Rewriting "History"

The Texas State Board of Education recently took large steps to ensure that a generation of Texans grows up viewing the world through neoconservative eyes. The board radically altered the curriculum for the schools in their state, reshaping history in dramatic ways. Here are some examples of the changes, which textbook manufacturers are sure to accommodate, since Texas is one of their largest markets:

- The exclusion from history book of any conversation of the religious heretic Thomas Jefferson and his contribution to Enlightenment ideals. Instead, students will learn about Thomas Aquinas and John Calvin. These church figures have almost no relevance to Enlightenment philosophy, and in fact were alive around 400 and 100 years, respectively, before Jefferson. So we're not even in the same ballpark here.

- A deemphasis of Roosevelt and the New Deal in favor of mandatory discussion on Ronald Reagan and the conservative resurgence of the 1980's and 1990's. This strikes me as one of the most egregious things in a generally horrific bunch. The fact the this board is robbing students of foundational knowledge of the history of the formative years of the country in favor of very recent history, the long-term significance of which is unknown at best, cannot be intended as anything but brainwashing. This is dystopia in action, people.

- A rejection of a standard in high school sociology courses that distinguishes sex from gender. One board member actually defended this by saying that she worried that discussion of gender roles would lead to a discussion of "transvestites, transsexuals, and who knows what else." I have not been so enraged by a comment in quite a long time. This really shows us who we're working with here. I would very much like to see the author of A Patriot's History of the United States see this and still claim that history is written and decided by anyone other than bigots, of which this woman in particular, and also obviously the majority of the board who consecrated this further institutionalizing of fear and hatred, is one of the most despicable kind.

- A mandate that when McCarthyism is taught, the teacher MUST include that "later release of the Verona papers confirmed suspicions of communist infiltration in U.S. government." I don't think I need to add anything to this one.

- Removal of mentions of the word capitalism, which was determined to have negative connotations, in favor of "free enterprise." This is common practice, and should not be too surprising. This is done among liberals as well as conservatives. Witness, for example, the recent shifts from conversation about "global warming" to "climate change," and the change of branding from "liberal" to "progressive." This is, in fact, a masterstroke by conservatives, as it furthers the agenda of capitalist societies as presenting themselves as the "free" and "natural" way of arranging economic and social relations.

- The rejection of an effort to include specific mention that Tejanos were among the fallen heroes of the Alamo. All five minority members of the board dissented, all 10 white members voted in favor.

Popular history is always selective, agreed upon by the ruling class. However, this is a brand of history not even worthy of the name, devoid as it is of fact, and unprecedentedly extreme as it is in its partiality. This is a dark, dark time in American history, which has been re-written by 10 individuals with an agenda. And those poor fucking kids in Texas will suffer greatly for these individuals' hubris and bigotry. Especially the minorities.