Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

No Left Turns

Coming to a School Near You

The Los Angeles Times reports this story--brewing now for a couple weeks. California State Senator and lesbian, Sheila Kuehl (whom you may remember from TV’s Doby Gilis--sp? sorry, before my time), successfully shepherded through the California legislature a bill that will require text books used in California public schools to highlight the accomplishments of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people. Leaving aside all the usual objections that certainly apply here, let’s also examine the obvious absurdity of a legislature inserting itself into a subject like this when California has had to have a judge put an injunction against the schools to prevent high school seniors from having to pass the state’s exit exam (because too many people were failing). Reason #7878736 my kids won’t go to California public schools.

The worst part of it is that if Arnold signs this and it becomes law, other states will see the same text books incorporated into their schools. The largest text book market in the country is in California. What we ask for, we get and you get.

Discussions - 20 Comments

Considering the fact that many pro-GLBT folks (including scientists and researchers) are moving away from the "gay is genetic" idea and into "gay is a lifestyle choice", I propose that we (as in conservative Christian) folks begin to write textbooks highlighting the accomplishments, discoveries and contributions that Christians have made. Do you think society in general could learn to "tolerate" us?

Historically what are the accomplishments of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people? The fall of Rome? Soddom and Gommorah? The demise of modern Europe?

Think showtunes, Ohio Brass.

Well, I think it’s obvious that gays, lesbians, and bisexuals have contributed quite a bit to Western Civilization (think Socrates, or Michelangelo, or Oscar Wilde--although terms like "gay" wouldn’t have meant a thing to the first two). Sex changes haven’t really been around enough for the "transgendered" to contribute much of anything. But it’s a silly idea to try to point out their sexual orientation in schoolbooks; as silly as mandating the textbooks highlight the accomplishment of blue-eyed people, or redheads.


Brook, you know better than that.
Some animals are more equal than others. And have no doubt: California is Animal Farm.

But homosexuality is a choice founded on a preference(And what choices are possible otherwise?)...It would be akin to blue eyed people or redheads wishing to wear green collored contacts or dyeing hair brown in the respective cases... homosexuals chose a different sexual outcome from the norm. Perhaps homosexuality predominates or at least is found disproportionately in the art community because these are people who try above all to see things as they could be otherwise. Or at least it would be interesting if one could find examples of stoics who became homosexual...out of a desire to fight hormones and truely master themselves(perhaps this is the case with some Catholic priests). A study of homosexuality would seem to entail interesting connections to a grand theme in Western Civilization: the conquest of nature, not to mention questions concerning the scope of human volition.

But I agree with Julie that California schools need to answer notable deficiencies in the basics first.

All I really mean to say is that if we already highlight the accomplishments of blacks, hispanics, asians, women...ext...then we won’t necessarily go wrong by highlighting homosexuality...because in essence this will put the spade to the others since it is the only one of the group that is in any way chosen, and thus in some way intimately related to the thinking and practices of the person in question. On the other hand I suppose it is significant that Martin Luther King was black...but this significance is historical...he didn’t choose to be black but because he was black and he lived in the times he did he reacted differently than if he had been born white. Many of the choices he made were made because of his race, and I suppose that when putting things into context the same defenses can be made for notable asians, hispanics or women... And I suppose that some of these notable people might have been more notable (and some of them less if they needed the crisis(or injustice) to spur them) if society had been different at the time. I would suppose that putting things in context is the most important and difficult subject...

Rather than assuming that modern education will ever suceed at making men "tolerant" why not assume that it might at least make people raise the types of questions that will in the long run...(I think) make them more conservative... (by conservative I mean the type that does not dismiss or rush to judge Andrew Jackson out of hand because he drove indians off land) I mean also the type that resists offhand remarks denigrating Lincoln...

Because if you can make a person suffer through a textbook that puts a positive spin on homosexuality...eventhough such a thing is against the inclinations of most...and because of it...students will begin to react more sharply to any judgement made...they will question more...perhaps even begin a search for themselves...

In Dr. Schramms great essay describing his comming to America...he makes note of certain experiences in his education that were contrary to his disposition...and I believe one could argue that if that liberal proff had not mocked belief in God...Dr. Schramm may have grown up to be a liberal prof with an interest in european politics..instead he awoke found Jaffa and Licoln and the rest is history.

In the end I agree with Julie that this doesn’t need to be taught...but when it is taught...I am not sure what the result will be...and I am definately not as sure as some people are that the end results will be negative... Free will opperates in Education...boys are not clay pots to be filled, or topiaries to be trimmed.

Good points John Lewis. As a high school history teacher for 10 years I have seen the slow erosion of American history and culture due to new standards put into place through legislation. I find it degrading to say the least that my education is so undervalued that I have to be assigned content. What is sad is that topics that really generate interest with young people have to be shortened or altogether dumped in order to cover an area so a student can be proficient. It isn’t that I would refrain from teaching about Socrates or Michelangelo because today they would be be considered "Great Gays from History" I would hope to discuss them as part of the great story we share as humans. I think the issue is similar to Black History Month. Should we throw all black heroes into one month or discuss them in relation to the time period which indeed made them great?


Ultimately the GLBT agenda is part of the overall agenda of cultural marxism, whose ultimate goal is the destruction of western civilization. As such it is not an expression of the desire for tolerance, but of a deep-seated hatred of the western societies for their rejection of the communist ideology. * If we can’t have the house painted red, we’ll burn it down *

I think kids with unusually large noses need to feel good about themselves, kids with acne, obese kids, skinny kids, kids with 6 toes on each foot, clumsy kids and kids with IQs over 200, kids of single parent families, kids of same sex parent families, kids with no siblings, adopted kids and kids who look up to gang members as roll models, blue eyed, brown eyed, crossed eyed, near sighted and far sighted kids. They all need to feel good about themselves and every high school book of every field of study should dedicate at least 10% to each of these types of kids (math was not my best subject).

Did I leave anyone out?

Meanwhile, according to Larry Elder, California kids have an exit exam they’re supposed to pass to graduate from high school. Parts are geared to 8th, parts to 9th and parts to 10th grade levels. No parts are dedicated to 11th or 12th grade levels. Students only need to get 55% right answers to pass and they have 6 chances, retaking only those parts they have failed. A judge is throwing the exam out, ordering schools to graduate kids who can’t pass that test.

They ain’t learnin’ ’em smarts, but they’re sure learnin’ ’em sensitivity.

A Paul Simon song comes to mind.

Does this mean that the "rumor" that Einstein actually wrote his Theory of Relativity on Enrico Fermi’s back while he was pumping Fermi for information is really, really true ?

I have to go now to tell an eight year-old. Oh wait, I’d get put in jail for indecency.......unless I’m a teacher.

Justdad ".......unless I’m a teacher.?"

We would be the first to get nailed for this type of analysis.

It is interesting that those who might try to explain how things were can get nailed for how things are!


Dobie Gillis was a late 50’s(and quite clever) teen show where Ms. Kuehl played Zelda Gilroy,a plainish girl enamored of Dobie.She explained since they sat next to one another,he would eventually fall for her rather than Tuesday Weld,who was in another home room.Thus I learned the term "propinquity"Another notable tidbit re’ Ms. Kuehl is her graduating spot(#1) from Harvard Law.As far as I know,Harvard hasn’t confirmed it,nor has Ms. Kuehl bothered to deny it.So,it must be considered as another urban legend.I will note Jill St. John ascribed an IQ of 170 (see Thomas Jefferson) to herself-somewhat higher than the "150’s" actress Sharon Stone revaled about herself.
And to close with some IQ tidbits,Sen John Kerry’s was estimated at about 114-which seems a bit high to me-based on his Naval Officer entrance exams and GWB as 125 from his SAT’s(1240 on the old scale)

it’s pathetic in this age of instant information to use, "before my time", as an excuse not to know how to spell "Dobie Gillis"! I guess they don’t teach history at Ashland University, it is after all before most of our times. You certainly wouldn’t accept that as an excuse from a student or a member of the mainstream media

How about this excuse: Not only was that show before my time, it is not worth my time. And if you’re that worried about how to spell it, you’ve got too much time!

that’s mature, now you sound like a whiny fiberal!

If you’re going to get that personal I guess I’ve no choice but to defend myself. Perhaps John, you might benefit from a lesson or two about rules of spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. And while you’re at it, see what the good book says about pointing out the speck in one person’s eye when you’ve got a plank in your own. Geesh!

What’s up with comment 12, Justdad? One consistent thing I’ve noticed among those who are against gay rights (equal rights or special rights, whatever you wanna say - that’s another debate altogether) or whatever gay thing is at issue at the moment, is they are always so very focused on gay SEX. Regardless of Einstein’s sexual orientation, he was apparently spending a great deal of his time thinking and doing non-sexual things. But if he was gay, you wanna make the Theory of Relativity a prop for your little tale of gay anal sex. Bizarre.

huh? let me say that again backwards, HUH?

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