I know several good people who live in Texas or once lived in Texas. There are Texans who proudly serve in our nation's military or contribute to our nation and world in many ways.



However, there are times when I think Texas has some of the most highly politicized public bodies in the nation. I would say that this is the case with the Texas Board of Education.



Thomas Jefferson is gone from the textbooks. Instead, conservative religious icon John Calvin has been elevated in his place. There is no coverage of the separation of church and state, but coverage of Judeo-Christian influences on the Founding Fathers. The Texas Board of Education, in my humble opinion, has decided that it will have political indoctrination in the schools.



There is a great story at the Huffington Post that includes a slide show of the most radical changes. Honestly, if this becomes the national standard for education, I would be tempted to learn Hebrew, move to Tel Aviv and register with the Labor or Meretz parties. After all, the school board does not want students to know that the U.S. Constitution prevents the elevation of one religion above another. Sorry, but I have to conclude that there are some Americans who do not believe in democracy or equality -- indeed, some of the board members are contemptuous of the word democracy. (I suggest that they read the Federalist Papers, the writings of Locke and other Enlightenment thinkers.) If the forces represented by this school board ever came to full power in this country, I am not sure that my rights or the rights of those I respect would be protected or truly valued.



Here is a link to the story and an excerpt:

Texas Textbook MASSACRE: 'Ultraconservatives' Approve Radical Changes To State Education Curriculum



AUSTIN, Texas - A far-right faction of the Texas State Board of Education succeeded Friday in injecting conservative ideals into social studies, history and economics lessons that will be taught to millions of students for the next decade.



Teachers in Texas will be required to cover the Judeo-Christian influences of the nation's Founding Fathers, but not highlight the philosophical rationale for the separation of church and state. Curriculum standards also will describe the U.S. government as a "constitutional republic," rather than "democratic," and students will be required to study the decline in value of the U.S. dollar, including the abandonment of the gold standard.



"We have been about conservatism versus liberalism," said Democrat Mavis Knight of Dallas, explaining her vote against the standards. "We have manipulated strands to insert what we want it to be in the document, regardless as to whether or not it's appropriate."



Following three days of impassioned and acrimonious debate, the board gave preliminary approval to the new standards with a 10-5 party line vote. A final vote is expected in May, after a public comment period that could produce additional amendments and arguments.

Decisions by the board -- made up of lawyers, a dentist and a weekly newspaper publisher among others -- can affect textbook content nationwide because Texas is one of publishers' biggest clients.

I do not see Dwight Eisenhower or Barry Goldwater as men who would have supported such a radical agenda. It seems that their would-be heirs have little in common with these conservative icons.