I recently posted a facetious Onion story about concerned parents demanding that arsenic be removed from the periodic table of elements. Sadly, these hilarious stories are inspired by developments taking place in the real world :(
For instance, Texas recently approved a social studies curriculum motivated by religious and conservative political ideology, which wouldn't be so objectionable by itself if a) it were contrasted with an objective assessment of historical facts, b) it weren't done at the expense of the truth, c) it didn't selectively eliminate the contribution of non-conservative worldviews, and d) if it weren't such a deliberate attempt to corrupt and brainwash children into buying long-defunct philosophies that no one in the 21st century, with the exception of inbred hillbillies, would accept without some level of intellectual reservation...
But, hey, when history shows you to be a douche-bag, and your ideology is cause for mockery in intellectual and professional circles, maybe your only option is to re-write history for children...
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Don't Mess With Textbooks | ||||
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And of course, it doesn't end there. Thomas Jefferson (author of the Declaration of Independence, 3rd President of the United States, political philosopher, founder of the first secular university in America, and coiner of the term 'separation of church and state', among many other impressive qualifications) has been removed from the list of figures whose writings inspired revolutions in the 18th and 19th century...
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| I's on Edjukashun - Texas School Board | ||||
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I won't be surprised when the same school board tries to smuggle in creationism... err... "intelligent design." Fortunately, there is reason to think the truth will prevail.
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