http://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/movies...
It’s an old trick, make a bad decision then scream and yell until you have convinced everyone that you were right. (Our editors think they invented this one).
The Texas State Board of Education is in the middle of some similar tantrums right now.
Every ten years the board decides to re-evaluate its school curriculum. This decade they are introducing some controversial themes that are raising eyebrows around the country.
A group Called the Texas Freedom Network argues that , among other things conservatives on the Board are trying to turn Senator Joe McCarthy (1947-1957) into an American hero. (You might remember learning about Joe and his anti-communist “McCarthy-ism” in school… ).
The Conservatives point man on the board is Don McLeroy. He has a unique and thoroughly interesting take on history:
“The way I evaluate history textbooks is first I see how they cover Christianity and Israel. Then I see how they treat Ronald Reagan—he needs to get credit for saving the world from communism”
McLeroy also claims he is standing up for scientific integrity by creating a curriculum which supports creationism and debunks global warming.
We at USDemocrazy are not too worried about any of this. In high school we used textbooks primarily as stellar doodle pads.
But this Texas school scrum has big implications for those who actually read school textbooks around the country.
Textbook companies write their books to closely follow the curriculum of California and Texas, their two largest buyers.
Due to budget problems California is opting out of new textbooks, leaving Texas as the mold. The Texanized books will be sold in smaller states around the country.
Many are worried that Texan bible belt beliefs are going to become the de facto curriculum for much of the nation.
Then again there are those who think liberal thinking is poisoning our precious schools… go figure.
