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he Austin Chronicle: News: Texas Fiction Science: The State Board of Education does its part to fantasize biology: There’s nothing the evil overlords of the fictional future like more than a nice, healthy round of brainwashing. Whether it’s George Orwell’s totalitarian government of Oceania thwarting rebellious citizens in 1984, the “conditioning” of children in Brave New World, or the large-scale human reprogramming in The Matrix, mind control is all the rage for governments looking to cultivate a herd of submissive subjects. And it’s so simple, too! All that’s necessary are a few moldable minds and a strict party line.

But here’s a bit of nonfiction: The Texas State Board of Education has just those two things.

This is the danger of introducing politics into our educational system. When people are able to essentially dictate what the science is, despite not having any relevant expertise, in order to fit their own religious biases, then our educational system is in real trouble. The SBOE is ignoring the recommendations of their own expert panel in pursuing this change, as well as the appropriate professional organizations.

Texas will be a laughingstock should these changes be allowed to be implemented. It’s time for Texans concerned with the education of our children to throw these bums out. Let them preach in their churches whatever they want. The schools are not to be a platform for their parochial views.