There is no accounting for the gullibility of ignorant Americans, or their willingness to buy-in to conspiracy theories; particularly if they involve an alleged evil plot by anything remotely connected to the Obama Administration. The overriding feature of those most likely to fall for conspiracy theories is unmitigated fear; fear of change, fear of the Black man in the Oval Office, and most of all fear of myriad phony plots to indoctrinate children into whatever evil agenda the right-wing is selling at any given moment. It never ceases to amaze even semi-intelligent human beings how far extremists will go to keep Americans uninformed and ignorant, and its likely to keep them easily manipulated to oppose policies that serve the greater good; including their own best interests.
Conservatives are terrified of a well-educated populace, and for over a year the terror du jour is Common Core that the great majority of conservative Christian fear-mongers have little-to-no comprehension of what it entails. However, what they think they know is that because it was introduced while the Black man is President, it must be another inherently evil plot to transform their children into homosexuals, radical feminists, Nazis, Socialists, and mindless zombies. Conservative Christian children are already mindless zombies being taught that Stone Age humans kept and rode flesh-eating dinosaurs just prior to loading them onto a wooden ship to ride out a 40-day flood when Old Testament god exterminated all life on planet Earth; save Noah and his immediate family, but that is another story.
Common Core is simply a set of standards to give America’s children an education, and opportunity, to compete in a world that, unknown to conservative Christians and Republicans, has moved past the 19th century sensibilities where knowing that one-plus-one equals two was sufficient knowledge to dig ditches, plow fields, and sweep streets. Ignorant parents are beside themselves with fear and anxiety because they are unable to comprehend simple concepts like number sense, basic science, or think beyond rote memorization of rudimentary arithmetic facts. Their deep-seated believe is that if ignorance is good enough for them, it is more than sufficient for their children. What has been incredibly stunning is the reasoning behind conservative Christian and Republican opposition to Common Core and the lies they are willing to spread to engender terror at the idea America’s children will be educated to compete in a technologically advanced world.
The latest Republican to invoke terror over Common Core as a diabolical trojan horse to turn every schoolchild gay came from a Republican addressing an anti-Common Core event; yes, there are anti-Common Core events. Florida state Representative Charles Van Zant (R) warned the only reason school districts in Florida are implementing Common Core standards is to “receive $220 million from the state of Florida to promote double-mindedness in education and attract every one of your children to become as homosexual as they possibly can.” Van Zandt is not the first Republican to rail against, and lie about, Common Core standards or the conservative-devised phony threat it poses to America’s children.
At a public hearing last month on a bill to allow school districts to opt out of Common Core standards, a knuckle-dragging Tea Party leader told Alabama state senators that Common Core promotes “acceptance of homosexuality, alternate lifestyles, radical feminism, abortion, illegal immigration and the redistribution of wealth.” Teabag leader Terry Batton warned state legislators they were courting everlasting Hell-fire by even considering a vote in favor of the curricula that he warned would affect their fate in the Last Days. “We don’t want our children to be taught to be anti-Christian, anti-Catholic and anti-American. We don’t want our children to lose their innocence, beginning in preschool or kindergarten, told that homosexuality should be experienced at an early age and that same-sex marriages are okay.” The teabagger claimed Common Core, something he’s woefully ignorant of is rife with “curriculum against the principles of faith, family and freedom,” and “will dilute and erode the power and influence of biblical principles in the hearts and minds of our precious children.” As an educator for two decades with more than cursory knowledge of Common Core, one can say confidently Batton is a typical lying Christian fear-monger, but he is not alone.
In February a conservative commentator, Patrice Lewis, claimed Common Core uses “brainwashing” and “indoctrination techniques” to bring Nazism to America. Lewis said, “While the federalizing of public schools has been going on for decades, the rapid push to capture our children has taken on a sense of urgency. The government doesn’t just want our children’s bodies; it particularly wants their minds. Nazi German taught us that children are the currency of tyrants.”
Sandy Rios of the American Family Association told the Home School Legal Defense Association about Common Core’s sole purpose is to “promote homosexuality” to children. Rios said conservative Christians refuse to let their kids learn according to Common Core standards, and that subsequently they will be punished by “finding themselves in a situation where they cannot function, they cannot be accepted into colleges and universities, they can’t get scholarships, they can’t get a ticket to get into, you know, just living life.” Rios is right, of course. Conservative Christians’ children will be unable to function in the 21st century because they will be ignorant, superstitious, uneducated morons because their parents are terror-stricken idiots seeing conspiratorial plots related to anything introduced while President Obama occupies the White House.
Rios continued and said, “I just can’t see how our kids can survive,” and argued that conservatives will be forced to create a new society for idiot conservative children whose parents opposed Common Core, or secular education in general. “The only way I can see us even surviving is to develop a parallel society. A parallel economy, parallel job opportunities.” Rios and opponents of secular education will not have to create a parallel economy or job opportunities for their ignorant, uneducated children because there are will always be mindless job opportunities digging graves, cleaning toilets, or handing out religious pamphlets warning of the dangers of Common Core and god-less public schools.
America’s education system desperately needed a new set of standards updated to meet the needs of the 21st century where, although 1+1 still equals 2, 1940 standards will not equip students with the tools they will require to function and prosper. What conservatives really hate about Common Core is not that it will turn their children gay, against their families, or their beloved religion, but that it encourages exploration and critical thinking; the only defense against being mindless zombies and easily manipulated automatons.There is nothing as terrifying to Republicans, and particularly Christian conservatives, as any American, young or old, who can think critically and decide through exploration the best course of action for any task.
Republicans depend on their biblically-indoctrinated, mindless zombies to vote against their own best interests and keep Republicans in power, and it explains why the former Confederacy remains in Republican hands. By portraying Common Core as an evil Obama Administration plot to destroy Christian values, families, and turn children into homosexuals, radical feminists, Nazis, and Socialists, Republicans may gain electoral support, but the nation gains another generation of mindless zombies, teabaggers, superstitious evangelicals, and seriously stupid Americans.
Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn't look good.
Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.
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