Coming to a school book near you -- and then to the entire U.S.

http://www.star-telegram.com/texas/story/1...

By SHIRLEY JINKINS
Dallas billionaire Ross Perot is in, but former Texas Gov. Miriam "Ma" Ferguson is out on what could be the most talked about list in Austin.
Perot and Ferguson, and other notable figures in history, are part of the name game that has emerged in the state capital as a committee appointed by the State Board of Education considers suggestions about whom should be included — and who should be cut — from new social studies textbooks.

. . .

As the list stands now, former Texas U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm was booted out "to be replaced with examples of positive leaders," and Ferguson, the late Texas U.S. Sen. John Tower and former U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros were all removed "for questionable character."
Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale is gone because "few age-appropriate materials exist," and polio vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk is out, "to be replaced with creators of new technology." Albert Einstein, Galileo Galilei and Louis Pasteur should be taught, "but not explicitly named." Desmond Tutu and Mother Teresa were "removed to focus on events, not personalities."

http://tfninsider.org/2009/10/16/david-bar... /

"As David Barton helps guide the revision of social studies curriculum standards for Texas public schools, it’s important to keep his agenda in mind. In fact, that agenda will be the focus of a conference for right-wing legislators Barton’s organization, WallBuilders, is hosting Nov. 5-8 in Dallas.
WallBuilders hopes to draw lawmakers from states around the country to its ProFamily Legislators Conference. The event’s speakers and session topics are all geared toward promoting Barton’s agenda: basing our nation’s laws and society on a fundamentalist Protestant interpretation of the Bible. The WallBuilders Web site promises that lawmakers will get ”a fresh perspective on the historical application of Scripture to public policy-making with a deeper look into what the Bible says about current issues.”
Of course, Barton squares his interpretation of the Bible with his conservative politics generally. For example, he has argued that the Bible forbids progressive taxation and labor laws. So no one should be surprised that the conference promotes other conservative goals with biblical justifications. Indeed, Barton plans to address lawmakers on issues such as “God and the Constitution” and “Biblical positions” on marriage and no-fault divorce. (Apparently, the religious right sees no problem with trivializing the Bible by presenting it as almost a partisan political platform or a justification for one.)"

Think of it as an old story: crusades, jihads, religious wars. George Tiller is just the latest martyr to be cut down in church (or synagogue or mosque) by those who are sure that God (or Yahweh or Allah) wants them to. The most-shocking thing may be that it's in Wichita rather than Baghdad; but don't forget that Dr. Tiller was shot before, and had his clinic bombed. It's just a smaller instance of the terrorism that visited Oklahoma City and lower Manhattan; and one in a long line of anti-choice assassinations that have been perpetrated over the decades since Roe v. Wade. And just think of Bill O'Reilly or Rush Limpballs as the latest Henry II to ask "who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?" Except rather than be overheard by a few knights, they have repeatedly proclaimed it to millions in their audiences. The gunman may have ACTED alone on Sunday; but he was programmed to act that way by hateful organizations and personalities.

My family was visiting my mother in Wichita on this weekend. Her house is only about a mile from the church. We were driving past the church on Sunday and saw a bunch of emergency vehicles. Later found out what had happened. At least we were there to attend the vigil that night with several other people -- and Fred Phelp's crew being kept across a street by the police. We know several people who worked with Tiller or otherwise knew him. And of course he was a major, important source of medical care for women nationwide, as well as an important political player in the pro-choice cause. He cannot be replaced, although perhaps more providers can be encouraged to take on some of the care he provided. It hit us hard; and it will hit millions of women hard across the nation, even if many of them don't know it yet.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dawn-teo/asu...

TEMPE, ARIZONA - Universities typically confer an honorary degree on commencement speakers, particularly those who have reached the pinnacle of their career or achieved the top of their field. Arizona State University (ASU), though, says it will not confer an honorary degree on this year's commencement speaker, President Barack Obama, because "his body of work is yet to come."

...



Yeah, what's he ever done? Confounded all experts and won the Democratic nomination. Elected president. Started off his administration like gangbusters. Sure, just not enough "eminence." Just not up to AZU standards.

Hmm, Arizona -- now what was that Arizona connection with Obama. Seems like it was last summer and fall, or sometime. Hmm.

LOL!

the only effective action taken to counter the hijackings on 9/11 were not taken by the military, by the precursor agencies now in Homeland Security, by any part of the Administration, nor by any other public agency. The action was taken by a group of passengers on Flight 93, alerted by telephone contacts that made it clear what was going on with the hijackings, and determined to not allow themselves to be docile parts of such a scenario. The parallel I drew at the time (and wrote on a NY Times discussion board at the time) was with the biological immune system when it reacts to messages from the body and attacks disease organisms. On Flight 93, a group of Americans thrown into a critical juncture took action that may have saved the U.S. Capitol or White House. Had sensible lessons been drawn from this, we would not have as a nation embarked on a War on Terra, created a Homeland Gestapo, err, Security Department, undermined civil liberties, imprisoned and tortured countless people, nor thrown away lives, our economy, and our national reputation on an invasion of Iraq. The 'time' for Flight 93 won't have come until America is ready to learn from it -- if it is ever ready to do so.

Dubai deals, always a doubtful good buy, demand denial, and goodbye Dubya.

They may have already lost the Hispanic vote that they tried so long to court. And there are other communities affected by immigration laws who will have been insulted by the measure the House already passed -- the spark for the demos.

My feet and legs still hurt from the march in Dallas on Sunday -- had to hike a couple of miles in from a parking spot, and back again, as well as the march itself. Half a million is the biggest protest Dallas has ever seen.

we'd need to call it "trade building."