Another Reason Texas Scares Me

[Krisken]

Recently, the Texas school board approved changes to the curriculum. Some of the stranger changes included:

– To avoid exposing students to “transvestites, transsexuals and who knows what else,” the Board struck the curriculum’s reference to “sex and gender as social constructs.”
– The Board removed Thomas Jefferson from the Texas curriculum, “replacing him with religious right icon John Calvin.”
– The Board refused to require that “students learn that the Constitution prevents the U.S. government from promoting one religion over all others.”
– The Board struck the word “democratic” from the description of the U.S. government, instead terming it a “constitutional republic.”


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So bizarre.
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[Tinwhistler]

20 years ago, when I was in school, the US government was described as a "Constitutional republic" and not "democratic". I think it's a more accurate description

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_republic

A constitutional republic is a state where the head of state and other officials are elected as representatives of the people, and must govern according to existing constitutional law that limits the government's power over citizens.

In a constitutional republic, executive, legislative, and judicial powers are separated into distinct branches and the will of the majority of the population is tempered by protections for individual rights so that no individual or group has absolute power.

Those other changes? Fucked up.

 

[makare]

Woah, forget revisionist history.. Texas is going for revisionist reality.

 

[Kitty Sinatra]

20 years ago, when I was in school, the US government was described as a "Constitutional republic" and not "democratic". I think it's a more accurate description

That's what the CIA factbook calls the US: "Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition"

For comparison it calls Canada "a parliamentary democracy, a federation, and a Commonwealth realm."

I guess the thing to take from that would be a single term is not enough to accurately describe our countries.

 

[Krisken]

I suppose that is a minor thing, really. It's not like most people know what those terms mean, anyways.

 

[Kitty Sinatra]

That sounds like you're advocating dumbing dumb education. "no one knows what Constitutional Republic means so lets not bother telling our students either."

 

[Krisken]

Not really what I meant. I'm saying people are so misinformed on what these terms mean you could say it's just about anything. Hell, the world laughs at Americans for thinking Obama is a Socialist.

 

[Shegokigo]

Texas, how I love thee, let me count the ways...... um..... yeah. Zero?

 

[makare]

I cant believe the constitutional republic thing is what people are focusing on in this thread. The other things are pretty horrible.

 

[Kitty Sinatra]

I cant believe the constitutional republic thing is what people are focusing on in this thread. The other things are pretty horrible.

I agree. Thomas Jefferson is pretty horrible. Worse even than his neighbour, Archie Bunker.

 

[makare]

I cant believe the constitutional republic thing is what people are focusing on in this thread. The other things are pretty horrible.

I agree. Thomas Jefferson is pretty horrible. Worse even than his neighbour, Archie Bunker.[/QUOTE]

....funny.


The gender issue is what pisses me off. That kind of misguided thinking just leads to hate and mistrust. The country takes two steps forward and Texas takes three steps back. Excellent.

 

[WolfOfOdin]

What worries me is that they replaced him with John Calvin and removed reference to the Establishment clause. That's worrying more than anything else.

Then again, Texas has Cynthia Dunbar as the possible head of the BoE, the woman who stated every public official needs to pass a biblical litmus test

 

[Kitty Sinatra]

a biblical litmus test

The bible turns red when dipped in your blood? Pretty damn easy test to pass, I'd say.

 

[bhamv3]

a biblical litmus test

The bible turns red when dipped in your blood? Pretty damn easy test to pass, I'd say.[/QUOTE]

Didn't you know those heathen lib'rals bleed blue?

What are the odds of these school board changes being challenged in court, and what are the odds of such a challenge succeeding?

 

[Philosopher B.]

Oh those crazy Texans, what will they do next.

 

[Kitty Sinatra]

Their sister

 

[JONJONAUG]

Recently, the Texas school board approved changes to the curriculum. Some of the stranger changes included:

– To avoid exposing students to “transvestites, transsexuals and who knows what else,” the Board struck the curriculum’s reference to “sex and gender as social constructs.”
– The Board removed Thomas Jefferson from the Texas curriculum, “replacing him with religious right icon John Calvin.”
– The Board refused to require that “students learn that the Constitution prevents the U.S. government from promoting one religion over all others.”
– The Board struck the word “democratic” from the description of the U.S. government, instead terming it a “constitutional republic.”


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So bizarre.
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Don't forget the part where they are required to teach that McCarthy was right because of the Verona Papers, or complaining that "The topic of sociology tends to blame society for everything" (hint to Texas: yes that is kind of the point of sociology), or saying that "This critical-thinking stuff is gobbledygook", or removing the word "capitalism" from Economics courses because they think it is a negative term,

Honestly though, high school history is fucked up in general (even in AP courses). The only way any student can get a proper education in history in America is by either having a really good teacher (this means "a history teacher who will chuck out the textbook and completely write their own curriculum without letting in biases but while still covering important topics not normally covered such as how social class affects history, or problems with the actions of American heroes, etc, etc, etc").

I consider myself open minded and well educated, so it was a pretty damn big shock to me when I took a history of medicine class last semester and found out about something that I've hardly heard of called the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment (I had heard the name and knew that it was a study of syphilis in blacks where they weren't given proper treatment, but I never knew the extent of it or for how long it lasted), or pretty much the entirety of the American Eugenics movement.

Every student should really read "Lies My Teacher Told Me". It's a great book that sums up a lot of the problems with high school level American history textbooks (mainly, that they lie by omission, outright lie, sugarcoat the truth, and are really freaking boring).

EDIT

To preempt GasBandit's next "experts say" post that actually turns out to be a shoddily written opinion piece from an incredibly right-wing biased source: Here's what Fox News has to say on the matter

 

[Hailey Knight]

To preempt GasBandit's next \\"experts say\\" post that actually turns out to be a shoddily written opinion piece from an incredibly right-wing biased source: Here's what Fox News has to say on the matter

Again, that’s part of why the liberals attack. They don’t like the concept of American exceptionalism, both by those who were born here and by the other great high-skilled men and women who are so attracted to the United States that they moved here from other countries.

Yes, Einstein was so attracted to the U.S. he just HAD to move. Nothing to do with Hitler...

I don't know why I clicked that link. I can't tell the bullshit from the ignorance.

 

[Rob King]

I consider myself open minded and well educated, so it was a pretty damn big shock to me when I took a history of medicine class last semester and found out about something that I've hardly heard of called the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment (I had heard the name and knew that it was a study of syphilis in blacks where they weren't given proper treatment, but I never knew the extent of it or for how long it lasted), or pretty much the entirety of the American Eugenics movement.

Have you read the book Mad in America? If you haven't, you definitely should. I had to put it down a few times while reading, because it made me so sick. It's basically a history of mental illness, and how it was dealt with throughout history in America.

That book is solely responsible for my love of Quakers, incidentally.

 

[@Li3n]

or removing the word "capitalism" from Economics courses because they think it is a negative term,

Well considering who first used it* one could see why (hint - he also invented communism).

But learning history from school will leave you with BS idea in most places... especially the history of the country you're in.


*ok, it's more like popularised it, but whatever

 

[WolfOfOdin]

But..but! If they learn about OTHER systems, they might see the flaws in their own!

 

[SpecialKO]

Again, that’s part of why the liberals attack. They don’t like the concept of American exceptionalism as the state religion

Fixed that for them.

For so-called free market champions, they don't seem to be realize that superiority isn't a god-given right, it's something you have to constantly work at to maintain.

 

[Iaculus]

Hey, hae we mentioned that the amendments also attempt to rehabilitate McCarthyism, among other things? Because they totally do.

 

[GasBandit]

You mean, you guys kept seeing the stupidly liberal bias of textbooks getting worse and worse every year, and were smug in your assessment that the pendulum would never swing equally far in the other direction one day?

 

[sixpackshaker]

I cant believe the constitutional republic thing is what people are focusing on in this thread. The other things are pretty horrible.

I agree. Thomas Jefferson is pretty horrible. Worse even than his neighbour, Archie Bunker.[/QUOTE]

....funny.


The gender issue is what pisses me off. That kind of misguided thinking just leads to hate and mistrust. The country takes two steps forward and Texas takes three steps back. Excellent.[/QUOTE]

The sad thing is, for most of its history Texas has been one of the more progressive states. I'd give my left nut, to have another Governor Hogg.

 

[Troll]

You mean, you guys kept seeing the stupidly liberal bias of textbooks getting worse and worse every year, and were smug in your assessment that the pendulum would never swing equally far in the other direction one day?

I apologize for the fact that reality has a liberal bias.

 

[ElJuski]

You mean, you guys kept seeing the stupidly liberal bias of textbooks getting worse and worse every year, and were smug in your assessment that the pendulum would never swing equally far in the other direction one day?

I apologize for the fact that reality has a liberal bias.[/QUOTE]

Got there before I could. Jesus Christ, gas.

 

[Krisken]

Meh, he's just trying to divert from the stupidity of the decision by trying to make something else the topic. Pretty typical, really.

 

[GasBandit]

You mean, you guys kept seeing the stupidly liberal bias of textbooks getting worse and worse every year, and were smug in your assessment that the pendulum would never swing equally far in the other direction one day?

I apologize for the fact that reality has a liberal bias.[/QUOTE]
Might want to ask Greece about that. Or the state governments of california and new york. There's your "reality with a liberal bias."

 

[ElJuski]

Meh, he's just trying to divert from the stupidity of the decision by trying to make something else the topic. Pretty typical, really.

Oh, Texans I weep for the future of their children.

 

[WolfOfOdin]

You mean, you guys kept seeing the stupidly liberal bias of textbooks getting worse and worse every year, and were smug in your assessment that the pendulum would never swing equally far in the other direction one day?

I apologize for the fact that reality has a liberal bias.[/QUOTE]
Might want to ask Greece about that. Or the state governments of california and new york. There's your "reality with a liberal bias."[/QUOTE]


Really Gas? Because the majority party and president of Greece, Karolos Papoulias,belong to the Panhellenic Socialist Movement. In fact, Greece formed their socialist government in the 1980's, after the final fall of the firecely arch-conservative and near facist military junta that ruled the country till around the late 60's, was a near charter member of the EU (oh god big government!) and has an icnredibly high Human Development Index.

Furthermore, New Democracy, the center-right opposition party to the Panhellenic Socialist Movement, was butchered in the 2009 elections, recording their lowest voter turnout ever.


But back to the matter at hand;

Kids in schools should learn the full truth of their country, the vile and the saintly. You can't really love your nation unless you realize it has flaws and that by loving it, you're helping to fix them.

 

[GasBandit]

You mean, you guys kept seeing the stupidly liberal bias of textbooks getting worse and worse every year, and were smug in your assessment that the pendulum would never swing equally far in the other direction one day?

I apologize for the fact that reality has a liberal bias.[/QUOTE]
Might want to ask Greece about that. Or the state governments of california and new york. There's your "reality with a liberal bias."[/QUOTE]


Really Gas? Because the majority party and president of Greece, Karolos Papoulias,belong to the Panhellenic Socialist Movement. In fact, Greece formed their socialist government in the 1980's, after the final fall of the firecely arch-conservative and near facist military junta that ruled the country till around the late 60's, was a near charter member of the EU (oh god big government!) and has an icnredibly high Human Development Index.

Furthermore, New Democracy, the center-right opposition party to the Panhellenic Socialist Movement, was butchered in the 2009 elections, recording their lowest voter turnout ever.
[/QUOTE]

Yes, that was kind of my point. Greece is uber leftist. And now it's spiraling down the economic crapper, and the people are demonstrating in the streets that they have a right to their entitlements.

 

[fade]

Or all those foreclosed neighborhoods. Or hyperpolluted city areas. Or zero mobility working classes. Or pretty much the whole robber baron era. That's your reality with a conservative bias.

 

[sixpackshaker]

Welcome to the New Gilded Age...

 

[GasBandit]

Or all those foreclosed neighborhoods. Or hyperpolluted city areas. Or zero mobility working classes. Or pretty much the whole robber baron era. That's your reality with a conservative bias.

Except the foreclosures were caused by liberal federal social engineering, hyperpollution wasn't exclusive to conservative areas or eras, income mobility has been highest during periods of conservative policy, and I'll see your robber barons and raise you communist bread lines.