Wednesday, May 12, 2010

More News from the Great State of Arizona





I'm so happy to report that Arizona governor Jan Brewer is moving forward with the good work of marginalizing, discriminating, intolerance and xenophobia.  She's really making God proud.  Just ask her and she'll tell you:  "I firmly believe that God has placed me in this powerful position of Arizona’s governor to help guide our state through the difficulties that we are currently facing.”
Like, for example, the difficulty that we are facing due to ethnic studies being taught in school?

OH - I HAVE A GOOD IDEA, LET'S BAN IT!

And that's just what she did yesterday when she signed HB 2281 into law.  Here's what this glorious piece of legislation says:


15-111 Declaration of Policy
The legislature finds and declares that public school pupils should be taught to treat and value each as individuals and not based on ethnic background.

15-112 Prohibited Courses and Classes; Enforcement
     A. A school district or charter school in this state shall not include in its program of instruction any courses or classes that either:
     1. Are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group
     2. Advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.
     B. If the Superintendent of Public Instruction determines that a school district or charter school is in violation of Subsection A, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall notify the school district or charter school that it is in violation of Subsection A. ... [blah blah blah...failure to stop teaching these courses may result in withholding of state funds...blah blah blah]


The law was proposed by the Ministry of Magic...I mean, Arizona "Superintendent of Public Instruction," Tom Horne.  But can't you just hear Dolores Jane Umbridge reading it to the students at Hogwarts?


You remember Dolores, right?  She's the one who took over when Dumbledore was ousted -- she had all kinds of lame rules like don't practice magic in the school of wizardry.  Here's one of her great lines regarding education:
UmbridgeThe Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of a vital importance. Although each headmaster has brought something new to this... historic school, progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected and prune practices that ought to be... prohibited!"


Oh yes Arizona - we wouldn't want to see progress, now would we?  Progress should certainly be prohibited!

The law was specifically designed to target Tucson public schools' Chicano and Mexican American Studies program.  The textbook for this class is called "Occupied America: A History of Chicanos."  This book is really offensive to white Americans because we're being portrayed as "Occupiers."

Maybe we can organize a good old fashioned book bonfire (ala Nazi Germany) too!

I wonder what they're going to do about that troubling history related to Native Americans?  We probably ought to just get rid of all that negativity too, don't ya think?  Oh, but wait, the law specifically exempts classes for "Native American pupils that are required to comply with federal law."  Those damn feds are going to MAKE them continue to teach Native American studies??  Seriously, whatever happened to states' rights?

Caution - children learning!


For now, we'll just have to be satisfied with the rounding up and dumbing down Arizona.  I'm sure these laws will make their way across the country soon enough - lord knows idiocy spreads like wildfire!


3 comments:

  1. this is very good. I dont have a witty comment but I reread your 40 post and I think you are mean and funny.

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  2. I'll admit, I haven't been following much of the news that's been coming out of the good ole USA lately. I have my own problems here in Bangkok! But the quote you quoted, "I firmly believe that God has placed me in this powerful position of Arizona’s governor to help guide our state through the difficulties that we are currently facing", makes this lady seem like she is the queen of Arizona! Isn't that what all monarchs think...that they have been placed by God on the throne to rule?

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  3. EXACTLY Charles! And the last time I checked, we opted out of that whole monarchy thing back in 1776!

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