Well, instead of Cynthia “Obama is a Terrorist” Dunbar, our governor selected Gail Lowe, Republican conservative and seven-year State Board of Eduction member, as board chairman. Lest you think that’s an improvement, Lowe is the board member who handpicked David Barton, founder of the Christian-nation advocacy organization Wallbuilders, to the panel of six “experts” to review the social studies curriculum for our public schools. Barton, as you may recall has problems with civil rights leader César Chávez being included in Texas school books. To quote:

David Barton, president of Aledo-based WallBuilders, said in his review that Chávez, a Hispanic labor leader, “lacks the stature, impact and overall contributions of so many others.”

“(Chavez’s) open affiliation with Saul Alinsky’s movements certainly makes dubious that he is a praiseworthy to be heralded to students as someone ‘who modeled active participation in the democratic process.’”

In addition, Lowe has voted for unscientific, creationist criticisms of evolution in science textbooks and curriculum standards and opposed a requirement on book publishers to include medically accurate information about responsible pregnancy and disease prevention in new high school health textbooks.

It’s times like this I’m so glad I don’t have children. Otherwise I’d be spending my free time debriefing the poor things on the right-wing propaganda they were receiving at school. On the taxpayer’s dime.

*bimbles off*

Sweet smoking universe, I wish Florida would do something impossibly stupid soon so the nation would turn it’s attention from my wingnut-choked state. Seriously, it’s us and Florida in the race for the Most Right-Wing Controlled State Award. I know, I know… Kansas tries its hardest, but Florida turned the simple act of letting a woman die into the biggest public debacle since Bill Clinton tried to define the word “is.” That takes talent.

You’d think beating up gays and our governor calling for succession from the United States would be enough to keep us happy for a while. Alas, we have deeper needs. Our State Board of Education is currently deciding the social studies curriculum for the next ten years. Yeah, I know. The sense of impending doom is already thick. As part of this process, they have a panel of six “experts” handpicked by the board to review the curriculum and make a recommendation. Three of these “experts” were picked by whackjob Republican conservatives who want to nothing more than to turn our school rooms into a taxpayer-supported Sunday Schools and see our children not educated but indoctrinated into the right-wing, “family values,” fundamentalist view of the world.

Case in point: two of the three “experts” – Peter Marshall, an evangelical minister, and David Barton, founder of WallBuilders – declared that civil rights leaders César Chávez and Thurgood Marshall have been given entirely too much attention in Texas school rooms. To quote:

“To have César Chávez listed next to Ben Franklin” – as in the current standards – “is ludicrous,” wrote evangelical minister Peter Marshall, one of six experts advising the state as it develops new curriculum standards for social studies classes and textbooks. David Barton, president of Aledo-based WallBuilders, said in his review that Chávez, a Hispanic labor leader, “lacks the stature, impact and overall contributions of so many others.”

Marshall also questioned whether Thurgood Marshall, who argued the landmark case that resulted in school desegregation and was the first black U.S. Supreme Court justice, should be presented to Texas students as an important historical figure. He wrote that the late justice is “not a strong enough example” of such a figure.

But, just to be fair, they didn’t just pick on those uppity blacks and Mexicans. No, no. Women folk who don’t know their place received special attention as well.

Both Barton and Marshall also singled out as overrated Anne Hutchinson, a New England pioneer and early advocate of women’s rights and religious freedom, who was tried and banished from her Puritan colony in Massachusetts because of her nontraditional views.

“She was certainly not a significant colonial leader, and didn’t accomplish anything except getting herself exiled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for making trouble,” Marshall wrote.

“Anne Hutchinson does not belong in the company of these eminent gentlemen,” he said, referring to colonial leaders William Penn, Roger Williams and others. Williams later invited Hutchinson to help establish a colony in what became Rhode Island.

The breathtaking arrogance and stupidity makes me lightheaded. Why don’t they just come out and say “Unless you’re white, male and christian – and none of them libural christians like them Unitarians – we don’t want you in our school books. We’d rather our children understand that women and people of color are sub-standard and must be reminded of their place in our christian utopia. Namely, as second class citizens we can boss around. ‘Cause that’s what baby Jesus would do.”

And, just in case these two gentlemen aren’t enough for you, our teabagging hero Gov. Rick Perry has put State Board of Education member Cynthia Dunbar on the short list to replace deposed former Board Chairman Don McLeroy. You remember the esteemed Ms. Dunbar, the woman who stated that schools were undermining parents’ authority to teach children scriptural interpretations and President Barrack Obama is not really a U.S. citizen and, if elected, would bring about martial law, not to mention inviting terrorists into our country. Yeah, THAT Cynthia Dunbar.

And, people wonder why the rest of the nation view us as a bunch of red-necked, backwards-ass, gun-toting retarded jesus freaks. Maybe it’s because, oh I dunno, most of our state IS a bunch of red-necked, backwards-ass, gun-toting retarded jesus freaks.

To think my grandparents were proud Democrats who believed faith had its place – and it certainly wasn’t in the school room. That’s where you sent your children to actually educate their minds, not dumb them down.

Isn’t there a woman with Catholic relatives on life support in Florida SOMEWHERE?

*bimbles off*