Sunday, March 21, 2010
Texas takes another step backwards into ignorance
Excerpt:
the amendments will overturn a broad array of long-standing tenets and beliefs about U.S. history and society, rejecting the constitutional separation of church and state, promoting a Judeo-Christian interpretation of the motivations that inspired the country's founding fathers, dropping references to Latino heroes and accomplishments, and justifying the red-baiting, anti-Communist extremism that overran large tracts of the U.S. body politic during the 1950s, spearheaded by Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy.
Meanwhile, founding father Thomas Jefferson – unpopular with conservatives because he championed the division between religion and politics – is to be downplayed in classrooms. Conservative heroes such as Schlafly (known for her opposition to feminism) and Gingrich (leader of a Republican renaissance in U.S. politics) will now be promoted to U.S. students for their beliefs and accomplishments.
Jackson, a Confederate general in the American Civil War, is to be singled out as "a role model for effective leadership." But references to Latino heroes are to be played down, a move that would presumably affect the legacy of Cesar Chavez, the late Mexican-American civil rights activist whose birthday is now marked as an official or optional holiday in several U.S. states, including Texas.
Oh, yes – and the mainly black hip-hop musical style will no longer be considered "a significant cultural movement" among Texas youth. Country and Western will be celebrated instead.
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