wildpossum
13th February 2010, 12:38 PM
Hi All.
Fisrtly read the following:
"I've been lackadaisical when it comes to following stories (http://news.slashdot.org/story/09/03/30/0151221/Mixed-Outcome-of-Texas-Textbook-Vote) about Texas (http://news.slashdot.org/story/09/03/24/1835255/Texas-Vote-May-Challenge-Teaching-of-Evolution) schoolboard (http://news.slashdot.org/story/09/01/24/0742250/Texas-Board-of-Education-Supports-Evolution) attempts to slip creationism into biology textbooks, dismissing the stories as just 'dumbass Texans,' but what I didn't realize is that Texas schoolbooks set the standard for the rest of the country (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/magazine/14texbooks-t.html?pagewanted=all). And it's not just Creationism that this Christian coalition is attempting to bring into schoolbooks, but a full frontal assault on history, politics, and the humanities that exploits the fact that final decisions are being made by a school board completely academically unqualified to make informed evaluations of the changes these lobbyists propose. This evangelical lobby has successfully had references to the American Constitution as a 'living document,' as textbooks have defined it since the 1950s, removed in favor of an 'enduring Constitution' not subject to change, as well as attempting to over-emphasize the role Christianity played in the founding of America. The leaders of these efforts outright admit they are attempting to redefine the way our children understand the political landscape so that, when they grow up, they will have preconceived notions of the American political system that favor their evangelical Christian goals."
Quotation from slashdot.org entry today Feb13th 2010.
It and the linked news piece does ask interesting questions on why knowledgable and educationed people put up with such $&^@#&!!# from those around them that have only their own agenda to push.
I am fully aware that its part of the American "rights" on free speech etc.; but surely if we were to teach our children what everyone else believed you may as well close the schools and let our children trust/believe/follow whatever makes sense (to them) at whatever interlectual stage they are at.
IMHO we must all be prepared to fight such crap, especially in Australia, from noticably those "true believing" Qeenslanders and others that swallow "holestboless" such rubbish and new age dogma.
Hopefully our fellow Australians will make cut any such effort to add this to our educational directions, but seeing our culture is unfortunately so linked to American culture it may hit our shores more so sooner than later :(
Comments?
Cheers.
Fisrtly read the following:
"I've been lackadaisical when it comes to following stories (http://news.slashdot.org/story/09/03/30/0151221/Mixed-Outcome-of-Texas-Textbook-Vote) about Texas (http://news.slashdot.org/story/09/03/24/1835255/Texas-Vote-May-Challenge-Teaching-of-Evolution) schoolboard (http://news.slashdot.org/story/09/01/24/0742250/Texas-Board-of-Education-Supports-Evolution) attempts to slip creationism into biology textbooks, dismissing the stories as just 'dumbass Texans,' but what I didn't realize is that Texas schoolbooks set the standard for the rest of the country (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/magazine/14texbooks-t.html?pagewanted=all). And it's not just Creationism that this Christian coalition is attempting to bring into schoolbooks, but a full frontal assault on history, politics, and the humanities that exploits the fact that final decisions are being made by a school board completely academically unqualified to make informed evaluations of the changes these lobbyists propose. This evangelical lobby has successfully had references to the American Constitution as a 'living document,' as textbooks have defined it since the 1950s, removed in favor of an 'enduring Constitution' not subject to change, as well as attempting to over-emphasize the role Christianity played in the founding of America. The leaders of these efforts outright admit they are attempting to redefine the way our children understand the political landscape so that, when they grow up, they will have preconceived notions of the American political system that favor their evangelical Christian goals."
Quotation from slashdot.org entry today Feb13th 2010.
It and the linked news piece does ask interesting questions on why knowledgable and educationed people put up with such $&^@#&!!# from those around them that have only their own agenda to push.
I am fully aware that its part of the American "rights" on free speech etc.; but surely if we were to teach our children what everyone else believed you may as well close the schools and let our children trust/believe/follow whatever makes sense (to them) at whatever interlectual stage they are at.
IMHO we must all be prepared to fight such crap, especially in Australia, from noticably those "true believing" Qeenslanders and others that swallow "holestboless" such rubbish and new age dogma.
Hopefully our fellow Australians will make cut any such effort to add this to our educational directions, but seeing our culture is unfortunately so linked to American culture it may hit our shores more so sooner than later :(
Comments?
Cheers.