Don't Mess With Texas? F That, It's Time to Mess With Texas.

While this article doesn't delve deeply enough into just what has changed in Texas school curriculums, it seems fairly clear that conservative politics have infused the textbooks.  I have no problem with students questioning anything, but having the curriculum question church-state separation, and softening freakin' Joe McCarthy seems pretty outlandish.  Look, it is fairly clear what Thomas Jefferson thought about the wall between church and state. For all the wailing from the right about following the intent of the founders, they seem to be very willing to discount the wishes of the primary founder.

They say that history is written by the victors. When the heck did so-called conservatives become the victors? Maybe they are in Texas, but why does Texas get to dictate history textbooks for the rest of the United States? I can only hope that teachers who know better will fight some of this ridiculous and radical (something that usually gets assigned to liberals) indoctrination.

And as a side note to any conservative readers: do you really think that church and state should be intertwined even if the founders thought that such an idea was cool?  Really?  What if your particular brand of religion falls out of favor? What if some--to you--wacky version of Christianity or even some other religion becomes the dominant sect?  How would you like it if the Mormons or the Scientologists or the Jehovah's Witnesses or Muslims became more dominant than evangelical Christianity?  Would you still think it's a swell idea to let religion dictate pubic policy? Really?

[Excerpt]

Texas State Board of Education approves new curriculum standards

In a landmark vote that will shape the future education of millions of Texas schoolchildren, the State Board of Education on Friday approved new curriculum standards for U.S. history and other social studies courses that reflect a more conservative tone than in the past. . .

Read more at: Dallas News