Why Texas should secede

I'm all for Texas leaving the union.

Texas, these days, seems to be full of racists, rednecks, nogoodniks, neanderthals, stupids, morons, Repugnicans, and assholes. This became obvious when I watched a bit of the so-called Tea Parties held in Texas which had nothing to do with tea or anything else that made sense. What sense can be had from the fact that every idiot who participated in a tea party and makes less than $250K a year is being given a tax cut from the Obama administration? Huh?

As we've said before the Boston nogoodniks who tossed tea into Boston Harbor so long ago were pissed, not because they had to pay taxes, but rather because they had no representation in Parliament.

The present-day Tea Partiers, ignorant morons that they are, are not only represented in Congress but are actually getting tax breaks from the government!

Which means that most of this noise was pure racism. They just don't like a black president!

That's not to deny there are lots of good folks in Texas, but it looks like they're just gonna have to immigrate to the United States.


The secession of Texas would be wonderful! For one thing, it would save the rest of us a ton of money. Rick Perry, the moronic governor of Texas, is telling the people of Texas that the federal government is a like a vampire, sucking the financial blood of the hardworking folks living in the Lone Star State.

Rick Perry is a liar. For every dollar Texas sends to the federal government, Texas gets 88 cents back! That's one of the highest ratios of all the states and almost double what most receive in return for their dollar.

So, actually, we might say that Texas is like a vampire, sucking the financial blood of all the rest of us!


I've put together (quickly) a list of some of consequences of Texas' secession. You may think of many more and can add them to the list.

1. No FEMA in cases of natural disasters.
2. No FAA to keep airplanes from crashing into one another and into the ground.
3. No military to protect Texas.
4. All military bases in Texas will close and be transferred to the United States.
5. No more scientific research grants.
6. No grants to Texas' universities.
7. No federal loans for Texas college students.
8. No mortgage assistance for people buying homes.
9. No small business loans.
10. No Medicare.
11. No Medicaid.
12. No Social Security.
13. No federal aid for hospitals.
14. Texas will have to pay the United States for the Interstate Highways.
15. No federal money for road construction or other infrastructures.
16. No border patrol. Texas will have to set up its own border patrol.
17. No federal prisons.
18. No national parks.
19. No education funding.
20. The Houston Space Center will be relocated.
21. No more special allowances for oil companies located in Texas.
22. No federal courts.
23. No FBI.
24. No DEA.
25. No CIA
26. No OSHA.
27. No FCC.
28. No EPA.
29. No FDA.
30. No Veterans administration or veterans hospitals.
31. Here's a list of other federal assistance to Texas (and other states) and these will all be discontinued:
a. Aid to Families with Dependent Children
b. Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Services Block Grant
c. Child and Adult Care Food Program
d. Community Development Block Grant
e. Conservation Reserve Program
f. Federal Pell Grant (mentioned above: loans to college students)
g. Food Stamp Program
h. Head Start
i. Local Law Enforcement Block Grant
j. Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher
k. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families


I know this list is woefully incomplete. Please feel free to add to it.


One other thing. Chuck Norris wants to be president of the Republic of Texas. That would serve 'em right. I'll bet he's almost as smart as Ronald Reagan, another B-grade movie actor who knew from nothing.

Oh, and George W. Bush could run for president of Texas. He damned near ruined the state while governor, and he did ruin the United States, but, what the hell, Texans will probably give him another change. Tom DeLay could be vice-president. He's even more immoral than Cheney! Karl Rove could be attorney general and waterboard everybody who didn't agree with him!

The NRA would be given a special seat in the Legislature to make sure that every single possible kind of weapon be available everywhere guns are sold to everyone without regard to race, creed, sex, or even age!

Rick Perry' tempest in a teapot

[Photo of Governor Goodhair - so dubbed by Molly Ivins - from AP at KCBY.com]

I'm constantly in awe of the fact that so many prominent Repugnicans are so damn dumb. Rick Perry, governor of Texas, who has threatened that Texas might secede from the union, is high on the list of dumbnuts.

Alex Koppelman at Salon notes that after appearing at a tea rally in his state, Perry told reporters that when Texas entered the union in 1845 "one of the issues was that we would be able to leave if we decided to do that."

Well, not quite. Koppelman notes that AP checked with the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, and found that Perry's statement is not true.


This tempest in a teapot, if you will, was discussed at The Last Chance Democracy Cafe, where it was noted some folks on the left believe that Texas leaving the union would be a good thing. It would mean the union would lose one of its largest bunch of recalcitrant right wing nogoodniks, and take a swing toward sanity!

"Besides, one can hardly help but be intrigued by any suggestion that would result in both Karl Rove and George W. Bush having to get a visa to enter the country. If Homeland Security does even a half-assed job, we should never have to see either one of them again."

What could possibly be wrong with that?

One of the more to-the-point comments made with regard to the post at The Last Chance Democracy Cafe came from "bettysdad," who said:

"I'm greatly looking forward to Texas seceding.

"After the paperwork is done, the US should go in and seize or destroy everything in Texas built by the Feds.

"Aided by the US, Mexico should invade Texas to reclaims it's [sic] stolen property.

"Then, Texas will be 'illegal aliens,' and will be dealt with appropriately."


Oh, and as The Last Chance Democracy Cafe suggests to Texas, "Don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out!"


Koppelman here. Last Chance Democracy Cafe here.

"Be silent!" said the Texas teacher

[This image can be found here. These are school boys engaged in prayer at an Islamic school in Nigeria. This is exactly what the christianist wingnuts would like to see in the U.S. public schools; the only difference is the god to whom they pray!]

Hemant Mehta at Friendly Atheist tipped me to this one.

The story goes like this. "A three-judge panel from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans upheld a district court ruling, saying the law is constitutional because it expressly allows for any silent use of the period, either religious or nonreligious.

"The 2003 law allows children to 'reflect, pray, meditate or engage in any other silent activities' for one minute at the beginning of each school day.'"


My first thought is that the nitwits who thought up this "moment of silence" have never been in a classroom. The challenge for many teachers has to do with the monumental task of getting the kiddos into their [proper and assigned] seat!

Moment of silence, indeed!

Secondly, this whole business is just another ploy by the christianist wingnuts to sneak prayer into our public schools. Public schools have NEVER outlawed prayer. I've known many students who prayed before class, before a test, before lunch, and before a football game. They did it silently and unobtrusively and no one EVER questioned their right to do so.

So, why do we need a "moment of silence"?

We don't - not in Texas, not in Florida, not in New York, not anywhere!


Actually, it could end up a real problem, if some of the more intelligent kids put this moment of silence to good use. For example, as long as they were silent, for one minute they could:

1. Stand up and play with a yoyo.
2. Use hand-signals to communicate with a student across the room.
3. Males could pull the hair of a girl sitting in front of them.
4. Girls could put on make-up, comb their hair, make sure their lipstick is not all over their faces.
5. Text-message on a cell phone.
6. Draw graffiti in a text book.
7. Sneak notes to other people in the room.
8. Go to sleep (without snoring).
9. Daydream.
10. Study for the quiz (which I always gave first thing every morning).
11. Make goofy faces at a friend in the next row.
12. Pretend to tear up one's homework.
13. Plan one's afterschool activities.
14. Stare at the teacher with an amused expression.
15. Stare at the teacher with a bored expression.
16. Stare at the teacher with an angry expression.

I'm sure there are many more creative ways that students can use this blessed "moment of silence," thanks to the asshats in the Texas Legislature who know from nothing about public schools but are driven to try to impose their religious beliefs on the rest of us!

What is my risk for cervical cancer?

[Image of sex ed class from Boston.com]

That sounds like a reasonable question.

Except it was asked by a sincere MALE student at Texas State University!

In Texas, according to Matt Frazier, "any course material and instruction relating to human sexuality and sexually transmitted diseases ... must:

"Present abstinence from sexual activity as preferred for unmarried people of school age.

"Devote more attention to abstinence than to any other behavior.

"Emphasize that only abstinence is 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and the emotional trauma associated with adolescent sexual activity.

"Teach contraception and condom use based on usage rates instead of theoretical laboratory rates, if instruction on contraception and condoms is included in curriculum.

"..."


The Texas Freedom Network released a report the other day indicating that "The overwhelming majority of Texas schools use scare tactics and spread myths in place of teaching basic sex and health information that students can use to protect themselves and others."

This report derives from a two-year study of sex education materials from 990 Texas school districts, and shows that "94 percent of public schools use abstinence-only programs that usually pass moral judgments while either downplaying or ignoring contraception and health screenings."

It isn't any wonder, then, that "Texas continues to have one of the nation's highest teen pregnancy rates despite receiving more federal abstinence funding than any other state."

And this fits with other national studies which show that while the federal government has poured $1 billion down the black hole of abstinence-only sex education, it has had no effect whatsoever on teen sexual activity and teen pregnancy rates.

'What it has done, unfortunately, is left millions of our school children without basic sex information and left them vulnerable to pregnancy and disease!


The report also showed that 41 percent of the material used by Texas school districts contained errors of fact with regard to condom use and STDs. "Shaming and fear-based instruction are standard means of teaching students about sexuality."

Maybe these districts should listen to Bristol Palin!


Read more from the Star-Telegram here.

Texas atheists attack "godly" moment of school silence

[Image from constitutioncenter.org]

For most teachers, a moment of silence in a classroom is a rare and wonderful thing.

The State of Texas, however, mandates that, in Texas schools, as the school day begins, following the students mumbling their "allegiance" to the flags of the United States and the State of Texas, there be a "moment of silence."

In spite of the fact that said moment of silence is promoted as an opportunity for students to "reflect, pray, meditate, or engage in any other silent activity" that does bother other students, this is moment of silence is but a perverse means by which the christianist right got some sort of "prayer" in the public schools. It's a religious thing, as you shall see.

Other than in professional football, where do you see people come together and have a moment of silence before they get about their business?

Good christianists in Texas are all agog because an "atheist" couple from Carrollton have sued to get the moment of silence tossed from Texas schools.


On the other side, the right wing christianist Liberty Legal Institute, has stepped into the fray and filed a friend-of-the-court brief arguing for the maintenance of the moment of silence. Kelly Shackelford, a legal beagle with the LLI, just can't understand why anyone would object.

It's so intolerant, he thinks. "You know," he said, "it's hard to understand these kinds of folks who are so intolerant that they don't want there to be a moment of silence to start the day. ...

"...I hope," whines Shackeford, "we are at a day and age where the idea of striking down times of a moment of silence where every kid gets a right to really pray or not pray or meditate or do whatever they want -- I hope we're at a day and age where we're not that hostile to religion..."


Aha. See! It's all about religion!

A moment of silence is no big deal. It's kind of stupid, though, when a teacher is trying to settle the kiddos down and get to the lesson plan, to have to monitor a moment of silence -- to make sure nobody is talking or whispering or passing notes or listening to their iPod or talking on a cell phone or text messaging or beating up on the person sitting in the seat in front.

What is about these christianists that they just can't keep their grubby little creepily "spiritual" hands off the public schools?

Creationist chicanery in Texas

[Image from Pharyngula]

Onenewsnow, being a christianist right wingnut outfit, has no problem with stretching the truth or lying outright, especially for the purpose of giving credence to creationist lies.

For example, in an article discussing an upcoming vote by the Texas State Board of Education onenewsnow says this vote "will decide the fate of academic freedom in the Lone Star State."

That is a lie.

What the Texas SBE is considering is adding the teaching of creationism to the science curricula of Texas public schools. Creationism, itself, is a big lie!

But onenewsnow says that "Those in favor of academic freedom want teachers to be able to discuss both the strengths and weakness of evolution, which the other side wants any scientific critique of evolution censored in the classroom."

Talk about disengenuous! That sentence is an unmitigated falsehood. First of all, science teachers have always discussed evolutionary theory in all of its aspects, including whatever so-called "weaknesses" it might have. That has never been a problem.

What these fundamentalist idiots try to cover up with their pseudo-science is the fact that there is no scientific equivalent to evolution capable of describing the origin and development of life on this planet.

Creationism [or Intelligent Design] is a theological concept based upon a literal understanding of the first chapters of Genesis, and they can't even get that right, as there are two creation stories!

The Discovery Institute is behind this perversion; a bunch of rightwing fundy christianists attempting to impose their biblical nonsense upon unsuspecting students in Texas public schools. (This same thing is going on at this moment in a number of other states, also).

There is perhaps no bigger liar than Casey Luskin of the Discovery Institute (which is the font of creationism) who had the audacity to claim that "This is not about trying to push religion in the science classroom; this is not about pushing creationism or even scientific alternatives to evolution like intelligent design. This is simply about whether students are going to have the right and the academic freedom to learn about both the science that supports Darwin and the science that challenges Darwin."

Excuse me, Luskin, but you are full of bullshit! It's all about religion! It's all about pushing a biblical view of creation! It has nothing to do with academic freedom!

There is no "science" that challenges Darwin! You, sir, are a liar of the first magnitude and thus a violator of the Ten Commandments.

Luskin goes on to claim that "A number of scientific peer-reviewed journalistic publications exist that discuss scientific challenges to core aspects of modern Darwinian theory."

That, too, is unadulterated bullshit. Name one, Luskin! There are no scientific "peers" that perpetrate creationist nonsense or intelligent design! No scientific "peer" or "peer-reviewed journalistic publications promote creationism for creationism is a biblical concept, a theological delusion. Intelligent design, which is just another name for creationism, shares the same fate!


Unfortunately, these christianist creepos won't quit. It's going to take decent, science-respecting people in each state where evolution is attacked, to defang the fundamentalist snake-handlers promoting creationism.

Since the courts in Dover, Pennsylvania threw out the teaching of creationism/ID, it has actually become more difficult to fight the pseudo-scientists, because they have taken to hiding their deceit by pretending they are about "academic freedom," rather than admitting their true purpose which is always and forever to promote fundamentalist christianity's creationist delusions.


An related article of interest here. And here. This one's especially good relative to scientific "peers" who reject evolution; click here.

God calls Texas driver

Well, this time god's call to earth did not involve sex or the lack thereof. It had nothing to do with abortion or the lack thereof. It had nothing to do with homosexuals or the lack thereof.

It happened on U.S. 281 in the great state of Texas. A gentleman driving his pickyup down U.S. 281 got a call from god telling him that the woman in front of him "needed to be taken off the road."

Naturally, he was afeared of what might happen if'n he didn't follow god's instructions, so he put the pedal to the metal (that's how those Texans talk) and when he got all the way up to 100 miles per hour he rammed into her car's rear end.

That's all she wrote, you're prob'ly thinking. But no...he got that damn female off'n the road and god took care of him. The two cars spun 'cross the median and stopped along a barrier and both the gentleman and the woman ended up with only "minor" injuries.

According to the sheriff, the gentleman was jest driving his pickyup calmly down the highway when god called and tol' him "she wasn't driving right, and she needed to be taken off the road."
So, naturally, he did what god tol' him to do.


The sheriff also said god must have been with the guy, "'cause any other time, the severity of the crash, it would have been a fatal."

No drugs of alcohol were involved. So why weren't this guy kilt? God.