Stop CA From Manipulating Our School Books

iPetitions.com ^ | April 30, 2003 | Frank Salvato

[The Rant]

The school officials in California have decided that to be fair to everyone and to afford the students of California a fair, balanced and fat-free education they should try to eliminate all references to junk foods, stereotypes and sexism in the books that they use as text books in the classrooms. So what is on the list of banned phrases? Let's start with "Founding Fathers"!

The powers that be have decided that the term "Founding Fathers" is sexist and shouldn't be used to teach our students and future generations. Never mind that they were all founders. Never mind that they were all fathers. Never mind that they were our Founding Fathers. It is in appropriate to use the term when describing the group of men, fathers, who took the time out of their lives to come up with one of the greatest nations in the history of the world not to mention The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution.

This is simply going too far and in fact it is a blatant form of censorship inflicted upon our youth by the school officials in California. At the very least it is revisionism that is debasing the very history of the United States of America. It is wrong and it should be stopped. But that is only part of the atrocity.

Because California is one of the largest purchasers of school books in the country scholastic book companies are kowtowing to this incredibly bad idea and changing their books making the whim of those in California effective across the country. That's right, the rest of the country has to be affected because Californians don't want their precious little bundles of tofu affected by the fact that our country was founded by a group of men who happen to be Fathers!

Among other things that are banned, as if we were citizens within the authority of the Third Reich, women cannot be portrayed as nurses because it is stereotypical. Mt. Rushmore will never be mentioned because it has the potential of being offensive to Lakota Indians even though it is a National Monument. The word “owl” was taken out of tests because it is taboo to the Navajo. And any mention of foods such as French fries (or freedom fries if you must), hamburgers and the like are completely unacceptable.

This is nothing short of ridiculous and these people should be canned! Not for their obvious politically correct censorship but simply because they are so amazingly and annoyingly arrogant!!

This petition calls on the major textbook makers to, at the very least, make the State of California pay for separate printings of the textbooks that they want to rewrite and to offer the original versions of the textbooks for the states that do not want to forget the truth about how our country was created.

This petition calls on the school officials in California to cease in their efforts to rewrite history by making our history politically correct rather than historically accurate.

This petition calls on the leaders in Washington D.C., both Republican and Democrat, to enact legislation to exclude this type of historical revisionism from federal funding and to create legislation that would keep sanctified the historical accuracy, language included, of how our great country was founded.

[The Rant]

Please visit the site and add your name.

I know this isn't the usual type of thing that should be posted here but it such an important issue that I felt you all should know about it. Thanks so much for helping me out with this.

Isn't it time to stop the political correctness debacle?

[Arthur McGowan]

This petition is a complete waste of time. The goal should be to abolish government schools. Bickering about textbooks in government schools is like bickering about the proverbial deck chairs on the Titanic. Trying to get prayer back into government schools is like trying to get prayer into brothels. Parents are the divinely-appointed teachers of their children. Their right to teach--and their right to the MONEY they earn with which to finance education--is inalienable.

[lilylangtree]

Signed your petition. However, gotta warn you that the NEA (National Education Association), as well as each state's branch is very, very powerful union lobbying groups. In Washington I don't know any politician that's willing to stand up the WEA (Washington Education Association) and say "enough is enough" because then WEA campaigns against them saying this person "is not for our children." That's how every single education levy, regardless of the purpose, is passed. You know the real sin? The State Superintendant of Schools has already reported that Washington's children are getting dumber with all the money thrown into the system and higher teachers salaries. Any token resistance is met with the same slogan "you're not for our children" which is a crying shame because that's not the truth. We want ACCOUNTABILITY! So, good luck in your fight!

[just me]

Change has to come from the parents. They have to go to their school board and tell them the text books will not be tolerated.
If the board refuses to listen vote for new members. And in the mean time keep your child home if you are able...

[buffyt]

I just saw a lady on TV who used to be with the Bush #1 Dept of Educa. She has written a book about this, I didn't catch her name or the title. She mentioned Founding Fathers is considered sexist... MOUSE might scare someone... birthday cake is junk food... America is incorrect because there is also South America, and Mexico, they are part of "America" too... It is sickening! I will find out the name of the book and post it here. She said this is a free society and the kids hear these words at home and every where else!

[LiteKeeper]

educational bump

[Charles H. (The_r0nin)]

Diane Ravitch.

[mathluv]

This petition calls on the major textbook makers to, at the very least, make the State of California pay for separate printings of the textbooks that they want to rewrite and to offer the original versions of the textbooks for the states that do not want to forget the truth about how our country was created.

Publishers have been printing state specific books for several years. There was even one for Louisiana math books.

Of course, this is going more in to content, but, again, this has been happening for several years. California and Texas are the two largest purchasers for textbooks, along with North Carolina and Florida. California has been way out there for years in its demand for what they want in texts.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

calgov2002:

calgov2002: for old calgov2002 articles. 

calgov2002: for new calgov2002 articles. 

Other Bump Lists at: Free Republic Bump List Register

[kellynla]

I made up my mind some time ago that I would home school my children. Interesting interview on the Factor. O'Reilly interviewed a lady and she said that there were only about four publishers of school books in the US and that between CA, FL, TX and NY the decision would be made from these states what books would be distributed to their schools and all the schools in the entire country.

[Gophack]

That's right, the rest of the country has to be affected because Californians don't want their precious little bundles of tofu affected by the fact that our country was founded by a group of men who happen to be Fathers!

hey, don't blame all Californians! The people doing this are unelected liberal bureaucrats!

[Publius6961]

My favorite response to this issue:

Those who control the present control the past.
Those who control the past control the future.

Thus has propaganda worked always.

[Publius6961]

The Language Police: How Pressure Groups Restrict What Students Learn.
by Diane Ravitch; Hardcover

[Sonny M]

I've heard about the founding fathers debacle. The problem is that alot of teachers don't know that the term founding fathers is actually 2 groups of people, 1.The founders of this country, and 2. The people who actually took part in the debate and writing of the constitution. (They would be the "framers"). Factually speaking, you would have to call one group the founders and another group the framers to get it right.

[hedgetrimmer]

Bump

[hsmomx3]

I realize there are parents who want to fight this and other things but the sad fact is, they will make the changes regardless of what parents say.

They (NEA) have their own agenda and the ONLY way they will wake up is if many remove their kids from government schools. Anything having to do with the NEA/schools is a lost cause. I hate to sound so pessimistic but this is reality, IMO. There is no end to this and I'm afraid that they will put more financial burdens on us in the way of increased taxes to fund this and other things.