Saturday, May 22, 2010

"a Christian land governed by Christian principles"



The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) believes that students should be taught we are a Christian nation founded on Christian principles.  I am a Christian, but do not believe this.  We are nation founded by men who had a variety of beliefs.  Some were devout Christians, others questioners of orthodoxy.  What they most detested was the imposition of governmental directives on their faith.  They designed our Constitution to limit governmental power over religion.  Our founders also knew the danger of theocracy.  Many knew English and European history and knew what had resulted from church rule.  The Constitution was designed to keep us from becoming a theocracy.  The SBOE wants to change the meaning of the First Amendment to reflect their skewed view of reality.

Texans need to come together to protect the school children of Texas.  We need to insist that changes in textbooks are made by a panel of experts in that field, men and women with academic credentials, appointed by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House.  The experts recommendations need to be accepted on an up or down vote by the three officials.  No changes allowed.  If voted down, the experts would bring new recommendations.  There would be no issue by issue review.  Only the whole would be accepted or sent back for revision.

While political influence could be exerted, it would be wielded by two officials elected statewide and one elected by his peers in the House. Narrow ideologues would be less likely to be elected to the statewide offices or to be able to obtain a majority in the House.  I would rather take my chances with those three officials than with the SBOE.

The time has come to write our state representatives and tell them to put an end to this nonsense.  Texas does not need to be the laughing stock of the nation.  Change how education is done in Texas.  Do away with the SBOE.