It Could Be Worse, You Could Live In Texas

The Texas Board of "Education" passed their changes to the history curriculum the past Friday. I think we are all firmiliar with the changes that are taking place, such as glossing over Thomas Jefferson and Ted Kennedy, putting a larger emphasis on Ronald Reagan and the Moral Majority™. They are also going to paint Joe McCarthy in a more positive light and to teach more about the Christian history of our nation.

I have no problem with teaching about Reagan, the Moral Majority™, and the Christian people that have influenced our country so much. However, what the BOE has done is to make it look as if they are just broadening the scope of what history they are going to teach when what they are really doing is putting their conservative spin on the past.

History does not have a bias. Joe McCarthy was possibly suffering from dementia, which lead him to do some crazy things and ruin the lives of a lot of people. That is not a liberal position, that is a fact. Ronald Reagan was the president for eight years, and should receive the attention he deserves. However, making him out to be the cowboy that saved the world from communism fails to also take into account the failed policies of cutting taxes (which he later raised) and "trickle-down economics", which tended to stop trickling once it hit the pockets of the richest people in the nation.

As for the Christian foundations of our nation, I would only say show me where the Ten Commandments, god, or Jesus are mentioned in the Constitution. And please, don't pull the Sarah Palin/Glenn Beck bullshit of conflating the Declaration of Independence with the Constitution. The Declaration of Independence told King George to go fuck himself. The Constitution is what we actually base our laws on.

Again, I have no problem with being all inclusive when it comes to history. However, when you spin what happened, either liberally or conservatively, then you are not teaching the story of what really happened. I already have to teach my daughter things like the pilgrims were not these happy people with buckled-hats who were friendly with the natives and that there was a lot of blood and hatred that went into building our country. She also goes to a private school (non-religious), so imagine what happens in the public system where there is less choice in what is taught.

There needs to be an educational boycott of Texas. No other state should accept any curriculum that was developed in Texas. You Texans should be ashamed of the BOE, and you should protest until the board is forced to revise their standards. If you allow the BOE to continue on like they are, then you will become an even bigger laughing stock of-a-state than you already are.