Ok, so I took some time off from blogging and enjoying some relaxation when I saw this story in the Houston Chronicle. I couldn't and still don't believe it. The State Board of Education are meeting to discuss new standards in social studies curriculum. Not a big deal....here's some of the things that they are going to bring up.
Cesar Chavez - not worthy of his role model status because of active participation in democratic process.
Chief Justice Thurgood Marshal - Be removed from history books on the basis that he is not an appropriate example of a historical figure of influence.
According to a prelimanary draft other historical figures to be removed are:
George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
Stephen F Austin
And the removal of Independence Day and Veterans' Day
So right about now, you're probably thinking...."so what exactly DOES the board of education want"? Well....are you sitting down? They recommend that school children get a better understanding of the motivational role the Bible and the Christian faith played in the settling of the original colonies. There goes the separation of church and state.
Only in Texas does this seem to happen.
What do you think of this? Are you in favor of these changes?
oh, Texas
Originally uploaded by KerstenMarie
5 comments:
Those historical figures should definitely not be removed. What are they thinking? So if they super important figures are being removed, exactly who is staying?
On the other hand, I see no problem with bringing up the true culture of the people who initially colonized our country and their motivations. That is not imposing a religion on anybody; that is being honest about how our country got started. NONE of our history need be filtered.
I do agree that understanding the culture of founding people can be very important to students. Let's give the students the facts and have them come to their own conclusions. I think we are making a huge mistake by with holding key facts from them. Especially when there really isn't any solid reason why they should be removed.
This is just more of the same from the wacko Christian right in their attempts to rewrite history and science books.
Sad and pathetic, and unless intelligent people stand up and say NO, they will continue to do this.
The fact is, the wacko right do this in TX because of the way textbooks are purchased in TX. The state adopts 1 book for the entire state, making it the largest purchaser of textbooks in the US.
Science teachers just went through this with evolution, and now the wacko right begins their attack on social studies. The goal is to force TX to change their books, and by default ALL states will be forced to change their books.
http://ncseweb.org/ncser/16/4/texas-textbook-adoptions-whither-wither-evolution
I'm all for teaching the religious foundations of the colonization movement in America as long as it focuses on the religious justifications for the Genocide, Slavery, and Rape that accompanied colonization.
The historical record of the Christian religion in the US is far more exploitative in nature than liberating.
Think Phrenology, eugenics, forced conversions, and racist policies in general (think Mormons) and it is quite clear how important it is for Americas youth to have a real understanding of the Christian Religion.
Don't get me started in the use of the Christian Religion in developing mindless consumer culture (150 yrs of celebrating Christmas as if it were a Christian duty to binge on shopping)
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