Draped in a flag, carrying a cross
The funny thing about so-called “small government” Republicans is their hypocritical desire to pass more and more laws, many of them with no purpose (like the Senate resolution that was passed last week “to express support for the state of Michigan officially recognizing September 19, 2013, as International Talk Like a Pirate Day”.) Michigan Senator Patrick Colbeck introduced legislation earlier this year to prevent what he sees as the censorship of American history in our schools. He’s back at it again with a new bill that authorizes the teaching of American history. It’s yet another solution looking for a problem to solve.
His bill, Senate Bill 423, authorizes the display of all manner of historical documents in schools:
- The Declaration of Independence
- The Constitution of the United States
- The Magna Carta
- The national motto
- The National Anthem
- The Mayflower compact
- The Federalist Papers
- The Anti-Federalist Papers
- The Bill of Rights
- The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States
- The Northwest Ordinances
He also wants to ensure that schools teach “the core principles of the Declaration of Independence” (his bill lists sixteen of them) and “the core principles of our state constitution” (he lists nine of those.)
Finally, he wants to be sure all state-mandated testing includes questions about these things.
Why? I’m not really sure. So far as I know, none of this is currently prohibited. So far as I or anyone else I know can tell, it’s just Colbeck asserting his “more patriotic than thou” ethos, proving to his tea party base that he’s a true patriot.
Here’s what I said about Colbeck’s efforts in the past:
Senator Colbeck isn’t accomplishing anything of significance with these phony displays of patriotism. He’s attempting to solve yet another problem that doesn’t exist. Our children aren’t being denied access to the teachings or writings of the “Founding Fathers” based on religious censorship any more than President Obama is a tyrant akin to the King of England in 1776 despite what the good Senator may want you to believe. These are empty gestures that simply shore up his support among the most rabidly conservative and politically active tea partiers in his district and will help him avoid a primary.We have problems in Michigan. Big problems. Real problems. Many of them are taking place right outside of Sen. Colbeck’s southeastern Michigan front door. While these problems fester and become worse day by day, Senator Colbeck is wasting our time and our tax money on demonstrations of faux patriotism.
One thing is very, very clear: the 7th Senate District needs new leadership.
I’m finding it hard to add much of anything to that.
And, seriously, dude. The Northwest Ordinances???
