Dreaming of Madrassahs

Conservatives on a panel appointed by the Texas Board of Education are working to remove men of color and women from history classes and teach that the United States is an instrument of divine will, from which it receives its power. And if they have their way, that's just the beginning:

The outcome of these hearings will be used by publishers to determine what goes into their textbooks. As the second-largest bulk purchaser of textbooks in the country, Texas determines what students learn not only in Texas, but in many other states, where districts purchase the same versions.

The final word will rest with the Board of Education itself. It is highly unlikely that they will adopt the most extreme recommendations from the "panel of experts," but the theocratic presence on this panel--two of the six members are right-wing demagogues with no social science credentials at all, and another is an eccentric right-wing professor who believes there is no such thing as separation of church and state--indicates that the Board may be gearing up for an almost equally troubling "compromise" position.

See also: Understanding the Religious Right