By all accounts the three day meeting was spirited. Needless to say the board did not see any reason to consult with any recognized historians, sociologists, or economists. The board, dominated by conservatives of various stripes, was not about to be led astray by any liberals from the grove of academe.
The board made over 120 fascinating amendments to the proposed curricula including:
- Adding the usual caveats regarding the "theory" of evolution;
- Asserting that Joe McCarthy got it right, after all;
- Removing Thomas Jefferson from a list of individuals who inspired the American Revolution (replaced with St. Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, and William Blackstone); and
- Adding a section describing “the conservative resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s, including Phyllis Schlafly, the Contract With America, the Heritage Foundation, the Moral Majority and the National Rifle Association”
Fortunately, 21st century digital publishing will largely limit the damage caused by the whack-jobs on the Texas board to children in Texas. Textbooks are now custom printed state-by-state and it is difficult to imagine any board outside of the hookworm and bible belt opting for the Texas version.
Still, one cannot help but feel sorry for young Bubba and Cindy Sue who will enter adulthood with a very peculiar understanding of the world around them. And no doubt some of them will rise to positions of national importance (U.S. Senator, for example) where they will succeed in annoying the rest of us.
In other news, a pleasant yet largely uneventful weekend here in Juneau. Alison cooked a wonderful Saturday supper of prime rib, cauliflower au gratin, and tangy green salad with strawberries. Eric and I were freebooters, as usual, although I did contribute an apple brown betty for dessert.
Last evening I watched the first episode of the HBO miniseries "The Pacific." It tells the story of three U.S. Marines who fought the Japanese in World War II - from Guadalcanal to Okinawa. If you liked "Band of Brothers," odds are you'll be a fan of "The Pacific." Here's the review in today's New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/arts/television/12pacific.html?ref=television
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