Adventures in My Mind
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Apr 8, 2005
In Legislature we mistrust
In case you haven't heard, Pennsylvania legislators have come up with the grand idea of putting the phrase "In God We Trust" in every single school room in the state of Pennsylvania. Yes, that's right. Every single room. Classrooms. Auditoriums. Gynasiums. Bathrooms. Cafeterias. Etc.
Agenda-driven, rural Republicans are attempting to hide their intertwining of religion and politics by saying that the bill, which would also require an explanation of the motto's origins, is their contribution to a well-rounded civics education. The bill states that "a proper understanding of United States history and government is essential to good citizenship."
I couldn't agree more. But since when does religious jingoism equate with good citizenship? Oh, I remember now: ever since that fateful day in Septemer when being a good citizen suddenly required you to also be a good Christian.
To further highlight the duplicitous nature of this so-called "National Motto Display Act", the bill's prime sponsor State Rep. Tom Creighton, R-Lancaster, has also submitted legislation that would enable school boards to permit the teaching of "intelligent design" whenever the Theory of Evolution is also taught.
For those of you who haven't been graced with the ultimate pseudo-science, "intelligent design" is simply a dressed up version of creationism. At its heart it states that the universe is so gosh-darned complicated that it could not have happened by accident - that there must be some prime mover, read God (and make no mistake, they mean a Christian God), who is responsible for it all.
I know that I went to a Pennsylvania public school that suffered greatly for its lack of In God We Trusts everywhere the eye could see, but I can add 1 + 1 and get a rightwing Christian agenda when I see one.
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 1:48 PM
