Friends who have recently procreated or plan to do so in the future, I hope you are following the Texas social studies textbook standards story, one of the more depressing indications that the religious right's stranglehold on this country hasn't completely relaxed and that their medieval* views still have the potential to harm future generations. Hopefully
James Loewen can be called upon to publish a new edition of
Lies My Teacher Told Me, so parents can at least try to counter this nonsense at home.
Washington Monthly has a good
story on the whole sad history of textbooks and Texas; the
New York Times has the tragic
ending. Read those for dispassionate analysis, I'm going to pull some choice quotes from both articles out of context so I can feel better about these
people having so much power:
"This critical-thinking stuff is gobbledygook," grumbled David Bradley, an insurance salesman with no college degree.
"Let's face it, capitalism does have a negative connotation," said one conservative member, Terri Leo. "You know, 'capitalist pig!'"
"Remember Superman?" he asked me, as we sat sipping ice water in his dining room. "The never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way? Well, that fight is still going on. There are people out there who want to replace truth with political correctness. Instead of the American way they want multiculturalism."
You know what? I do remember Superman: he is a fucking
alien from another planet you sad, sick little man.
*No offense to the people of the medieval period who embraced their ignorance with somewhat less erotic fervor.
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ReplyDeleteThis burns me too, Rob. What is implicit in "...there are people out there who want to replace truth with political correctness. Instead of the American way they want multiculturalism" is something ugly and bigoted. That said, political correctness is too antiseptic and bigoted in its own way. It was well-intentioned in its origins, no doubt. Sadly, though, it is a means to an end: homogenized language and behavior for the sake of preventing uglier, more despicable language and behavior. This is why I grudgingly accept political correctness, and why it must stand.
ReplyDeleteBut that is not what above spasm of fundamentalist nonsense is about. What you are reacting to is what I would also react to: nativism, shallow, easy-to-swallow spineless smug pseudo-Christian ravings and, worst of all, lackluster ability to form coherent analogies.
Oh man. This thing is so shitty and depressing. I'd like to write more about it, esp. in light of your smartly-written post and N.C's smartly-written comment, but all I can think of is that AMAZING picture of Jesus riding the dinosaur. And this: http://www.theonion.com/content/news/lovecraftian_school_board_member
ReplyDelete@ N.C.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I agree with everything you said, especially the part about analogies. This is beating a dead paste of a horse, but editing factual history to reflect your political and religious beliefs is the very antithesis of "conservatism," or at least it should be.
@stickyfingers
That Onion article is pure genius! Who could argue with "the children are our future and...it's the school board's obligation to make sure they are fully versed in the unspeakable horrors still to come."
I'm constantly preventing myself from clogging up this blog with Bill Hicks videos, but this one is particularly apt (NSFW):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qmglGWMsdk
Hey, Superman fought the NAZIS, you know. So I can understand why you're scared of him.
ReplyDeleteEGGHEAD LIKES HIS BOOKY-WOOK
EGGHEAD LIKES HIS BOOKY-WOOK
You'd have a point, except I have incontrovertible evidence that Superman hates the flag!
ReplyDeletehttp://superdickery.com/index.php?Itemid=45&id=28&layout=blog&option=com_content&view=category&limitstart=4
Um, I finally had a chance to watch the Bill Hicks video. Who is this gentleman, and why is this the first I've heard of him?
ReplyDeleteThis seems to be a educational post, i am totally agree with you thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete