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"Let's Just Ban...Everything"
DATE: May 1, 2003
FROM: Jerry Falwell
LET'S JUST BAN ... EVERYTHING
California school officials have issued new textbook regulations that
are designed to keep "offensive" material from hurting anyone's
feelings.
And
how do you keep from offending people?
Invoke censorship.
The
Fox News Network reported this week that a variety of phrases, images
and historic references have been suppressed in order to afford a more
politically-correct environment for students. After examining the things
that have been banned, it becomes evident to any clear-thinking
individual that these school officials are more concerned with rewriting
history and manipulating the minds of children than they are with
actually teaching.
Here
are just a few of the directives California educators have mandated for
their textbooks:
*
The nation's "Founding Fathers" must be referred to as "the Framers," to
avoid any implication that they were what they were - men. You know,
these great men typically wore powdered wigs and wore frilly clothes, so
maybe we should refer to them as our "Founding Cross Dressers," or the
"Founding Transgenders." (Then again, maybe I shouldn't make such
suggestions because, as ludicrous as it sounds, some California educator
might think it's not such a bad idea.)
*
Images of unsafe foods - hot dogs, sodas, cake, etc. - have been banned.
Maybe we should appease the unyielding animal-rights activists and not
depict any meat dishes, at all. Better yet, maybe we should suggest in
our textbooks that meat eaters - probably 90 percent of Americans - are
the equivalent of murderers.
*
Mount Rushmore can no longer be pictured because "it appears to offend"
some Indians ... I mean Native Americans. I say tear Mount Rushmore down
if it is so offensive. Just blow it up. This nation of "inclusion"
should not boast a monument that does not include a minority, a
homosexual, a dolphin or a handicapped individual.
*
Even yachts cannot be depicted in California textbooks because they are
seen as elitist. Well, aren't houses seen as elitist to homeless people?
Maybe photos of cars should also be banned. In fact, shouldn't all
photos be banned since many people can't afford a nice camera?
And
don't books come from trees? Should we even have books in our schools
when they come at the expense of the trees?
You
get the picture.
Our
nation is comprised of a growing number of people who have made an art
form of being offended; and California educators are determined to
mollify them.
This
is, of course, an unending proposition. The list of offenses will
continue to grow and censorship-minded California officials will
eventually find their textbooks full of empty white pages - unless white
pages are also found to be offensive.
"I
think our textbooks should to our greatest capacity be free of any type
of stereotyping," Sue Stickel, who is "deputy superintendent for
curriculum and instruction" for the California Department of Education,
told Fox News. (Ms. Stickel, I'd bet that 90 percent of California
students can't even spell or define the word "stereotyping.")
This
spirit of suppression is not exclusive to California education
officials. We see it all across the nation. People are offended by the
Ten Commandments, the Pledge of Allegiance, prayers at high school
football games, pro-adoption license plates, etc. And as soon as these
people complain, some left-leaning judge or city official can typically
be found to authorize a ruling to squelch the offending activity or
image. (By the way, how is it that conservatives are typically portrayed
as book burners when it is the left that is so comfortable with
silencing those with whom they disagree?)
Unless we are prepared to ban everything in our nation - because
virtually everything can be made to appear offensive - we had better
start electing political leaders and school officials who understand
that education is supposed to be about the free exchange of ideas and
actual teaching. We'd better get serious about putting people in power
who will not acquiesce to those who are habitually insulted or offended
by even the most innocuous things.
Jerry Falwell
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s Well said Rev. Jerry, Thanks......Texas Bob |
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