There's Always Home Schooling

Home schooling has, traditionally, been a resort of conservatives. This trend is likely to change now. For the record, if you're a Thom Hartmann listener, you've known for quite some time that the Tejas Bored of Edumacation could possibly decide to gut its curriculum in favor of "conservatism." You also understand that the bizarre changes made to that state's curriculum actually affects that of at least half or more of the country. Since Tejas is one of the biggest customers for textbooks, their curriculum decisions affect more than just Tejas. My favorite part of the story, I think, is thus:

The Board removed Thomas Jefferson from the Texas curriculum's world history standards on Enlightenment thinking, "replacing him with religious right icon John Calvin."

"Replacing" him? "Replacing" him? There's only enough room in a kid's head for so many historical figures? Here's another one, a head scratcher considering point #1:

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." "I reject the notion by the left of a constitutional separation of church and state," said David Bradley, a conservative from Beaumont who works in real estate. "I have $1,000 for the charity of your choice if you can find it in the Constitution."

So, if you're convinced that a separation idea doesn't exist, why do you need to banish the dude who first said it was in there? Brainiac. There is so much more to this lovely story. Of course, there is the insistence in the new curriculum that the United States is a "republic" (because, you know, "democracy" sounds too much like that other political party) (and by the way, the United States is actually a "constitutionally limited representative democratic republic"). Here. Giggle at this:

Board member Barbara Cargill, R-The Woodlands, objected to a standard for a high school sociology course that addressed the difference between sex and gender. It was eliminated in a 9-to-6 vote. She worried that a discussion of that issue would lead students into the world of 'transvestites, transsexuals and who knows what else.'"

When the mighty Frank Zappa said on "Crossfire" that he feared this country was becoming a "fascist theocracy," Bob Novak, who liked to reveal the identities of covert CIA operatives in the newspaper, scowled at him, oh wait, that was just his normal face, and said, oh, come on, Mister Zappa. What do you think now, Bob? (Oh, wait. You don't think anything. You're dead.)