More Texas textbook shenanigans

[LadyShea]

Originally discussed here: No, it's just Obama's indoctrination that we don't like - Freethought Forum

The fringe are in charge over there, people. Keep an eye on this!

Revisionaries - Mariah Blake

With childlike glee, McLeroy flipped through the pages and explained what he saw as the gaping holes in Darwin’s theory. “I don’t care what the educational political lobby and their allies on the left say,” he declared at one point. “Evolution is hooey.” This bled into a rant about American history. “The secular humanists may argue that we are a secular nation,” McLeroy said, jabbing his finger in the air for emphasis. “But we are a Christian nation founded on Christian principles. 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 and for the good economy over the last twenty years because he lowered taxes.”

Views like these are relatively common in East Texas, a region that prides itself on being the buckle of the Bible Belt. But McLeroy is no ordinary citizen. The jovial creationist sits on the Texas State Board of Education

Choice quotes from other Texans

[256 colors]

If anyone wants to speak out against creationism in Texas public schools at the hearing in Austin on January 13, click here.

You can visit the Texas Freedom Network for more. I recommend signing up for TFN Daily Clips, no matter where you live.

[Watser?]

Afghanistan is such a shining example for the world.

[viscousmemories]

I think I'd be more interested in joining this battle if I had (or planned to have) kids.

[256 colors]

Originally Posted by viscousmemories

I think I'd be more interested in joining this battle if I had (or planned to have) kids.

How about if you plan to live in a society filled with adults who were taught religious dogma instead of real science when they were kids?

[viscousmemories]

Nope, still not feeling impassioned.

[256 colors]

Originally Posted by viscousmemories

Nope, still not feeling impassioned.

You feel that it is acceptable for your tax dollars to be used to teach religious dogma, instead of science, in public school science classes?

You feel that the State of Texas Education Department should substitute religious dogma for science in public school science classes?

If you do not feel this way then why won't you tell anyone (such as your elected officials or the Dept. of Education) how you really feel?

[lisarea]

But vm, this is the next generation of unskilled labor. These people will be mowing your lawn and bringing you soup and wiping your ass when you're an old man.

You want these people to be familiar with germ theory at least.

[256 colors]

Originally Posted by lisarea

But vm, this is the next generation of unskilled labor. These people will be mowing your lawn and bringing you soup and wiping your ass when you're an old man.

You want these people to be familiar with germ theory at least.

I'm afraid they are more likely to be teachers and politicians than unskilled laborers.

[viscousmemories]

Because I don't have the time, energy or inclination to research and respond to every issue I hear about, I focus my attenion on issues that are more directly relevant to me. I spent the last 41 years in a heavily religious culture, and in my experience (with the exception of items like this one) it's getting better, not worse. If I were an educator or a parent I would be more concerned about what's going on in schools. Since I'm not, I'm not.

[Sock Puppet]

This one is pretty relevant to me. I'll look into what I can do, although I am extremely cynical about what the extent of that is.

[D. Scarlatti]

And don't a lot of other States get their textbooks from Texas publishers?

[256 colors]

Originally Posted by viscousmemories

Because I don't have the time, energy or inclination to research and respond to every issue I hear about, I focus my attenion on issues that are more directly relevant to me. I spent the last 41 years in a heavily religious culture, and in my experience (with the exception of items like this one) it's getting better, not worse. If I were an educator or a parent I would be more concerned about what's going on in schools. Since I'm not, I'm not.

Can you donate a few dollars to the groups that are fighting to protect the separation of church and state? It shouldn't take very long.

How about Americans United for Separation of Church and State or the aforementioned Texas Freedom Network?

This issue is directly relevant to you. Your tax dollars are used to fund public school education. Your constitutional rights will be violated if your state allows religious dogma to be taught instead of actual science.

I am sure that at some point in your life, you will need to see a doctor or nurse. Don't you want your future medical professionals to have adequate scientific teaching in grade/high school? Don't you think it benefits the society that you live in to ensure proper educational standards for public schools?

[256 colors]

Originally Posted by D. Scarlatti

And don't a lot of other States get their textbooks from Texas publishers?

I heard a fabulous speech by TFN's President Kathy Miller, titled "How Texas' Church-State Problems are the Nation's Church-State Problems."

It was a very motivational speech. Also, Kathy Miller is awesome.

[Adam]

I don't think it's that the rest of the country gets their textbooks from Texas publishers so much as it is that Texas is such a large market (IIRC, it represents 10%, or something ridiculous liek that, of all US textbook sales) that every textbook publisher in the nation has to cater to the nuts on the Texas school boards or lose 10% of their sales.

[LadyShea]

Originally Posted by D. Scarlatti

And don't a lot of other States get their textbooks from Texas publishers?

They have a lot of influence:

Originally Posted by Revisionaries article

And when it comes to textbooks, what happens in Texas rarely stays in Texas. The reasons for this are economic: Texas is the nation’s second-largest textbook market and one of the few biggies where the state picks what books schools can buy rather than leaving it up to the whims of local districts, which means publishers that get their books approved can count on millions of dollars in sales. As a result, the Lone Star State has outsized influence over the reading material used in classrooms nationwide

And, kinda more scary

Originally Posted by Revisionaries article

Until recently, Texas’s influence was balanced to some degree by the more-liberal pull of California, the nation’s largest textbook market. But its economy is in such shambles that California has put off buying new books until at least 2014. This means that McLeroy and his ultraconservative crew have unparalleled power to shape the textbooks that children around the country read for years to come.

[D. Scarlatti]

Thurgood Marshall was only the guy who won the most important Supreme Court case of the century and who became a Justice himself, so why should he be in a U.S. history book. That David Barton twot is the proverbial bad penny, isn't he.

[viscousmemories]

Originally Posted by 256 Colors

Can you donate a few dollars to the groups that are fighting to protect the separation of church and state? It shouldn't take very long.

Why would you assume that I don't?

[256 colors]

Originally Posted by viscousmemories

Why would you assume that I don't?

Perhaps I misunderstood you when you said "Nope, still not feeling impassioned." That was not a "I support these groups financially but can't get involved in any other way." That was a "Nope." I took "Nope" to mean "Nope."

I am sorry that I do not know what "Nope" means when you say it.

Maybe one day I'll understand you better.

[viscousmemories]

I'm not really that complicated. I said that this issue isn't compelling to me and you extrapolated that I never offer any kind of support to any organization that fights to protect the separation of church and state and proceeded to admonish me for it. Maybe you should stop worrying about understanding me and start thinking about why you are so convinced that your interests and concerns are the only correct ones.

[256 colors]

Originally Posted by viscousmemories

I'm not really that complicated. I said that this issue isn't compelling to me and you extrapolated that I never offer any kind of support to any organization that fights to protect the separation of church and state and proceeded to admonish me for it. Maybe you should stop worrying about understanding me and start thinking about why you are so convinced that your interests and concerns are the only correct ones.

Because it's the First Amendment.

[viscousmemories]

Ohhhh, okay.

[Ensign Steve]

Why do you hate America, vm?

[wei yau]

Because America hates him.

This is true. I remember seeing a USA Today pie chart about it.

[256 colors]

Originally Posted by wei yau

Because America hates him.

This is true. I remember seeing a USA Today pie chart about it.

Maybe because he lives in Texas?