January 29, 2010 6:03 AM

Is our children getting an edumication? Not if they're in Texas.

(Thanks to Seabrookplay for this beauty....)

What do the authors of the children's book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and a 2008 book called Ethical Marxism: The Categorical Imperative of Liberation have in common? Both are named Bill Martin and, for now, neither is being added to Texas schoolbooks. In its haste to sort out the state's social studies curriculum standards this month, the State Board of Education tossed children's author Martin, who died in 2004, from a proposal for the third-grade section. Board member Pat Hardy, R-Weatherford, who made the motion, cited books he had written for adults that contain "very strong critiques of capitalism and the American system.".... Trouble is, the Bill Martin Jr. who wrote the Brown Bear series never wrote anything political, unless you count a book that taught kids how to say the Pledge of Allegiance, his friends said. The book on Marxism was written by Bill Martin, a philosophy professor at DePaul University in Chicago.

So, what happens when those charged with the edumication of Texas children are too damned lazy and intellectually dishonest to do the job they've been charged with? Well, you end up with this sort of madness, where anyone who can be smeared and banned for the silliest reasons without recourse.

That this silliness can be attributed to the Texas State Board of Edumication should hardly be a surprise. Education in Texas is no small thing, for Right-wingers recognize the importance of properly indoctrinating the young 'uns. After all, how else can can the zealots be confident that Texas children will grow up to be good Republicans and obedient Christians? When you teach kids to think, you end up with chaos, unpredictability, and godless Liberals. When you teach kids to obey, you get order, continuity, and good God-fearing Christians. Guess which- creativity or obedience- is more important in Texas?

This story is so predictable and so characteristically Texas that I don't even know where to begin. That an ignoramus like Pat Hardy is behind this silliness is hardly surprising. When ignorant, intolerant ideologues are the ones determining the curriculum used to brainwash indoctrinate Texas children, this is about the best you can reasonably expect.

Is our children learning? Who knows? Does anyone really care?

blog comments powered by Disqus

Technorati

Technorati search

» Blogs that link here

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on January 29, 2010 6:03 AM.

Wardrobe malfunction? No way. Sex Offender? No problem. was the previous entry in this blog.

I LOVE this woman...but, sadly, she's already married.... ;-( is the next entry in this blog.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.

Contact Me

Powered by Movable Type 5.12