republic as “a government in which the scheme of representation takes place”, and holds it in contrast to (direct) democracy. In a history class, it’s important to understand terms as they were used by the figures being studied.
I’m in agreement with 246. Democratic ideals, and the TSB made the change to be petty and, probably, after reading insane, right-wing blogs about “republicanism”.
March 13th, 2010 at 7:08 amLuke
O…K… While I see what you are saying and it makes a reasonable point what you SAID WAS. We ARE a constitutional republic and NOT a democracy. This is false. Flat out false. It really is that simple. Your further argument doesnt change that one whit. This is a new rightwing talking point for the very reason you mentioned and I like to refute it when I see it. Your statement was not accurate
March 13th, 2010 at 7:17 amDon’t bother to “Mess with Texas” They’re already there!
March 13th, 2010 at 8:30 amYou people are not being fair. Just like every other state in the union, you cannot include the PEOPLE of Texas when you are gripping about politics. The “people” don’t want to take Thomas Jefferson out of the textbooks. He’s a founding father and should remain in our history. Why do you have to bash the whole state because of something crazy politicians are doing? Please be fair.
March 13th, 2010 at 9:57 amOssama and his cohorts are probably laughing themselves silly. At this rate, the US will be the dumbest nation on Earth within two generations, and a wholly owned subsidiary of China to boot.
March on Christian patriots!
March 13th, 2010 at 10:09 amThey cut Jefferson and the whole concept of “democratic.” Nice of Texas to cut off America’s educational nose to make sure those damn lefties get ignored good. America is an intellectual and moral wasteland right now. Next thing they’ll cut definitions of “honesty” and “integrity” because those are no longer consistent with right wing values. Every parent of a child should do something about this.
March 13th, 2010 at 10:15 amThe conservatives’ apparent dream of a theocracy is an odd duck: mixing John Calvin with St. Thomas Acquinas should result in a new hybrid Christian monarchy that would most likely resemble Doug Coe’s Christianity, you know, the one where Jesus loves the wealthy more than the poor…
But they should be wary. Calvin’s theocratic Geneva did produce the major intellectual behind the Enlightenment that they so despise and that Jefferson admired: Jean Jacques Rousseau.
March 13th, 2010 at 10:38 amMixing Calvin and Aquinas would indeed make an odd duck. St Thomas Aquinas once said ” Whatever a man has in superabundance is owed, of natural right, to the poor for their sustenance
March 13th, 2010 at 10:50 amThis is treason, nothing less.
March 13th, 2010 at 10:51 amJohn Calvin wrote the Declaration of Independence? Who knew???
March 13th, 2010 at 11:16 amSo at what point does the rest of this country wake up and take this fight to where it belongs?
THE PUBLISHERS!
I cannot believe that Illinois and California or Illinois and New York can’t get together and put a stop to this.
March 13th, 2010 at 11:22 amThank God the vast majority of teachers are liberal, i.e., grounded in facts and reality, and will simply be able to skip over the right-wing anti-American propaganda.
March 13th, 2010 at 11:32 am“Yawn, more projections from the teabagger lunatic domestic terrorists… zzzz…”
Because I don’t agree with you on everything I’m a “teabagger lunatic domestic terrorist”?
You think like Glen Beck or any number of other reichwingers.
March 13th, 2010 at 11:45 amWhy do the words “Texas School Book Depository” keep coming to mind?
March 13th, 2010 at 11:59 amSadley the man who fought so hard to seperate church and state is now being seperated from history
March 13th, 2010 at 11:59 amSadley the man who fought so hard to seperate church and state is now being seperated from history!
March 13th, 2010 at 12:02 pmAnd to those who think Wikipedia is an academic source try citing it in an academic paper.
March 13th, 2010 at 12:06 pmstop whining. This isn’t your personal twitter page.
wikipedia can lead to reliable sources. Not all entries are bogus.
The majority of bogus entries are by right wingers.
March 13th, 2010 at 12:09 pmLOL go for it Freddy try citing it in an academic paper.
March 13th, 2010 at 12:15 pmAre you stupid? I said it often links to reliable sources.
LOL LOL LOL LOL.
March 13th, 2010 at 12:26 pmWhich is not the same as citing wikipedia it’s self which in turn is what I was objecting to.
March 13th, 2010 at 12:32 pmTexas is a joke
March 13th, 2010 at 12:34 pmwe aren’t submitting an academic paper here.
You seem to be pointless.
March 13th, 2010 at 12:38 pmIt’s sad that you don’t see the inherent danger of believing X couldn’t possibly have had anything to do with Y becuase he’s not on a list found on wikipedia.
March 13th, 2010 at 12:48 pmCan I get an amen for secession?
March 13th, 2010 at 1:29 pmBoycott Texas. We haven’t bought anything made there or sold by identifiable companies from Texas for some time. Do something real. Don’t send them your money.
March 13th, 2010 at 1:46 pmAs a proud Naturalized Texan for the past 45 years (25 years before that as a Chicagoan), I can always count on reading a lot of Texas bashing online. I am a retired Corpus Christi science teacher (and BTW friend of the Bonilla-Berlanga family). I taught Big Bang and Darwin in my classes without problems. Of course most of Texas south of I-10 is Democratic, Hispanic, and Catholic.
The problem in Texas is the gerrymandering of the 15 state districts which have given us 10 conservative State School Board members and only 5 Democrats (BTW all either black or Hispanic). Texas is 80% urban with most of our larger cities having Democratic mayors and councils (including Houston’s new lesbian mayor). Dallas County has re-elected its lesbian Latina as Sheriff. Somehow we many Texas liberals need to become better organized and take back the state we lost due to Karl Rove’s lies about Gov. Ann Richards. Already Democratic Houston ex-Mayor Bill White is only 6 points behind Rick Perry and White is not well known yet outside of Houston.
A good sign is that Republicans in their recent Primary defeated 2 of the 7 on the State Board of Education who are ardent anti-evolutionist/pro creationist, leaving only 5 at best on the next board. However, a new board won’t take over until next January making the current very right-wing board in the driver’s seat to dictate our educational objectives for the next 10 years.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/moms/6910429.html
March 13th, 2010 at 2:00 pmOne
The United States of America, TX, et al. all are representative democracies. As such, the citizens of the USA, of TX, et al. all are responsible for electing thoughtful, intelligent, well-educated representatives. Too often we elect those who are the most charismatic campaigners and then we bemoan the choices they make in their elected positions.
This quote is from an article is taken from the U.S. Department of State publication, USA Democracy in Brief.
… today, as in the past, the most common form of democracy, whether for a town of 50,000 or a nation of 50 million, is representative democracy, in which citizens elect officials to make political decisions, formulate laws, and administer programs for the public good. — http://www.america.gov/st/democracyhr-english/2008/May/20080623194736eaifas0.658703.html
March 13th, 2010 at 2:27 pmIt’s all about oil in Texas, don’t forget that. The plan is to secede and create an extremist oil state, free to control the price of oil as it sees fit.
Just a wild guess though. :)
March 13th, 2010 at 3:32 pmFinally a reason to home school my children…
March 13th, 2010 at 3:35 pmI agree that some of the text book changes that are made, always reflect likable and unlikable changes and terms. Political correctness is a weakness as well as a tool. O-well, that is life.
What could be cut (Jefferson)- is not acceptable… the reason is questionable and should be corrected. The motivation of the Texas Board is debatable.
What is to be a replacement teaching i.e. about Calvin – is fiction… the error is questionable and the incorrect facts should be corrected.
Changing terms to be “socially correct” or “sexually correct” is a slippery changing slope.
The article, using the terms “far-right” and “religious right” and using “Texas” and “based on the specs of the biggest buyers” as negative terms are both intellectually ignorant, and bigoted use of terms as emotional negativism.
Using my own logic – I have to say that the author is not “far-left” or “religious left” or even some direction, but she making some agreeable conclusions for the wrong reasons and is an irritating, ignoramus, be-ach, to boot. She is using the wrong terms to define reasons or mistakes . It is one thing to bring up the apparent errors and differences, it is another, to define the reasons , and another to call names- incorrectly.
:)
March 13th, 2010 at 3:43 pmThe vast majority (75%) of Texans don’t want to secede. The remaining 25% “know nothings” will change their tune when the evil Federal government closes down installations like NASA, VA Hospitals, and 200,000 military personnel will be pulled from JOBS at Ft. Hood, Ft. Bliss, Ft. Sam Houston, Red River Depot, Lackland, Randolph, Brooks, Dyess, Laughlin, Carswell, Goodfellow, and Sheppard Field Air Force Bases; Naval Air Station-Corpus Christi and Kingsville; National Guard units, civilian support personnel. And don’t forget the sizable military-industrial complex with its $256 BILLION in military contracts (since 2000) employing people in 254 counties here.
http://www.governmentcontractswon.com/department/defense/texas_counties.asp
“Secession” was just Gov. Rick Perry pandering to the teabaggers, who are still a big minority in the state but Perry needed their every vote to go up against the more moderate Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson. Anyway, Texas cannot secede, but it can break up into as many as 5 more states in the deal made when the Republic entered the United States.
March 13th, 2010 at 4:32 pmThis are the actions of the REAL American Taliban, folks. @larrystexas – yes! We know there are lots of all kinds of people in Texas, but we bash it because the only ones we hear about are the wingnuts. Organize and let us hear your voice!! Go Texas liberals!!
March 13th, 2010 at 4:38 pmWhy wait for Texas to secede lets just kick them out.
March 13th, 2010 at 5:42 pmWe will be raising a generation of half-wits.
That’s being optimistic. I’m certain they’ll be nit-wits.
March 13th, 2010 at 6:03 pmThis blog piece was so outrageous I had to see for myself. Here, for all to see, are the actual texts of the proposed curriculum changes: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=3643.
March 13th, 2010 at 6:18 pmI am on my way to a Coffee Party near NASA in Tom DeLay’s old district that is 75% Republican. I am doing my bit. I converted several of my Republican family here to vote for Obama….one voter at a time! It is just very hard to fight the Fox News propaganda machine that is firing up all of these tea parties across the nation.
March 13th, 2010 at 6:28 pmWhen my Fiance’ and I had to move to Texas, I admit I was fairly worried for a wide variety of reasons – Partially worried about being shot/getting the crap beaten out of me, etc. for not being ‘normal’ (Not sure what ‘normal’ is -supposed- to be, since no person is exactly the same as the one standing next to them). Since moving here, I have met quite a few very nice people, but so many are above and beyond clueless. Reading this particular article very nearly made me ill.. I mean, are they -TRYING- to make each new generation even more clueless than the last?
This is the only state I’ve lived in, where I’ve heard (From my Fiance’ and his Sister, who grew up here) of kids, in school, getting scolded for READING in class, after their work was done at that, or “Reading books that were above their reading level”.. I mean, from where I stand, if I were a teacher I would be thrilled over that, because so few people even care to read anymore, especially books, even if their school-work calls for them to do so.
Books are good, learning is good, so I just can’t see how reading a book -after- you’ve finished all of your work could be considered a bad thing in any way, shape or form.
And now this? I know America (Texas especially, it seems, which sucks since I live here now) would like to re-write history to make it seem like we’ve never made any mistakes, but, if ALL our mistakes are removed, how are future generations supposed to learn from those mistakes?
There’s just no logic behind this, or at least that’s very much what it seems like. Bah, shameful..
March 13th, 2010 at 6:29 pmCripes, with all this going on it’s a good thing that teenagers approach what they are being taught with a healthy dose of cynicism.
March 13th, 2010 at 6:43 pmPlease, Texas, secede!
The loss of all that stupidity would increase our collective national IQ by at least 50 points!!!
And how about all of us start hounding all of our school districts: “NO TEXTBOOKS BASED ON THE TEXAS SCHOOLS CURRICULUM!”
March 13th, 2010 at 6:44 pmThe AFT or some other teachers’s body should consider sponsoring and endorsing an alternate/competing study to update the social studies curriculum.
Our version would should be crafted in a way to give it infinitely greater intellectual, academic legitimacy versus the political coup enacted in Texas. Create a panel of the most well regarded academics who convene to update the curriculum in a more meaningful way.
Give the plan visibility and train new hires in it. Force a showdown with the Texas standards.
March 13th, 2010 at 6:54 pmAfter reading this article, I’m so thankful my children are out of the public education system. Up to this point, both of my kids have had a first rate education. So good in fact that my son is now in a Navy ROTC university program and my daughter is but 2 years from her Teaching Credentials. Yes, I am a very proud Dad.
However, with the lowering of standards we are witnessing being brought about by those reich-wing loonies in Texas, I don’t think our public education system will be competitive with the system of other nations.
If those who are responsible for the dumbing down of our students had their way, our nation’s children would be learning nothing but what is written in the bible. This would put our kids in an intellectual ‘dead heat’ with the students in Afghanistan, Syria and all other Islamic nation that teaches the Koran instead of science.
In the year 2010, it is STUPID to be teaching our kids religious propaganda instead of REAL world/American history, REAL science, REAL mathematics and REAL American Civics.
But it looks as though the reich-wing wants our children to be knowledge poor and fairy tale rich.
Like I said…. STUPID!
March 13th, 2010 at 9:44 pmIt is time for New York and California to band together and buy text books in bulk according to their standards. Texas is just way too ignorant and backward to be in charge of educating children in other states.
March 13th, 2010 at 9:45 pmThere are those that keep screaming for Texas to secede, which makes me wonder if those individuals realize that there are, in fact, people that live IN Texas (And don’t have unlimited funds so that they could move somewhere else) that are not in any way religious, and are very much against what’s being done to the textbooks.
I also have to wonder if many people even realize that the U.S., as far as public education is concerned, hasn’t been anything to brag about in quite some time. I’m sure there are exceptions, as with everything, but I’m talking about public education on a whole, here.
Yes, it’s being made worse with all of this, but it’s the publishers that are allowing the religious zealots to take control and thus spreading the problem. Without the publishers bending backwards for their cash cows, this would be little more than a lame joke, rather than edging towards a nationwide stupidity crisis. They could very well refuse, but like many things in America, it’s driven by money above all else.
It’s sad in many ways, but unless people (And I do include Texans that think this is just as stupid as everyone else.) take a collective step forward to try and stop it, what room do we really have to talk, complain, or judge?
Somebody show me a viable way to oppose this, one that has an actual chance of making a difference, and I’ll hop on board in a heartbeat, and I doubt I’m the only one who would be willing to raise a fuss for a good cause, judging from many of the comments here.
March 13th, 2010 at 10:32 pmThe notion of filling history and social studies books with blatant lies that whites are the lone heroes and builders of America, is mind boggling to me. The State Board of Education is unevenly stacked with 10 Republicans and five Democrats. Right away any body with half a brain knows this shell game will favor Republicans on the board. I can see Rick Perry’s hands all over the lock-in decisions coming out of this game being played on America’s school children. History and social studies should reflect men and women of all races, creeds and colors, who have made valuable contributions to the development of this country. I remember discussing history in class as high schooler, and a brain sticking fact was never made clear to me: When Indians fought white calvary, and if Indians won, it was called a massacre. When slaves rose up to fight for their freedom, it was called an insurrection or a rebellion. When white calvary fought Indians, killing a large number of them, it was labeled a victory. Republican board members have the power to declare a victory, making sure these “white only” lies continue in text books.
March 14th, 2010 at 12:00 amIt seems students nation-wide will be taught that every one else in America–Blacks, Hispanics, Indians, Chinese–came along in the nick of time to partake in the benefits without contributing a drop of their blood, sweat and tears. They didn’t bake the bread, but were offered a few crumbs. As a former substitute teacher, I discovered in talking to students that they had an illusionary sketch about history and social studies. African American were barbaric slaves and cotton pickers. Hispanics picked whatever fruits and vegetables needed to be harvested. David Crockett and David Bowie were the only heroes at the Alamo.
People with a reasonable sense of history should be the individuals sitting in that board room, choosing truthful text that is relevant to students today in this ever changing society. I discovered that some students are rejecting history and other subjects that are being taught in the classrooms, especially African American who feel ashamed that slavery is a part of their history. Some are being taught at home by their parents and elders. Hispanic students feel more shame than pride in the loosely depicted contributions their elders have made to this country. The Texas Board of Education should have been given a test on history and social studies before they were appointed to sit on this board. But most of all, Democrats and Republicans should be evenly numbered.
Friends of Texas Secession on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=362434738579&ref=nf
March 14th, 2010 at 3:18 amBashing Texas seems to be all the rage at the moment, but down here, we’re bashing these right wing idiots as fast as they stick their heads up out of the sand.
What an embarassment for Texas. Luckily these are only recommendations, and we have 2 months to publicly debate their recommendations before the group reconvenes. Trust me, there WILL be lots of public discussion on this, our group of atheist liberals is fighting mad.
Rhetorical, but I’ll still ask it: Why do those with the christinsanity insist on reshaping the world in their image? The main difference between an atheist and a christian, aside from theology, is that an atheist would never force you to do anything, except challenge you to think. The christian cultists seem to want to force their way on EVERYONE and EVERYTHING.
Take tomatoes for example. I hate them, and my wife is deathly allergic. We choose not to eat tomatoes, but we could go out and buy a tomato if we wanted one. We don’t force others to not eat tomatoes simply because we choose not to. That is a logical, reasoning approach. But if we went around telling folks tomatoes are evil because we found a passage in a 2,000 year old book that can be interpreted as “no one should eat tomatoes”, and we force the removal of all tomatoes from all stores because they are against our book… we’d be being dicks to the tomato-loving populace, who have equal rights under the law to their tomatoes.
Now, replace “tomatoes” with “homosexuality” or “abortion” or “marijuana” or “equal rights”, and you see very clearly why I detest the behavior of the christian right.
Make no mistake… this was a christian fascist move by the Texas State Board of Education. This is a huge step backwards for our country and our children. The United States of America will NOT be a theocracy, not on my watch.
March 14th, 2010 at 8:13 am@prettybabe: You are dead on right. This thing smells like a Rick Perry setup job; stack the deck and you win, every time. He’s a shark… that is the way he thinks.
Texas isn’t a dumb state. It is the “hicks in the sticks”, those small town under-educated christians, causing the problem. Well, that and the wealthy white politician who panders to them.
March 14th, 2010 at 8:19 amBreakerInc says:
March 14th, 2010 at 10:18 am…Somebody show me a viable way to oppose this, one that has an actual chance of making a difference, and I’ll hop on board in a heartbeat, and I doubt I’m the only one who would be willing to raise a fuss for a good cause, judging from many of the comments here.
===================================================-
I am a Texan who moved away for twenty years and just returned. I swear the local news makes me think I moved to dumfukistan. Out only leverage is at the ballot box. That is the form of government we have to deal with. Texans allowed thugs like Tom DeLay hoodwink the voting districts and they have infiltrated the local government and congress with right wing lunatics. We need a good census to help straighten out the district representation and we need to go to the polls and vote the wingnuts out. That is it.
I am a huge fan of Jefferson and have read everything I can find on the constitution. TX board was only wrong on 1 count here, not 3. The constitution and the founders both in there own words set this country as a constitutional republic, republic meaning rule by law. Democracy is not found once in the constitution. While Jefferson made it clear in his letters that the intention of the first amendment was to protect separation of church and state, the amendment itself does not actually specify that. Not even with legal definitions. Thomas Jefferson was a major opponent of the constitution in favor of simply amending the articles of confederation, so I can at least see how he would be seen as not contributing to that in the same way. If you want Jefferson’s take picking up a copy of the Anti-Federalist Papers would be more appropriate.
March 14th, 2010 at 3:59 pmOkay this is too much. What ever happened to the separation between church and state? I have been a Christian all my life but these right wing-nuts are co-opting everything in sight to further an insane agenda based on texts that are thousands of years old and have been through so many translations that often if you read several different versions of the Bible they will say completely different things.
This is absolutely disgusting…and if they get away with this, the next generation of school children who are subjected to these so-called “textbooks” are going to come out of school so stupid and uninformed that no college or university will take them.
March 14th, 2010 at 4:37 pmWe had a good turnout on short notice for our Clear Lake organizational meeting of the Coffee Party held at the Oasis Coffee & Deli near the Johnson Space Center, NASA. We had several life-long Republicans, Libertarians, and Independents each giving a short speech as why they were there. We had several from oil/gas and aerospace like Boeing. Everyone was in agreement about being upset with the uncivility in American politics especially coming from the RNC down to the Tea Party and media like Fox and Limbaugh.
One objective we did discuss was having a presence at the Texas State Board of Education’s PUBLIC HEARING in May on adopting these new textbook objectives, so a movement is afoot. We need to do a better job of educating the voting public about whom they are voting for other than a catchy name (most often Anglo), too. Often many Americans enter the voting booth not knowing much at all about the persons down ballot they are helping to elect.
Here are pictures from some of the Texas Coffee Party meetings and although the Houston Mid-Town and Spring, TX meetings didn’t submit pictures yet, our Clear Lake Party has. I am pictured at the top left holding a cup of coffee as my break-out group was about education.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/coffeepartyusa/sets/72157623613616010/
We just had a few minutes to make a home-made sign as most of our 3 hour meeting was for allowing the 40 people there a chance to give a short speech as to why they were there and getting volunteers for needed tasks. Here is a picture of a life-long Republican, native Texan engineer for an oil company giving his introduction (BTW, I am on his left nearly cut out of the picture):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/coffeepartyusa/4431411132/in/set-72157623613616010/
Everyone there was between 50 and 80 and sadly no young people were present who probably had “better” things to do on a Saturday evening other than saving their nation.
March 14th, 2010 at 5:21 pmTen religious right-wingers controlling the Texas State Board of Education may not be as effective in rewriting history as are the Republicans on a national scale. The Cheneys, Karl Rove, Rudy Giuliani, Bill Kristol, and soon George W. Bush in his ghost-written memoirs are doing a bang up job with the help of the Fox “News” propaganda machine and Clear Channel’s talk radio. Frank Rich writes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/opinion/14rich.html
March 14th, 2010 at 8:53 pmHouston blogger “Mugsy” writes about historical revisionism running rampant in the neocon world:
http://mugsysrapsheet.com/2010/03/15/time-traveling-with-karl-rove-and-the-bush-rehabilitation-crew/#respond
March 14th, 2010 at 11:58 pmAmerican Taliban
March 15th, 2010 at 6:06 pmViva San Patricio!!
March 15th, 2010 at 10:20 pmThis is what will dropkick publishers and educators even faster than they are now going into the world of electronic textbooks. Texas can wallow in its peculiar vision of history but the rest of us will be able to choose from more sensible (and cost effective) editions when publishers reject this whole tradition of providing eight-pound volumes that are out of date before they are even delivered and go to digitals. THINK of the benefits….
March 16th, 2010 at 11:01 am….so from my point of view all this is going to do is make it impossible for anyone who recieves basic education in Texas will not be able to get a job i nany otehr part of the country/internationally.
Unless they move to Iran or something…
Um.. bye, ya’ll. Have fun over there in the other desert theology.
March 16th, 2010 at 1:03 pmNever underestimate the power of ignorant people in large numbers.
March 18th, 2010 at 7:47 pmxactly. You can’t hold a çiçek populace accountable for a government that wasn’t elected by a manalı sözler pluraity of the people. Netanyahu’s government is as illegitimate as Bush’s was in 2000 onward.
March 19th, 2010 at 12:18 pmLike most conflicts the Israeli-Palistinian land rights is driven by extremists on both sides while the majority want to be left the hell alone by çiçek siparişi them. *shrug* Israels electoral system gurentees a coalition, I have no doubt that the next oen will be more open çiçekçi to negotiation.
March 19th, 2010 at 12:38 pmTexas BoE’s “Mission Impossible:” Dumber Texans! ??
March 19th, 2010 at 1:56 pm