Why wouldn’t you want a state entity to operate more efficiently and transparently? That is a question that no one had a good answer for Tuesday evening as the House Committee on Public Education took up HB 862, legislation sponsored by state Rep. Diane Patrick, R-Arlington, that would place the Texas State Board of Education under periodic “Sunset review.”
Archive for March, 2011
Give Us ONE Good Reason
March 30, 2011Haters Gotta Hate
March 30, 2011How did we miss this?
In an open letter to his fellow Republicans last December, Texas GOP king-maker — and anti-gay, religious right zealot — Steve Hotze lays out an argument for why his party should refrain from demonizing Latinos — basically because “Hispanic culture in America is Christian, pro-family, pro-life” and (by the way) Republicans need their votes to win future elections.
Ok. Even if his motives aren’t entirely altruistic, we can at least respect Hotze’s effort to promote tolerance and multiculturalism, right? Not so fast.
“Gentlemen, it seems that the real problem we face is the Muslim immigration invasion of America. The Hispanics are our natural allies against the Democrats and Muslims.”
Wow. If you absolutely have to direct your hatred and xenophobia at someone, for God’s sake, make it the Muslims. They don’t vote in nearly the number as Latinos do.
The underlying bigotry always comes through, doesn’t it?
Gail Lowe’s Anti-Science Crusade II
March 29, 2011Last week we looked at the anti-evolution activists Texas State Board of Education Chairwoman Gail Lowe wants on official teams that later this spring will review proposed science instructional materials for Texas public schools. But Lowe has been pushing her anti-science crusade for years now.
Gail Lowe’s Anti-Science Crusade
March 25, 2011Even as Gail Lowe tries desperately to save her nomination to another term as chair of the Texas State Board of Education, she’s demonstrating precisely why so many state senators are hesitant to confirm her. Her nominees to panels that will review science instructional materials this year show that she’s more interested in promoting her personal beliefs than in basing what public school students learn on facts and sound scholarship.
The First Amendment: For Christians Only?
March 24, 2011Bryan Fischer, radio talk show host for the especially odious far-right group American Family Association, has written a new opinion piece that starts with this: “The First Amendment was written by the Founders to protect the free exercise of Christianity.” It all goes laughably downhill from there.
But what about people of other faiths? Maybe Muslims?
“Islam has no fundamental First Amendment claims, for the simple reason that it was not written to protect the religion of Islam. Islam is entitled only to the religious liberty we extend to it out of courtesy. While there certainly ought to be a presumption of religious liberty for non-Christian religious traditions in America, the Founders were not writing a suicide pact when they wrote the First Amendment.”
You can find the rest of the piece here.
Sorry, you can’t comment on his site. But on ours you can.
But Not in My Backyard
March 24, 2011A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll gives us a dose hope and helping of pessimism about the prospect that anytime soon we’ll move past the anti-Muslim hysteria and into an era of respect and acceptance of people of all faiths.
The poll conducted earlier this month finds that most Americans (69 percent) are “OK” with having a mosque in their community. The poll also finds that more Americans have a favorable view of Muslims than what was the case in 2002, not long after the 9/11 attacks.
That’s the upside. And now for the downside.
Those acceptance numbers dip considerably in the American South (maybe they polled folks supporting Texas state Rep. Leo Berman’s anti-Muslim legislation?) and in rural communities.
This begs the question: If you don’t want mosques or Muslims in your neighborhood, and you call yourself a believer in the rights and freedoms this country affords us, why aren’t you uncomfortable essentially advocating for Constitution-free zones?
The poll was conducted ahead of the airing of a CNN special on the controversy surrounding plans to build a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn. In a preview for the show, the downside of the poll results is summed up perfectly when an unidentified man is seen saying in reference to Muslims, “I didn’t say to hate ‘em. I just said we don’t need them here.”
In Case You Were Wondering
March 22, 2011We told you last week about pastor Terry Jones’ attempt at a return to the spotlight by putting the Quran on trial for what he dubbed International Judge the Quran Day.
We know you’re dying to find out what happened so we’ll cut to the chase.
Bill Zedler: Defending Academic Fraud
March 22, 2011Mother Jones magazine has published excerpts of a conversation with state Rep. Bill Zedler, R-Arlington, regarding the lawmaker’s House Bill 2454 — what should be called the Academic Fraud Protection Act. HB 2454 would force Texas institutions of higher education to look the other way when creationists fraudulently promote “intelligent design” as legitimate science in classrooms.
In his discussion with Mother Jones, Rep. Zedler pretty much says it shouldn’t matter that “intelligent design”/creationism proponents aren’t making claims based on science:
Bill Zedler: If somebody does decide to weigh in, why should they be discriminated against?
Mother Jones: Because they don’t have the scientific evidence to substantiate their views.
Bill Zedler: The debate ought to be: “How did it happen?” But we’re not gonna allow that one to be brought up! I don’t think they oughta be thrown off campus if they come up with it.
Radiation Is ‘Good for You’?
March 18, 2011That’s what Ann Coulter says anyway. Of course, this is hardly the only time the far-right culture warrior has tried to promote junk science to a gullible audience. She also peddles creationist arguments against evolution. Anyway, now here she is trying to persuade folks that they shouldn’t be worried about radiation from exploding nuclear power plants.
The Dangers of Intolerance
March 18, 2011Fire officials in the Houston suburb of Clear Lake are investigating what caused a fire at a mosque — twice, on consecutive days.
As of now we don’t know exactly what or who caused the fires this week at the Clear Lake Education Center where, thankfully, no one was injured. But it’s a sad commentary that if the fires are found to be intentional, none of us would be surprised. It has, after all, happened before. If it hadn’t happened before, we still wouldn’t be surprised because of the troubling level of rhetoric targeting the American Muslim community we hear from far-right groups. “It was just a matter of time,” we’d all say.
Stigmatizing an entire group of people can create fertile soil for this sort of violence. And when intolerance toward entire groups of people or their religion is allowed to fester, someone is bound to get hurt. Sooner or later.
