Fox & Friends Texas Textbooks Clock – Day 3 Of Right Wing Lies And Propaganda
Reported by Priscilla - March 10, 2010 -
Now that there isn’t a “Tea Party Express” rolling, Fox & Friends needs another divisive social issue to promote. As they did with the Tea Party “patriots,” they are taking on an activist role in the ongoing debate about what should be included in Texas social studies books. As we saw from last year’s “Trouble With Textbooks” series, in which a right wing professor pointed out liberal bias in school texts, Fox & Friends is willing to provide a right wing platform, with no opposing views, for those espousing a right wing worldview. This week, they are doing a daily piece on what is happening in Texas where proposed changes to the texts are being met with opposition from Christian Conservatives who are fighting proposed changes while seeking to make their own changes based on Christian, conservative ideology which includes creationism and an emphasis on Christianity in American history. This morning’s Fox & Friends was more of the same right wing propaganda and lies which have been peddled for the past two days. Once again, only a conservative (who is more than just a concerned Texas dad*) was allowed to speak. Once again, the Fox & Friends hosts expressed their support for those espousing the conservative view. Once again, their guests proffered the requisite characterization of their opposition as “leftists.” It was straight up, reinforced right wing propaganda which uses misinformation about the Texas textbook “war” to rile up the anti-education pitchfork gang. Fox & Friends – not your your average morning chat show but one that’s galvanizing a social movement – who says the medium isn’t the message!
Former Miss American Gretchen Carlson began the segment with a great big smile. She said (with emphasis on the word “set”) “stage set for a bitter debate. The Texas Board of Education begins hearings today on proposed changes to textbooks that could change what students across the country learn about history.” Her vocie rising she claimed “among the proposed changes are omitting names of our founding fathers? Brian, what is up with that.” (Perfect moment for that SNL sketch!) Brian Kilmeade responded that parents will be commenting at today’s board meeting. He introduced Jason Moore as a father of five who will be in attendance. Not surprisingly, Moore said that he’s going to say “it’s OK to promote American exceptionalism” (a concept that is near and dear to the hearts of Christian conservatives.) He claimed that “we’re not allowed to talk about how great America is” and “that needs to be promoted more in our textbooks instead of these groups that want to divide us.” (ROFL – like Fox & Friends!) Carlson claimed that one of the proposed changes is to “start American History in 1877” (lie – this is second part of two part course) and “eliminate references to certain holidays (lie - they're there).” Her voice rising in patriotic indignation, she added “the Founding Fathers (lie, they're all there), the Constitution (lie, it’s there) and no surprise Christmas (lie – Christmas is back), they want to get rid of that because they’ve wanted to do that for the past two years. But come on, the Constitution (lie again).” Moore then touched on a “bete noir” ( I know, that’s one of them, thar furrin words) near and dear to the hearts of conservatives and conservative pundits on Fox News and that is those in the academic community. While not mentioning the role of the anti science Christian creationists who acted as consultants to the Texas School Board, Moore said the problem wasn’t the Board, but “educators” who aren’t allowing imput from parents. (Yesterday's guest from the Liberty Institute said the same thing) While he spoke, the chyron read “Forget the Founding Fathers, Texas May Change What Your Kids Learn.” (And if the right wingers get their way, America will be “dumbed down.”) He claimed that these educators are “insulated from the real world” and asked “who would propose to get rid of Christmas.” Good Christian conservative Carlson, who probably lives in an area which would be appalled by what this guy is saying, responded “oh, they’re doing it.” (lie again) To Kilmeade’s question of if he’s “speaking for the country, Moore said “absolutely.’ (I don’t think so!) He then repeated the lie that the first two hundred years of history are being “left out.” He then got in the money quote about “a systematic effort by these leftists to deny the religious heritage of our country and that nobody’s saying that ever Founder was a Christian…these guys are acting like we’re wanting something like that.” Carlson was just so excited that she jumped in and said “the amazing thing to me is that a lot of parents, this might have just gone by (her voice lowered to a whisper) unnoticed and it would have had huge ramifications.”
Memo to Gretchen Carlson: Yeah, Gretch. If Texas Christian conservatives get their way, and textbooks for the rest of the country get changed to suit the right wing agenda, there will be huge ramifications in places that don’t want right wing fundamentalist dogma inserted into textbooks. But Gretchen, as Jon Stewart asks, “Why do you check our IQ at the door?” The information, that you cite, is wrong. It’s available. I found it and linked to it. Why aren’t you interested in the truth? And Gretch, I know you’re a sweet Christian gal so you should know that lying is a sin. And lying, in the service of disparaging others, just isn’t very nice!
*Jason Moore is a DJ on a right wing Texas radio station KWEL (No, I won’t go there!!!). He is known as “Captain Watchdog, who will bark for you.” (He does have a DJ voice) He has already officially complained about a history text being used by his son. He is a Republican and has won a “Big Dog” award from Tea Party front group Americans for Prosperity. But on Fox & Friends, he’s just a dad.
