Jim Hightower: Turning "Texas Education" Into an Oxymoron

[mod mom]

Turning "Texas Education" Into an Oxymoron

In the good-and-good-for-you department, food scientists are now touting the health benefits of enjoying a handful of nuts every day.

I, for one, am glad, because I love nuts — pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds, you-name-'em. But my favorite nuts, by far, are the homegrown natives that have taken root in one particularly fertile area of my state: the Texas Board of Education. You just can't get any nuttier than this bunch!

This board, little-known even to us Texans, has lately risen to national notoriety, making our state's educational system a punch line for comedians everywhere. That's because a handful of ultra-right-wing nutcases have taken over this elected overseer of Texas educational policy, and they're hell-bent to supplant classroom education with their own brand of ideological indoctrination.

-snip

How nutty? Take Thomas Jefferson. They did! They literally did take Jefferson off a list of revolutionary political thinkers from the Enlightenment period, replacing him with a favorite of Christian fundamentalists, John Calvin. Thus, the prime author of our Declaration of Independence — poof — disappeared! Jefferson's unpardonable transgression? He coined the term "separation between church and state."



http://www.creators.com/opinion/jim-hightower/-turning-texas-education-into-an-oxymoron.html

LOVE this guy!

[walldude]

1. K&R for Hightower...

If only more Texans were like him...

[Ron Green]

2. K&R for all the clear-thinking Texans who stayed to fight the good fight.

I escaped when Little Bush was made governor, and regret it only in the springtime, when wildflowers bloom in the Hill Country.

[alp227]

3. This guy should be the head of the Board of Ed, not McLeroy or whoever

This is one funny article. I've never heard of Hightower though. Is he a regular commentator or humor writer?

It's funny the way that the Board of Ed in Texas kept being evasive by simply whitewashing inconvenient facts from US history...even covering up for the Reagan-backed death squads by not mentioning Oscar Romero.

[immoderate]

5. Hightower is a former Texas agricultural commissioner.

And now a writer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Hightower

--imm

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. A long-time progressive populist political writer.

Spent some time in politics himself, but I guess he figured he could have more influence as a writer not beholden to the electorate.

He's right up there with Molly Ivins as forlorn examples of why we should not give Texas back to Mexico.

[XOKCowboy]

9. He was one of the first to get the KKarl Rove treatment...

I've read all of his books and I agree he's up there with Molly Ivins as a Texas treasure.

[midnight]

4. The greatest weapon is humor.... It disarms the stupid, entertains the thoughtful

and levels the insanity for briefs periods of respite. Thank you Mr. Hightower you are doing a national service for mental health.

[Rex]

7. Jim Hightower is the anti-Rick Perry

How sad my state went from Ann Richards to Rich Perry. God how I hate Karl Rove...fucking roast in hell you pigdog.

[DCKit]

8. I had the displeasure of watching some of their deliberations last week...

and was simply stunned at the level of willful ignorance and naked malice (toward education) they displayed.

[WCGreen]

10. Oxymoron...

Isn't that what Rush Limbaugh is....

[Nikki Stone1]

11. Writing Thomas Jefferson out of American history is like writing St. Paul out of the New Testament.

The core beliefs of this nation are based on the document Jefferson wrote. Texas has just rejected the core foundations of American history.