Don't *Mess* With Texas

[beowolfe]

The new textbooks will be in the classroom in 2013?

No problem then. 2012 will have already happened.

 

[beowolfe]

American exceptionalism refers to the theory that the United States occupies a special niche among the nations of the world[1] in terms of its national credo, historical evolution, political and religious institutions and unique origins. The roots of the belief are attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville,[2][3] who claimed that the then-50-year-old United States held a special place among nations, because it was a country of immigrants and the first modern democracy.

If this is what they're teaching, it seems like a 'dated concept' to me. There are enough democracies in the world now where being exceptional for being the first is sort of like saying Deleware is exceptional because it was the first state to ratify the constitution. At the time, it was a badge of honor, not it's just a footnote in history. IMO, that America was the first modern democracy is now simply a footnote in history. Same for being a country of immigrants.

 

[Wicked Jester]

Right on Texas!

 

[Zona]

Are they still trying to secede? lol

 

[rightwinger]

Are they still trying to secede? lol

The textbooks will read that the other 49 states seceded from Texas

 

[MaggieMae]

If that happened, which it won't -- you would still be welcome in my home. You might need a visa though!

And you'd need a visa to visit Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arizona!

Or any other of the 57 states!

That would be 56, after TexASS secedes.

 

[MaggieMae]

Nope, that would be me.

And your problem is quite legitimate. I don't want kids indoctrinated to be neocons either.

However, we don't discard facts just because of some nutjob idea of political correctness.

I fail to see how teaching American accomplishments in context and without value judgments as to the worth of other systems and societies in their own context is political correctness. The American system developed the way it did in response to a unique history and citizenry and with the aid of the abundance of space and resources. It is a good system for us. To say it is, bar none, "the best" and to take it into the realm of morally superior to all other systems is where it crosses the line.

What gets me is we are hardly "morally superior." Hypocritical is more like it. We pour billions into third world countries to help them with their health and economic issues, yet cringe when it comes to helping our own people as being something "unConstitutional." Go figure.

 

[MaggieMae]

So why shouldn't the parents of any given district in El Paso be able to buy text books and assign curriculum that they like, not even caring how the parents in Houston or Dallas are educating their young?

Does the school district in Marfa Texas really have equal representation on the Texas Board of Education as any of the school districts in Houston do?

Do they have the same concerns? Do they even have the exact same education goals? Should they?

You would have to look to the state legislature to get the law changed.

The legislature see, the representative body of the state that's elected by the folks.

Everybody living in a state where the state legislature seems to be doing a GREAT job raise your hand.

Anybody?​

Nobody?​

I'd have bet there would have been somebody.

Well, the State of Vermont has had governors and legislators of different parties going all the way back to the early 80's, so bipartisanship has been a necessity and it's been a successful model so far. We're not perfect, but we do all get along. There's very little division based strictly on party politics. After all, we've got one Senator who is a Socialist by nature, Bernie Sanders, and he manages to garner over 60% of the vote every time he runs for something (starting as Mayor of Burlington decades ago), and the population includes a LOT of "flatlanders" who are devout conservatives.

 

[Contumacious]

We poor billions into third world countries to help them with their health and economic issues, yet cringe when it comes to helping our own people as being something "unConstitutional." Go figure.

They pour billions into third world countries because we are being governed by criminal thugs . They have no constitutional authority to do so.

.

 

[goldcatt]

America is one country of many. As long as you can admit that many of this country's policies and actions throughout history is exceptionally negative along with your percieved exceptional good, which I assume you are referring to, then yes, it is an exceptional country.

There are a lot of ways to think of "exceptional". If one uses the word meaning America is good, or has accomplished exceptional things, or any number of other ways, I'm fine with that. But American Exceptionalism as a doctrine isn't about saying America is "good", it's about saying America is "superior" simply by virtue of being America. That's one smallish step shy of the Bush Doctrine, and not an ideology I want my kids taught in public school.

It's the new Manifest Destiny.

Actually it's the old Manifest Destiny, new and improved for a global playground. The concept's been around a long time, it just keeps updating itself to fit the nationalist tendencies of the day.

 

[MaggieMae]

If that happened, which it won't -- you would still be welcome in my home. You might need a visa though!

And you'd need a visa to visit Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arizona!

[Or maybe New Mexico. I shoulda checked a map first to refresh my geography before I look sloppy.]

Why?

You don't need a visa to go from Germany to France any more...

Are Americans that paranoid about each other without the protection of The Federal Government?

How's that workin' out for y'all?

It works out just fine for at least 48 of the 50 states. It's Texas and Alaska that keep talking about how they can make it without any help from Washington. I do wonder, though, what Texas will do with all their Mexicans and African Americans. After all, must be those "slackers" which cause Texas to be #3 in total welfare recipients of all other states. Will Governor Perry run them off his new territory? Will the neighboring states be forced to accept refugees? Has the good governor thought through ANY of this?