The Forever War

Can you please explain what is wrong with that in terms of the substance. I get your point but, don't we want the founders portrayed to K-12 in that type of positive light?

— steveplotnicki (@steveplotnicki) October 1, 2021

First, here is some of the language of the order:

You tell me how this is supposed to work. Explain it to me like I'm a total, gibbering moron. Because I must be. The alternative is that an entire county school board has gone 100% off the deep end. pic.twitter.com/WCFCqugQKH

— Jeffrey Sachs (@JeffreyASachs) October 1, 2021

So, what does that mean? Which are “the United States foundational documents” and what, specifically, does it mean to “undermine” them? And how do you represent Andrew Jackson (Trail of Tears), George Armstrong Custer, Jefferson Davis, and Martin Luther King, Jr., all equally as heroes?

This directive suffers from being vague and imprecise, to the point I dare say it is unenforceable. What it means is so open to interpretation you can’t know beforehand whether or not you’ve violated it. But if you want to be the teacher who sued over this, you’ll never teach again. Period. Whether the ACLU takes your case or you have a wealthy spouse, don’t even think about teaching again. You win the suit, they’d find a reason to get rid of you later. People who write this kind of crap don’t want dissidents around. And it would take a long time to win this suit. What do you do for a job in the meantime?

The school board has gone off the deep end. They must think the community agrees with them.

Maybe a parent could bring the suit. I don’t doubt these proscriptions are unenforceable: too vague, too open to interpretation, completely arbitrary interpretation that can’t be known until a violation is alleged.

But frankly, we’ve been down this road before. Even today, in Texas where Texas history is mandated in public schools, the story of the Alamo is taught as an heroic stand for freedom rather than a mistake and a tragedy.  It wasn’t a battle that won anything for Texas; it was men caught in an indefensible building who died so Mexico could terrorize the rebellious Anglos into submission. Santa Ana did the same thing shortly thereafter at Goliad, but we call that one a massacre. Both incidents were.

Texas independence was fought for the freedom of Anglos in Texas to own black men and women. I didn’t learn that in Texas schools, and I wouldn’t learn it today in Texas schools.  And all I ever learned about Marxism, in the days of the U.S.S.R, was that I didn’t need to know anything about it. Marxism was bad, Marx was wrong, end of discussion. I could have studied Marx on my own, but guidance came there none. I think even trying to guide me would have threatened a teacher’s job.

Same as it ever was? Yes; but only in that this is just as bad. Only in that this struggle is not new; and somehow we keep resurrecting it.

I think the recurrence, the resurrection, has something to do with American culture. Which is to say, it is a permanent feature we have to permanently fight.