Desperate Liberal Media Compares SBOE to Taliban; Takes SBOE Exaggerations to New Heights
How Dare Gov. Perry, Lt. Gov. Dewhurst and other Republican leaders ignore the AAS! How Dare they not take the bait for their liberal trap! That’s pretty much the message coming out of the central texas publication.
The Austin American-Statesman, a liberal publication rarely read, I am sure, by our conservative friends and “mainstream” friends alike, continues to up the ante and bring new meaning to the word “embarrassment” to reporting and journalism.
Even though the AAS and the liberal blog ,Texas Tribune, and others, want, oh so desparately, to get more people to pay attention to their groaning about the recent social studies votes (I’m thinking a Robert Gibbs six year-old reference would fit nicely here), by basically yelling louder and louder everyday, hoping they can distort what happened at the recent SBOE meetings and turn the liberal failures of their friends on the far left, into some form of success. So with everyday their exaggerations grow.
See a recent opinion post of theirs. http://www.statesman.com/opinion/when-god-was-handing-out-brains-457613.html
Examples:
Boy, this is a real gem: “Between now and the November general election, Republican incumbents statewide and legislative are going to pound on Texas’ economic success. Voters need to ignore the sound bites and ask candidates whether they agree with curriculum standards pushed by a majority of the State Board of Education.”
Interpretation: Even though the economy and economic news (and health care) is what Texans care about most right now, the AAS wants you totally ignore that. Why? Because the economic news about Texas is great news, compared to the rest of the country, and who is in charge of Texas right now? Republican Rick Perry. I think you catch my drift. https://txvalues.org/2010/03/24/texas-out-of-recession-among-first-of-all-states/
“a fundamentalist Christian self-righteousness that makes the Taliban fun-loving free spirits by comparison.
The majority of the 15-member board went on a jihad against knowledge………….”
Seriously, comparing votes and discussion on social studies classes to the “Taliban” and using a “jihad” reference? Describing this as desperate is not strong enough.
“The Texas Senate refused to confirm McLeroy as chairman of the state board last year. The Republican-controlled Senate’s message was clear, but McLeroy was as tone deaf as Lowe appears to be. ”
Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. The “Texas Senate” did not refuse McLeroy. 11 Democrat Senate Members blocked McLeroy’s confirmation, because Senate rules requires a 2/3 majority. McLeroy secured all 19 votes for confirmation by all Republican members of the Senate. This analysis by the AAS suggested that Republicans were against McLeroy, they were not. They are hoping to fool the average uninformed reader. This should clear things up. https://txvalues.org/2009/05/28/mcleroysboe-vote-comes-today-watch-for-updates/
-“punch line for late night comedians.” Didn’t you know, we are supposed to govern our state based on what people say on Comedy Central. Or maybe they are talking about the comedy of Senator Watson’s choke up on MSNBC when he couldn’t think of something good to say about Obama, when asked. A MUST SEE VIDEO!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj4VK9wVAi0
(Senator Watson is quoted in the AAS piece). Maybe they are referring to Chris Matthews as the late night comic.
And of course, that had to again reference their discredited Jefferson issue. Jefferson is emphasized more in the social studies standards than anyone else, other than George Washington, but you wouldn’t know that if you rely on the AAS. Thank you, Houston Chronicle, which handled this issue correctly. http://blogs.chron.com/texaspolitics/archives/2010/03/post_114.html
Oh, here’s a sample of what is ACTUALLY IN THE SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS!!
“American Exceptionalism” added, to be studied.
Hillary Clinton, Ann Richards, Barbara Jordan
Thomas Jefferson, in 3 different sections. (no longer in World History section)
Mother Theresa, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Neil Armstrong, Louis Pasteur (voted back into standards, previously removed by unelected teacher groups)
Landmark Civil Rights cases for study: Brown v. Bd of Education, Edgewood I.S.D. v. Kirby, Sweat v. Painter, Hernandez v. Texas.
Milton Friedman, famed economist, added
Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, including Vernon J. Baker, Alvin York, and Roy Benavidez.
Important Tejano, Texian and other leaders who participated in the Texas Revolution
All 189 persons who died at the Alamo
Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Thurgood Marshall (twice), Martin Luther King, Jr., Garrett Morgan (African American Inventor), W.E. B. Dubois (African American writer, editor, Civil Rights leaders, for African American to graduate from Harvard), Irma Rangel (Hispanic Texas State Legislator), Sojourner Truth (African American abolitionist and womens’ rights leader), Oprah Winfrey, Harriet Tubman (African American abolitionist and humanitarian), Wallace Amos (African American businessman), Roy Benavidez (Hispanic Medal of Honor Recipient from Texas),Phillis Wheatley (African American Poet), Cleto Rodriguez, Scott Joplin(African American composer and pianist), Ellen Ochoa (female Hispanic Astronaut), Johnny David Olivas (Hispanic Astronaut from Texas), Raul Gonzalez (first Hispanic on Texas Supreme Court), Henry B. Gonzalez, Hector P. Garcia, Jose Antonio Navarro, Juan Seguin, Carmen Loma Garza (artist), Lorenzo De Zavala, Vernon J. Baker (African American Medal of Honor recipient), Lydia Mendoza (Hispanic/Tejano guitarist/singer), George Washington Carver (African-American botanist, inventor); (all of these named were approved).
And many more.
Explanation regarding the contributions of the Founding Fathers;
Phrase: “Holding public officials to their word”. SBOE members Allen, Knight & Hardy voted against this.
Phrase: “Explain major political ideas in history including the laws of nature and nature’s God, inalienable rights, divine right of Kings, social contract theory, and the rights of resistance to illegitimate government.” (SBOE members Berlanga, Nunez and Knight voted against this).