Fox & Friends Does Second Partisan Piece on Texas Textbook “War”
Reported by Priscilla - March 9, 2010 -
The possibility that evil, libruls could impose their godless world view into textbooks used by good, God fearing Texas students seems to be quite the cause celebre for Fox & Friends which is closely following the “controversy” surrounding proposed changes to Texas textbooks. This morning, the Fox morning opinion show did two totally partisan pieces in support of the conservative cause. So in case you didn’t get the message the first time, by the end of the show, you really should know what’s happening. In the earlier segment, Steve Doocy interviewed Jonathan Saenz, of the uber conservative Liberty Legal Institute. The later piece was more of the same except that the conservative spokesperson was a retired Texas school teacher. If propaganda’s efficacy is increased the more it is repeated, then this morning’s Fox & Friends scored a twofer! More nicely reinforced propaganda – more free face time for those pushing it. Ah, good times.
Doocy began his second piece with the standard rhetoric, used by the right wing, about stuff which he claims is being eliminated in the Texas curriculum. He started by saying that the Texas Board of education has a tight grip on what goes into the Texas textbooks . He didn’t note that until the recent election, conservative creationists controlled the 15 member board. He said that the proposed changes could leave out “Founding Fathers, references to Independence Day, Veterans Day, Christmas, George Washington, Abe Lincoln, wow.” As I noted in my earlier piece, it was the conservative group who suggested less Washington and Lincoln and more Rush Limbaugh. As I also noted, Independence Day and Veterans Day are not being eliminated. He introduced his guest, Tom Woods, a former Texas history teacher who taught for over 35 years and who isn’t a happy camper. While the *chyron read “Forget the Founding Fathers, TX Proposal Could Start History at 1877.” (Where did Fox get this “fact?”) Woods said will be testifying, tomorrow, at the hearings because he “just had to speak out.” Doocy asked the same scripted question that he asked his earlier right wing guest about “who is pushing” the changes including taking out Independence Day. Woods, not surprisingly, said he believed that it was “left wing fringe liberals.” To Doocy’s question about how those on the other side say that conservatives are trying to put their imprint onto the textbooks, Woods said that his side is trying to “preserve the truth” which (surprise, surprise) includes Judeo-Christian values having played a role in US history and founding. Steve said “sure.” After saying that other states buy the textbooks used in Texas, Doocy (not exactly MENSA material) said that people need to worry about the “dumbing down of America.” Woods said that these “values have helped preserve our freedom.” Once again, there was no mention of what the right wingers want to change.
Comment: What we should worry about is the “dumbing down” of information on a morning show that brings new meaning to the word "dumb." That Steve "giggles" Doocy, the master of inanity, could be talking about “dumbing down” is rich in irony. And while Fox & Friends does “dumb down” the news, it propagandizes up and today's show was great propaganda. Good ole Tom Woods got to smear, as did the earlier guest, those who are fighting the conservatives. Notice that Doocy has made no attempt to actually interview any of these “left wing liberals.” This segment was nothing if not dumb as it, again, presented only one side of the argument – a side that was full of misinformation, if not downright lies. But yeah, textbooks should include no talk of evolution and more talk about Christianity, Newt Gingrich, and the greatness of Joe McCarthy. Talk about dumb!
*Lie – Here is the page from the proposed revisions, found on the Texas Education Agency website: “In this course United States History Studies Since 1877, which is the second part of a two-year study of U.S. history that begins in Grade 8, students study the history of the United States since from Reconstruction 1877 to the present.” Note- “second part of a two year study of US History.” But the notion that history will start in 1877 is very popular in the right wing blogs which support the conservative position that the proposed changes are part of an evil, librul plot – something being aided and abetted by Fox & Friends.
