Author Topic: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books  (Read 1468 times)

kcballer

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Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« on: March 15, 2010, 01:26:37 PM »
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.

"We have been about conservatism versus liberalism," said Democrat Mavis Knight of Dallas, explaining her vote against the standards. "We have manipulated strands to insert what we want it to be in the document, regardless as to whether or not it's appropriate."

Following three days of impassioned and acrimonious debate, the board gave preliminary approval to the new standards with a 10-5 party line vote. A final vote is expected in May, after a public comment period that could produce additional amendments and arguments.

Decisions by the board – made up of lawyers, a dentist and a weekly newspaper publisher among others – can affect textbook content nationwide because Texas is one of publishers' biggest clients.

Ultraconservatives wielded their power over hundreds of subjects this week, introducing and rejecting amendments on everything from the civil rights movement to global politics. Hostilities flared and prompted a walkout Thursday by one of the board's most prominent Democrats, Mary Helen Berlanga of Corpus Christi, who accused her colleagues of "whitewashing" curriculum standards.

By late Thursday night, three other Democrats seemed to sense their futility and left, leaving Republicans to easily push through amendments heralding "American exceptionalism" and the U.S. free enterprise system, suggesting it thrives best absent excessive government intervention.

"Some board members themselves acknowledged this morning that the process for revising curriculum standards in Texas is seriously broken, with politics and personal agendas dominating just about every decision," said Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network, which advocates for religious freedom.

Republican Terri Leo, a member of the powerful Christian conservative voting bloc, called the standards "world class" and "exceptional."

Board members argued about the classification of historic periods (still B.C. and A.D., rather than B.C.E. and C.E.); whether students should be required to explain the origins of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its impact on global politics (they will); and whether former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir should be required learning (she will).

In addition to learning the Bill of Rights, the board specified a reference to the Second Amendment right to bear arms in a section about citizenship in a U.S. government class.

Conservatives beat back multiple attempts to include hip-hop as an example of a significant cultural movement.

Numerous attempts to add the names or references to important Hispanics throughout history also were denied, inducing one amendment that would specify that Tejanos died at the Alamo alongside Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie. Another amendment deleted a requirement that sociology students "explain how institutional racism is evident in American society."

Democrats did score a victory by deleting a portion of an amendment by Republican Don McLeroy suggesting that the civil rights movement led to "unrealistic expectations for equal outcomes."

Fort Worth Republican Pat Hardy, a longtime teacher, voted for the new standards, but said she wished the board could work with a more cooperative spirit.

"What we've done is we've taken a document that by nature is too long to begin with and then we've lengthened it some more," Hardy said, shortly after the vote. "Those long lists of names that we've put in there ... it's just too long.

"I just think we failed to keep that in mind, it's hard for teachers to get through it all."


The Board removed Thomas Jefferson from the Texas curriculum's world history standards on Enlightenment thinking, “replacing him with religious right icon John Calvin.”

"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." “I reject the notion by the left of a constitutional separation of church and state,” said David Bradley

The Board refused to require that “students learn that the Constitution prevents the U.S. government from promoting one religion over all others.”

"They also included a plank to ensure that students learn about 'the conservative resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s, including Phyllis Schlafly, the Contract With America, the Heritage Foundation, the Moral Majority and the National Rifle Association.'" The Dallas Morning News noted that "high school students will learn about leading conservative groups from the 1980s and 1990s – but not about liberal or minority rights groups."

"Board member Barbara Cargill, R-The Woodlands, objected to a standard for a high school sociology course that addressed the difference between sex and gender. It was eliminated in a 9-to-6 vote. She worried that a discussion of that issue would lead students into the world of 'transvestites, transsexuals and who knows what else.'"

"Board members also rejected requiring history teachers and textbooks to provide coverage on the late U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy and new Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, while the late President Ronald Reagan was elevated to more prominent coverage."

With all five minority members dissenting, the conservative-dominated panel voted 10-5 to endorse the proposed standards after rejecting an effort to specifically mention that Tejanos were among the fallen heroes of the Alamo. "I am very distressed," said Mary Helen Berlanga, D-Corpus Christi, who sponsored the unsuccessful amendment. "Until we are ready to tell the truth about history, we don't have a good history or social studies textbook."



This is pretty sad really.  Sad that the children of Texas are going to grow up with a substandard education based on christian ideology and right wing beliefs.  It's not wonder Texas is always laughed at as a state of low intelligence.  I guess this adds fuel to that fire.
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Re: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2010, 01:54:58 PM »
With the exception of not including discussions about church-state separation, I don't see a problem with this.  It's really just teaching history. 

MM2K

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Re: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2010, 01:57:08 PM »
There is no seperation of church  and state in the Constitution. Though it does not allow an establishment of religion by the federal government. I do hope that is taught, and I do hope it is related to the pilgrims' problems back in England where the offical church of that country was The Church of England, and members who were a member of that church got tax advantages that non members did not. That is what the First Amemdment tries to prevent. It does not prevent the Ten Commandments from being shown in a court house.
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Re: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« Reply #3 on: March 15, 2010, 02:00:25 PM »
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.

________________________ ________________________ _

Sounds like a radical agenda to me? 

WTC is wrong with you KC?  Those things are fact and should be taught.  Would you prefer they learn about LGBT studies and how to put condoms on bannanas?

kcballer

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Re: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« Reply #4 on: March 15, 2010, 02:04:43 PM »
With the exception of not including discussions about church-state separation, I don't see a problem with this.  It's really just teaching history. 

with an obvious slant and leaving details out. 
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Re: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« Reply #5 on: March 15, 2010, 02:07:45 PM »
with an obvious slant and leaving details out. 

Like what? 

Have we gotten to the point where stating a fact is now spin such that we live in a constitutional reupblic and no longer peg our dollar to gold? 

kcballer

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Re: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« Reply #6 on: March 15, 2010, 02:45:52 PM »
Like what? 

Have we gotten to the point where stating a fact is now spin such that we live in a constitutional reupblic and no longer peg our dollar to gold? 

It's obvious you could care less.  There are somethings in there i agree with adding in like the teaching that it is a constitutional republic, however, if you read all the issues that past you would see a clear leaning away from a free learning environment.  But hey you hate people that learn don't you? Aren't they elitists?  With their education and all.  Gosh who do they think they are?  Lets just teach the kids that America is number 1 everyone else sucks, our allies are always in the right, muslims are terrorists, no hispanic has ever done anything good, and if you told about transexuals you will become one.  ::)
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Re: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« Reply #7 on: March 15, 2010, 02:53:56 PM »
It's obvious you could care less.  There are somethings in there i agree with adding in like the teaching that it is a constitutional republic, however, if you read all the issues that past you would see a clear leaning away from a free learning environment.  But hey you hate people that learn don't you? Aren't they elitists?  With their education and all.  Gosh who do they think they are?  Lets just teach the kids that America is number 1 everyone else sucks, our allies are always in the right, muslims are terrorists, no hispanic has ever done anything good, and if you told about transexuals you will become one.  ::)

Elementary does not need a free thinking enviroment.  They need to be taught history, reading, writing, math, etc.  They dont need to be told how to put condoms on cucmbers, that Columbus was a terrorist, etc.   

kcballer

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Re: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« Reply #8 on: March 15, 2010, 03:00:55 PM »
Elementary does not need a free thinking enviroment.  They need to be taught history, reading, writing, math, etc.  They dont need to be told how to put condoms on cucmbers, that Columbus was a terrorist, etc.   

who says they were/are taught those things?  I don't believe they should be taught anything crazy or outside the box, just the full truth without a slant.  As for condoms on cucumbers i think sex ed should be taught to elementary children.  without knowledge and facts poor decisions are made. 
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MM2K

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Re: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« Reply #9 on: March 15, 2010, 04:29:57 PM »
In my oppion, Sex Education of ANY kind should not be taught in school , whether you are talking about abstinence or condoms.
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Re: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« Reply #10 on: March 15, 2010, 04:57:28 PM »
In my oppion, Sex Education of ANY kind should not be taught in school , whether you are talking about abstinence or condoms.

I kinda sorta agree.  It's the parents' job. 

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Texas Yanks Thomas Jefferson From Teaching Standard
« Reply #11 on: March 15, 2010, 08:39:17 PM »
This should be frightening as revealing to all americans.  When someone or a district or government can DROP part of history in this fashion that should tell you something about what it thinks about the TRUTH of things. If someone on the level of Thomas Jefferson can be eliminated from the history books on a whim...then what about things such as 911, Kennedy, Martin Luther King, teh Depression, Native Peoples History etc etc etc. Essentially any and everything is free game to be dropped, changed, altered and surely thngs added to history that NEVER HAPPENED.

Texas Yanks Thomas Jefferson From Teaching Standard
Updated: 2 days 11 hours ago


David Knowles Writer
AOL News

(March 12) -- Widely regarded as one of the most important of all the founding fathers of the United States, Thomas Jefferson received a demotion of sorts Friday thanks to the Texas Board of Education.

The board voted to enact new teaching standards for history and social studies that will alter which material gets included in school textbooks. It decided to drop Jefferson from a world history section devoted to great political thinkers.

According to Texas Freedom Network, a group that opposes many of the changes put in place by the Board of Education, the original curriculum asked students to "explain the impact of Enlightenment ideas from John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Voltaire, Charles de Montesquieu, Jean Jacques Rousseau and Thomas Jefferson on political revolutions from 1750 to the present."
AP
The Texas Board of Education is dropping President Thomas Jefferson from a world history section devoted to great political thinkers.

That emphasis did not sit well with board member Cynthia Dunbar, who, during Friday's meeting, explained the rationale for changing it. "The Enlightenment was not the only philosophy on which these revolutions were based," Dunbar said.

The new standard, passed at the meeting in a 10-5 vote, now reads, "Explain the impact of the writings of John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Voltaire, Charles de Montesquieu, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin and Sir William Blackstone."

By dropping mention of revolution, and substituting figures such as Aquinas and Calvin for Jefferson, Texas Freedom Network argues, the board had chosen to embrace religious teachings over those of Jefferson, the man who coined the phrase "separation between church and state."

According to USA Today, the board also voted to strike the word "democratic" from references to the U.S. form of government, replacing it with the term "constitutional republic." Texas textbooks will contain references to "laws of nature and nature's God" in passages that discuss major political ideas.

The board decided to use the words "free enterprise" when describing the U.S. economic system rather than words such as "capitalism," "capitalist" and "free market," which it deemed to have a negative connotation.

Serving 4.7 million students, Texas accounts for a large percentage of the textbook market, and the new standards may influence what is taught in the rest of the country.
Filed under: Nation, Politics, Money
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Purge_WTF

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Re: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« Reply #12 on: March 15, 2010, 11:57:01 PM »
  They had me up until they took Jefferson out of the picture. That's inexcusable.

MM2K

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Re: Texas Yanks Thomas Jefferson From Teaching Standard
« Reply #13 on: March 16, 2010, 12:16:18 AM »
This should be frightening as revealing to all americans.  When someone or a district or government can DROP part of history in this fashion that should tell you something about what it thinks about the TRUTH of things. If someone on the level of Thomas Jefferson can be eliminated from the history books on a whim...then what about things such as 911, Kennedy, Martin Luther King, teh Depression, Native Peoples History etc etc etc. Essentially any and everything is free game to be dropped, changed, altered and surely thngs added to history that NEVER HAPPENED.

Texas Yanks Thomas Jefferson From Teaching Standard
Updated: 2 days 11 hours ago


David Knowles Writer
AOL News

(March 12) -- Widely regarded as one of the most important of all the founding fathers of the United States, Thomas Jefferson received a demotion of sorts Friday thanks to the Texas Board of Education.

The board voted to enact new teaching standards for history and social studies that will alter which material gets included in school textbooks. It decided to drop Jefferson from a world history section devoted to great political thinkers.

According to Texas Freedom Network, a group that opposes many of the changes put in place by the Board of Education, the original curriculum asked students to "explain the impact of Enlightenment ideas from John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Voltaire, Charles de Montesquieu, Jean Jacques Rousseau and Thomas Jefferson on political revolutions from 1750 to the present."
AP
The Texas Board of Education is dropping President Thomas Jefferson from a world history section devoted to great political thinkers.

That emphasis did not sit well with board member Cynthia Dunbar, who, during Friday's meeting, explained the rationale for changing it. "The Enlightenment was not the only philosophy on which these revolutions were based," Dunbar said.

The new standard, passed at the meeting in a 10-5 vote, now reads, "Explain the impact of the writings of John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Voltaire, Charles de Montesquieu, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin and Sir William Blackstone."

By dropping mention of revolution, and substituting figures such as Aquinas and Calvin for Jefferson, Texas Freedom Network argues, the board had chosen to embrace religious teachings over those of Jefferson, the man who coined the phrase "separation between church and state."

According to USA Today, the board also voted to strike the word "democratic" from references to the U.S. form of government, replacing it with the term "constitutional republic." Texas textbooks will contain references to "laws of nature and nature's God" in passages that discuss major political ideas.

The board decided to use the words "free enterprise" when describing the U.S. economic system rather than words such as "capitalism," "capitalist" and "free market," which it deemed to have a negative connotation.

Serving 4.7 million students, Texas accounts for a large percentage of the textbook market, and the new standards may influence what is taught in the rest of the country.
Filed under: Nation, Politics, Money


Ok. Correct me if Im wrong, but isnt this the world history political philosopher corse they are taking him out of? Because you guys are acting like they are taking him out of the American Hisotry course and are not even mentioning him as the author of the Declaration of Idnependence. COme on guys. As much as I respect Jefferson as a political thinker, I dont think it is so much of a stretch to say that Thomas Aqunias is a little better.
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James

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Re: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« Reply #14 on: March 16, 2010, 06:35:18 AM »
Quote
They had me up until they took Jefferson out of the picture. That's inexcusable.


This article falls in the category of "Lying by omission"


Jefferson was dropped from world history , hes very prominent in American history
texts in Texas.


Texas felt that "World History" should concentrate on figures outside the United States.


Basically they didn't want the world history course to simply re-hash what the kids should have already been taught in American History.

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Re: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« Reply #15 on: March 16, 2010, 06:38:42 AM »
This article falls in the category of "Lying by omission"


Jefferson was dropped from world history , hes very prominent in American history
texts in Texas.


Texas felt that "World History" should concentrate on figures outside the United States.


Basically they didn't want the world history course to simply re-hash what the kids should have already been taught in American History.

Its just another liberal attempt at hackery gone wrong. 

They would rather teach about condoms on bannanas than american history. 

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Re: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« Reply #16 on: March 16, 2010, 07:30:36 AM »
Interesting that none of the liberal loonies mentioned that one of the reasons this uproar came about was because many of the history textbooks used today have a left leaning point of view.  In some of the textbooks, Gorbachev is given ALL the credit for ending communism in Russia. Not a word is mentioned about Reagan. There was another issue where incorrect dates were being used all over the place.

I don't see anything wrong with what has been done in Texas. Everything they have done SO FAR is correct. They want the truth to be taught and they want to end the liberal spin in their education system. What's wrong with that?

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Re: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« Reply #17 on: March 16, 2010, 07:43:33 AM »
What about eliminating Independance Day?  Isn't that a sucker punch in the mouth to all Americans?

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Re: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« Reply #18 on: March 16, 2010, 07:47:19 AM »
What about eliminating Independance Day?  Isn't that a sucker punch in the mouth to all Americans?

A conservatives' favotrite day is July 4th,

A Liberals' favortie day is april 15th

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Re: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« Reply #19 on: March 16, 2010, 08:27:00 AM »
I agree with more of it than not but disagree about removing Jefferson.  I see nothing wrong with including the mexican that died alongside Crockett either, if he played a significant role. 

I think it's important for all to recognize that strong liberal forces (as liberal educators far outnumber conservatives or constitutionalists) in education want to change certain perceptions of American, criticize our economic and political history and highlight different aspects of history, you certainly see this in higher education but most of it is not appropriate in elementary & jr high.

We should be focusing on American exceptionalism and the relatively good history of quasi-free markets in our society.  I think we should acknowledge the judeo-christian roots of the country but be careful not to dwell on it or overdo it (as some on the religious right want).  I am not with the religious right on this but I am for limiting the liberal influence on education of our nation's history to reflect their interpretations.  Our kids get disproportional liberal influence already...we saw this during the 2008 election.

James

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Re: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« Reply #20 on: March 16, 2010, 08:30:45 AM »
Quote
I agree with more of it than not but disagree about removing Jefferson.  I see nothing wrong with including the mexican that died alongside Crockett either, if he played a significant role.

I think it's important for all to recognize that strong liberal forces (as liberal educators far outnumber conservatives or constitutionalists) in education want to change certain perceptions of American, criticize our economic and political history and highlight different aspects of history, you certainly see this in higher education but most of it is not appropriate in elementary & jr high.

We should be focusing on American exceptionalism and the relatively good history of quasi-free markets in our society.  I think we should acknowledge the judeo-christian roots of the country but be careful not to dwell on it or overdo it (as some on the religious right want).  I am not with the religious right on this but I am for limiting the liberal influence on education of our nation's history to reflect their interpretations.  Our kids get disproportional liberal influence already...we saw this during the 2008 election.

Once again:

Jefferson was only dropped from world history ,hes still very prominent in American history
texts in Texas.



Texas felt that "World History" should concentrate on figures outside the United States.


Basically they didn't want the world history course to simply re-hash what the kids should have already been taught in American History.

shootfighter1

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Re: Texas Right Wing Christians rewrite history books
« Reply #21 on: March 16, 2010, 11:44:05 AM »
Makes sense, certainly not what the other article suggests.