Oh boy! The Republican war on education has made its way to Oklahoma and it is outrageous. In an incredibly asinine move they voted 11 to 4 to ban Advanced Placement history classes for high school students because they believe the classes teach kids only “bad” things about America.
Oklahoma HB 1380, introduced by Rep. Dan Fisher (R-CrazyTown) directed the Board of Education to review AP guidelines and stop funding AP U.S. History classes. He claims that the course teaches “what is bad about America” and fails to teach “American exceptionalism.”
Advanced Placement is a nationally recognized course that allows students to earn college credits while in school. It is run by the College Board and is a completely independent entity. Schools and states are not required to offer it but obviously it is in the best interest of kids who plan on going to college.
John Williamson, representing the College Board, said Fisher’s objections are “mythology and not true.”
When you learn a little more about Fisher you won’t be surprised by his asinine bill at all.
Fisher is an active member of the Black Robe Regiment, a church-to-state group that does not understand the First Amendment. Their website highlights this in the explanation of their purpose:
[The group] is to be a portal for Christians to communicate and network in order to restore the body of Christ to its rightful position of tolerant leadership in all aspects of our government.
Clearly Fisher is not a man that should have any say in how our children are educated.
Teapublicans are always messing with education and they have a very good reason: Keep people uneducated and you can make them do whatever you want.
Republicans want to keep American children stupid because let’s be honest: Only stupid people and rich people vote Republican. Is that harsh? Yes. Is it the truth? Absolutely.
Remember: It is easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled. That is why the right-wing tries so hard to keep our children uneducated. They fear nothing more than a person with the ability to think critically.
Featured image via Maggiesnotebook.com
I’ll bet almost any amount of money that the people behind this action have not read “Democracy in America,” and have absolutely no clue what “American exceptionalism” even means. They’re just saying it because it’s two words they want to put together, not because they’ve ever actually looked into the concept. Just like almost everyone who uses the phrase these days.
It seems to me that this kind of selective education is big in China, Russia, and most other totalitarian nations.
Ahhh… China and Russia aren’t totalitarian nations. Totalitarianism means that the state controls every aspect of a persons life. North Korea would be an example, as would Cambodia during the Pol Pot regime and Hitler’s Germany.
Another fine example of “Totalitarianism” the U.S. under the rule of the “Cheney/Bush Regime!!!!
Teatalitarianism?
You win the internet today.
Doy Bowers, I know you’re being sarcastic but I’m sure you know that the previous administration was a long way from being totalitarian. (don’t get me wrong, I did hate the last administration)
Yes they are. Ask the people of Tibet and Ukraine about that.
Isn’t this guy the president of the local chapter of the A$$holes For Christ club. Pretty soon, if not already, He will have the classes teaching about the War of Northern Aggression that took place back in the 19th century. And, I’ll bet large amounts of money with any body that’s interested that he has pushed to be sure that creationism is a part of science classes.
The DUMMING DOWN of America from the Christian right continues,,,,,
Why is it that there are so many hyper-Christian, knuckle dragging troglodytes in positions of power in this country. This is EXACTLY why the middle east is the way it is. You know what Jesus would do? He’d tell these jackasses to stop dropping his name and SHUT THE F*** UP!!
I agree with the first half, but I’m afraid Jesus wouldn’t have told them to shut up. He was pretty clear about the need to accept Him to get into heaven, etc. He goes as far as to say that he came not to bring peace but to bring division between those who accepted him and didn’t accept him. I’m afraid Jesus would be on their page. I’m not really religious though, so I can’t say for sure.
Nescire autem quid ante quam natus sis acciderit, id est semper esse puerum.
Not to know what happened before you were born is to remain forever a child.
Cicero, (46 B.C.).
Veritas
Speaking as a “Captive OKIE” let me just start out by saying “We’re not all Hayseed/Hicks but the people the Dumb OKIES Elect sure are. Killing the A.P. Classes in Education is just par for the course with these Clowns.
My daughter gets her 4 yr. degree this year in college and she’s a product of “Advanced Placement” programs. She already had a College Headstart thanks to her A.P. Classes. She had an A.P. Class in History/English and they were a real boost to her. No Wonder the Reich Wingers want to do away with the program. The “DUMBING DOWN” of American Education is “Alive & Well” in OKIEhoma. Oh well at least I can hold my head high and say “I Didn’t Vote for Any of these CLOWNS!!!!
Reich wingers! Good one.
ya know if you look up the word asshole in Webster’s dictionary you see his picture associated with it as an example but he doesn’t know it b/c he doesn’t read it …too many big words like freedom, education, democracy, separate, acceptance
I find it ironic that an ad appears below this article with a picture of Obama and the words “don’t let him turn the internet into the Obamanet”. There’s no escaping the stupid.
Christianity, originally a group following a philosophy of “resist the big, exploitive empire by refusing to be exploited and refusing to become the exploiter”. Now, in the hands of some Americans, it becomes a community that’s ardently in favor of the biggest empire of today.
Shannon, Shannon. I read your article with some skepticism. I mean, I WANT to believe what you said but as an educated person (I teach AP Biology), I just can’t believe people can be that stupid.
Until I found his homepage from the house of reps where he is listed as the sponsor of his bill. I STILL thought maybe you were embellishing a little so I read the summary of the bill.
You’re not kidding. I’m right now having a hard time parsing the stupid.
Would you be so kind as to post the links so that others can read for themselves the same thing you did? Thanks in advance.
Education in Oklahoma, and I guess Kan.,La.,Ms., gets cut while private schools get funded w?f…meanwhile back at the ranch, we dumb Okies vote for sales tax ext. 2 times to fund local schools and then the Police & Fire Dept…all so our oligarchs get a Tax break…on Race to the Bottom
Oh, they understand the First Amendment. That’s why they’re terrified of it.
I smell a lawsuit coming. What a bunch of numbskulls those people are!
As a 9th grade civics essay, I give this article a “D.” Childish insults are not commentary. Your utter lack of discussion on the content of the courses betrays your apathy about facts. Fisher’s argument is that the content of the American history courses is factually inaccurate and philosophically anti-American. Seems like your counter-argument is nothing more than that you like it that way.
Fisher’s argument is wrong. That’s the counterargument. The counterargument is correct. AP US history classes teach the history of the US. The good and the bad. I can guarantee that its not factually inaccurate. If it was, the things being taught would be stopped, and not by a partisan bill that has no facts to back it up. But by the colleges and/or the board of education.
Um, there are mentally deranged persons in charge of our destiny because more sensible folks like YOU failed to vote. Or folks like you failed to stand up and shuffle to the front of the room in order to stand for a local political position.
How do men like the subject above get in office? I suspect that it’s fanatical “Christian” churchgoers (meaning not main-stream) who whip up their members who DO go out and vote in the candidate of their choice.
I’ve seen how a lack of participation can cause serious issues. About 5 years back, a scavenger energy company tried to start Fracking in our town of 20,000 people, putting gas wells between all 3 of our schools (and right in the location everyone had been told to gather if there was a community emergency!). The City Council was composed of folks who had largely put their names on a ticket and walked into the position. Why? Too much effort to get up and vote. Too many important things to do. The previous year, we had 400 people vote out of 20,000 residents. I think a few more voted in the next few elections because of all the fuss. But most likely not because it’s much cooler to be apathetic and b@tch and moan rather than stand up and try to do the right thing and have yahoos say bad things.
Well, we DO have the vote in this country, so let’s use this right. Before it vanishes. And BTW, if you can, see that in the next 8 months all the folks of voting age in your town - let’s call them the dispossed who are often elderly and without proof they exist - see that they possess the correct documents to get them a Voter Registration Card. I don’t want to hear any last-minute bellyaching after the next election about it not being fair because not everyone got to vote. Bad things happen because too many people have let things slide. Let’s stop that trend! ‘Nuff said.
Stupid is as stupid does…….I think the Republicans have been inbreeding too long in Oklahoma…sad things they are….
Bringing Back the Black Robed Regiment
February 7 at 3:46am ·
If
the pulpit keeps quiet about aborted fetal tissues in vaccines, and
continues to tell the gathered believers to submit to government as our
so called representatives continue in their tenebrific efforts to make
vaccines mandatory, as seems to be the case, then, “in plain English,
there [is] an impious bargain struck up betwixt the scepter and the
surplice, for enslaving both the bodies and souls of men…”
‘Back at ya Dan’
Whoever that rep is ought to be recalled by his supporters. Support for him ought to be withdrawn.