# TX education board conservatives succeed in whitewashing history **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 13, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314 "2010-03-13T00:14:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/1 "2010-03-13T00:14:32Z")
> [@](#): > > 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. Curriculum standards also will describe the U.S. government as a “constitutional republic,” rather than “democratic,” and students will be required to study the decline in value of the U.S. dollar, including the abandonment of the gold standard. > … > By late Thursday night, three other Democrats seemed to sense their futility and left, leaving Republicans to easily push through amendments heralding “American exceptionalism” and the U.S. free enterprise system, suggesting it thrives best absent excessive government intervention. > … > Another amendment deleted a requirement that sociology students “explain how institutional racism is evident in American society.” > > Democrats did score a victory by deleting a portion of an amendment by Republican Don McLeroy suggesting that the civil rights movement led to “unrealistic expectations for equal outcomes.” > > [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100312/ap\_on\_re\_us/us\_texas\_schools\_social\_studies](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100312/ap_on_re_us/us_texas_schools_social_studies) No accuracy, not even balance. Future American children will be told that the extreme capitalism is a virtue and the best system around, racism does not exist, and the U.S. is not a democratic republic. I can’t wait for the next TEA curriculum meeting, where Medicare and water fluoridation will be called “socialist plots,” and the final chapter devoted to birthers and an excerpt from The Turner Diaries. ---
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/2 "2010-03-13T00:16:01Z")
Shoot. Can one of the mods move this to the Pit? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/3 "2010-03-13T00:24:38Z")
Well we are a constitutional republic not a democracy, and I don’t see any harm in adding modern day economics to the study. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/4 "2010-03-13T00:28:42Z")
Apparently “whitewash” means “explain correctly.” We are a constitutional republic, not a democracy. The U.S. free enterprise system does flourish best without excessive government interference. There should not be a mandate forcing students to “explain how institutional racism exists in society.” ---
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/5 "2010-03-13T00:30:13Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Well we are a constitutional republic not a democracy, Yes, but more to the point we are a democratic republic. Power ultimately lies in the people, who elect their representatives to make laws. It’s minor quibble though, compared to the other things. > [@](#): > > and I don’t see any harm in adding modern day economics to the study. Economics (and capitalism specifically) were already part of the curriculum. And no one wanted those things to be removed. The conservatives, however, made the pernicious injection that the free market is best, that the U.S. is exceptional, and that government intervention stymies economic growth. All of these ideas are extremely contentious to, say the least. Including them in this manner, with no balancing views, is sheer propaganda. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/6 "2010-03-13T00:31:22Z")
> [@sleeping](#): > > Shoot. Can one of the mods move this to the Pit? Reported. ---
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/7 "2010-03-13T00:34:51Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Apparently “whitewash” means “explain correctly.” > > We are a constitutional republic, not a democracy. Never said we were (although it depends on what definition of \*democracy \*one is using). I said “democratic republic.” [/quote] > [@](#): > > The U.S. free enterprise system does flourish best without excessive government interference. If conservatives wish to include their ideas of unfettered free markets in textbooks, I have no problem with that. My problem is that they are being presented as facts, rather than competing theories. > [@](#): > > There should not be a mandate forcing students to “explain how institutional racism exists in society.” The exercise is obviously there to highlight the importance of racism in society. Now, again, if conservatives want to push for the inclusion of their ideas, that’s fine–just so long as they are presented alongside opposing views. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/8 "2010-03-13T00:41:32Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Apparently “whitewash” means “explain correctly.” > > We are a constitutional republic, not a democracy. > > The U.S. free enterprise system does flourish best without excessive government interference. > > There should not be a mandate forcing students to “explain how institutional racism exists in society.” You don’t seriously expect us to buy that these decisions were the result of an objective and impartial decision to improve the accuracy of the educational system, do you? They don’t care that we’re not a theoretical democracy. They just don’t want people associating the society they live in with the term “democrat”. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/9 "2010-03-13T00:45:21Z")
Thomas Aquinas instead of Thomas Jefferson? That dude was dead for 500 years before the revolution. If they’re going to history mine like that, they should’ve picked Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/10 "2010-03-13T00:49:11Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Thomas Aquinas instead of Thomas Jefferson? > That dude was dead for 500 years before the revolution. > If they’re going to history mine like that, they should’ve picked Jesus. Or [Nergal](http://beck.cnnbcvideo.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/11 "2010-03-13T01:43:54Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > You don’t seriously expect us to buy that these decisions were the result of an objective and impartial decision to improve the accuracy of the educational system, do you? > > They don’t care that we’re not a theoretical democracy. They just don’t want people associating the society they live in with the term “democrat”. I don’t care if they consulted a Ouiji board to come up with the directive. It’s correct. If you’re going to inveigh against these pernicious changes, perhaps it would be wise to pick changes that actually teach inaccurate things. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/12 "2010-03-13T01:46:22Z")
> [@sleeping](#): > > If conservatives wish to include their ideas of unfettered free markets in textbooks, I have no problem with that. My problem is that they are being presented as facts, rather than competing theories. > > The exercise is obviously there to highlight the importance of racism in society. Now, again, if conservatives want to push for the inclusion of their ideas, that’s fine–just so long as they are presented alongside opposing views. Maybe this is just sloppy reporting, but the only squelching of views I see are in the ideas that have been removed. If you tell students they must explain how institutional racism exists in society, there’s no debate there. Your assignment presupposes it exists, and asks students to describe and explain it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/13 "2010-03-13T01:49:40Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Maybe this is just sloppy reporting, but the only squelching of views I see are in the ideas that have been removed. If you tell students they must explain how institutional racism exists in society, there’s no debate there. Your assignment presupposes it exists, and asks students to describe and explain it. Yeah, I was wondering if that was sloppy reporting, too. I’d much rather that students be asked to describe whether or not institutional racism still exists in the US and why. I would also hope that textbooks made it clear that institutional racism was very much a part of our history. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/14 "2010-03-13T02:02:15Z")
It’s worth noting that [going by data tracking campaign donors](http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/neighbors.php?type=occ&occ=teacher&search=Search), 85.3% of teachers are liberal. Unless you contend that more than 85.3% of the curriculum is pointedly whitewashed, conservative waste, the libs are still going to win the war. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/15 "2010-03-13T02:03:19Z")
So. Did they really dump Jefferson?? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/16 "2010-03-13T02:09:56Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > It’s worth noting that [going by data tracking campaign donors](http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/neighbors.php?type=occ&occ=teacher&search=Search), 85.3% of teachers are liberal. Unless you contend that more than 85.3% of the curriculum is pointedly whitewashed, conservative waste, the libs are still going to win the war. Your link just goes to some generic page, and I can’t see what you’re referring to. Is that teachers in all the US, or just Texas? And how do they define “liberal”? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/17 "2010-03-13T02:15:07Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Your link just goes to some generic page, and I can’t see what you’re referring to. Is that teachers in all the US, or just Texas? And how do they define “liberal”? "$9,787,446 was given by people who identified their occupation as “teacher”. $1,744,361 from 2,359 people to Republicans $8,043,085 from 13,692 people to Democrats " ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/18 "2010-03-13T02:36:44Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > The U.S. free enterprise system does flourish best without excessive government interference. While I’m sure the robber barons of the late 19th and early 20th century would agree with you, cite? I assume you think the financial system worked great over the past decade or so? ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/19 "2010-03-13T04:01:59Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Maybe this is just sloppy reporting, but the only squelching of views I see are in the ideas that have been removed. If you tell students they must explain how institutional racism exists in society, there’s no debate there. Your assignment presupposes it exists, and asks students to describe and explain it. All sorts of general reasons why it might be different, but I would have said that “explain how institutional racism is evident in society” could well include the debate about whether or not it does. As a declarative statement, sure, it leaves it out, but I was taught that debating a leading question in an exam was perfectly acceptable. ---
**Author:** ![Honesty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f04885/32.png) [@Honesty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honesty)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314/20 "2010-03-13T04:36:11Z")
> [@sleeping](#): > > No accuracy, not even balance. Future American children will be told that the extreme capitalism is a virtue and the best system around, racism does not exist, and the U.S. is not a democratic republic. > > I can’t wait for the next TEA curriculum meeting, where Medicare and water fluoridation will be called “socialist plots,” and the final chapter devoted to birthers and an excerpt from The Turner Diaries. School boards are elected positions so I’m assuming that Texan citizens want their children to have a blindly conservative view of American history. I don’t see the problem with this as long as their curriculum meets minimum federal standards. - Honesty [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tx-education-board-conservatives-succeed-in-whitewashing-history/532314.md?page=2)