Another Step Back

Just when we thought that Arizona -- following the signing of their 'Sus papeles, por favor' law and their refusal a couple of years ago to honor the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a state holiday -- had become the new Texas, here comes the mighty Texas to reclaim what it undoubtedly considers its rightful place as The Texas of all Texases. (Where these sentences come from is a complete and utter mystery. My apologies.)

But, as we learned last week, no way is Texas going to be out-Texased! Certainly not by Arizona, a mere wanna-be.

So, what has Texas gone and done this time, you ask? Well, once a decade, their State Board of Education edits a massive document called Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills that guides how the state's 4.8 million school children in grades K-12 are taught for 10-year periods. Their latest changes, approved last week, regarding social studies and history amend or water down some rather important elements of our past. Actually, they change history -- or at least how we think about it.

That's huge, but only the half of it. Due to the sheer size of Texas's school-age population, the Board's decision will likely influence how book publishers will handle these topics for school children throughout the entire country. Why? Because even in this electronic age it's easier and cheaper to print books once, even if the information contained in them differs from what we know to be the truth.

Texas is, indeed, the 800-pound gorilla -- with its powerful State Board of Education revising history as it goes along.

Before we review some of the changes Texas will adopt, let's point out that the 15-person State Board of Education has 10 Republicans and 5 Democrats. Not that that should matter, of course, given that we're talking about teaching history -- defined very loosely as 'stuff that's already happened' -- to children. We're not talking here about teaching philosophy to college students where there are acres of gray area. We're talking about teaching facts to grade school students. Political party affiliation shouldn't matter, right?

Oh, how naive can one be! As you'll now see.

But first, a Reader's Advisory: Young children, those with chronically-weak stomachs, anyone taking anything for high blood pressure or a heart condition, or anyone already upset just because we're talking about the politicizing of education should not read further. Really. We'll see you next week. For all others, proceed with extreme caution.

So, what will Texas school children soon be taught? Among many other things, they'll learn that:

• There are no 'Native Americans' but, instead, 'American Indians'
• Capitalist enterprise, the military, Christianity and modern Republican political figures had a significant role in the shaping of our country (for example, Senator Ted Kennedy's role will receive less attention while that of President Ronald Reagan will receive more)
• The United Nations, along with other global organizations, undermined U.S. sovereignty
• Phyllis Schlafy, the political activist and attorney who opposed feminism and the Equal Rights Amendment, had something important to say, something we should all know about and remember
  
• Judeo-Christian (read: Christianity) thinking had a greater impact on the nation's Founding Fathers than ever thought before
• The U.S. government is 'a constitutional republic' rather than 'democratic'
• Governors such as George Wallace, Orval Faubus and Lester Maddox sought 'to maintain the status quo' not, as we all know, attempt to prevent equality
• Senator Joseph McCarthy will be portrayed in a more positive light, this time as a staunch anti-Communist
  
• The rationale for the separation of church and state is weaker and less substantive than originally thought, and
  
• The Moral Majority and the National Rifle Association have had important roles in our history.

These, among many other alterations, join last year's changes to Texas's science curriculum, that saw the teaching of evolution, cell formation and the Big Bang lose air time and significance.

And, of course, an effort to modernize historical period designations -- from B.C. (before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini, in the year of our Lord) to B.C.E. (before the common era) and C.E. (common era) -- never had a chance.

It's worth checking out the modifications. You'll love it. But in a bad way.

These changes go into effect in 2011 and, as said previously, will last for 10 years. Note to Fox News: Look no farther than the state of Texas for your next Rush, Glenn, or Bill. Be sure to send a very nice thank-you note to the State Board of Education.

When you consider the current 4.8 million innocent kids in Texas, plus the others who will follow over the next 10 years, plus the many others across the country learning from the same text books, it makes Arizona's law seem small by comparison, no?

Texas is, indeed, the Texas of Texases. Chew on that, Arizona.