Texas Nears a Ban on Critical Race Theory

The Texas legislature thinks Critical Race Theory isn’t…critical.

To teach, that is.

On Saturday, the state Senate passed a bill banning such curriculum.

Last nite & into the morning, Texas Senate debated #CriticalRaceTheory.
We must teach the truth about our history, & judge others based on the content of character & not the color of skin.
Honored to pass #HB3979 on behalf of Sen. @CreightonForTX. #txlege @Toth_4_Texas pic.twitter.com/ojPEXqR0lt

— Senator Bryan Hughes (@SenBryanHughes) May 22, 2021

Eleven days prior, the House affirmed HB3979 by a vote of 79-65.

As noted by the The Texas Tribune, “The support in the chamber came over opposition from dozens of education, business and community groups.”

One foe: Mark Wiggins, lobbyist for the Association of Professional Educators.

To hear him tell it, the ban’s downright disrespectful:

By telling teachers what and how to teach and ordering TEA to play police, HB 3979 may be one of the most disrespectful bills to teachers I've seen the #txlege dignify with debate.

Teachers will remember come November. #txed pic.twitter.com/HG3SZMZAhB

— Mark Wiggins (@MarkWigginsTX) May 22, 2021

As for Senate affirmation, it was no surprise — the upper chamber had already given the Thumbs Up to a similar proposal.

The legislation — which will head to the governor’s desk once the House approves the Senate’s changes — states thusly:

A teacher of specified social studies, history, and government courses could not be compelled to discuss current events or widely debated and currently controversial issues of public policy or social affairs. A teacher who chose to discuss such topics would have to, to the best of the teacher’s ability, strive to explore those topics from diverse and contending perspectives without giving deference to any one perspective.

Furthermore, no course can espouse any of the following:

one race or sex was inherently superior to another race or sex

an individual by virtue of the individual’s race or sex was inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously

an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of the individual’s race or sex

members of one race or sex cannot and should not attempt to treat others without respect to race or sex

an individual’s moral character is necessarily determined by the individual’s race or sex

an individual, by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, bore responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex

an individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of the individual’s race or sex

meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic are racist or sexist or were created by members of a particular race to oppress members of another race.

The bill also champions an understanding of the nation’s founding according to its actual documents, as well as “the fundamental moral, political, and intellectual foundations of the American experiment in self-government.”

To those who attended school long ago, all of the above may seem a given. However, in case you’ve been paying no attention, schools have changed a smidge.

Cases in point:

Southern School District Tells Teachers to Ignore White Parents’ Complaints Over Critical Race Theory – They’re Benefiting From Whiteness

Seattle Tells Its White Teachers to ‘Bankrupt’ Their Privilege and Acknowledge Their ‘Thieved Inheritance’

University of Chicago Eyes the Creation of a Critical Race Studies Department

Arizona State University Dean Pens 350+ Page Book on How Grading Writing Is White Supremacy

To Root Out Racism, Elite High School for Science and Technology Ends Merit-Based Admissions

Other states are taking on Critical Race Theory, too.

In April, Idaho became the first to 86 CRT.

Tennessee’s eyeing the same.

Back to Texas, it’s transforming.

On Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order barring mask mandates.

As for Saturday’s vote, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick heaped praise:

“House Bill 3979 makes certain that critical race philosophies, including the 1619 founding myth, are removed from our school curriculums statewide. When parents send their children to school, they want their students to learn critical thinking without being indoctrinated with misinformation charging that America and our Constitution are rooted in racism.”

Consider the Longhorn State unwoke:

“Texans roundly reject the ‘woke’ philosophies that espouse that one race or sex is better than another and that someone, by virtue of their race or sex, is innately racist, oppressive or sexist.”

And if that doesn’t wet your whistle, here’s transformative news that will…on May 12th, something wondrous occurred: