Rewriting Textbooks because of this Election Outcome

Books OK'd After Marriage Wording Changed

The Texas Board of Education approved new health textbooks for the state's high school and middle school students Friday after the publishers agreed to change the wording to depict marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

The board decision could affect books sold in dozens of states because of Texas' market clout as the nation's second-largest buyer of textbooks.

On Wednesday, a board member charged that the proposed new books ran counter to a Texas law banning the recognition of gay civil unions because the texts used terms like "married partners" instead of "husband and wife."

After hearing the debate Thursday, one publisher agreed to include a definition of marriage as a "lifelong union between a husband and a wife." Another changed phrases such as "when two people marry" and "partners" to "when a man and a woman marry" and "husbands and wives."

Board member Mary Helen Berlanga, a Democrat, asked the panel to approve the books without the changes. Her proposal was rejected on a 10-4 vote.

"We're not supposed to make changes at somebody's whim," Berlanga said. "It's a political agenda, and we're not here to follow a political agenda."

Maybe homeschooling isn't such a bad idea after all. Did we really need to edit textbooks? Maybe the dictionary should be edited too, it's not exclusive enough, and after that maybe we ban edit all books that doesn't specifically define marriage as that between a man and woman

[edit on 11-5-2004 by worldwatcher]

First, I live in Texas, and that debate over the health textbooks in schools has been going on for over a year now. It had nothing to do with Tuesday's elections. (Gay marriage wasn't even on the ballot in Texas.)

Second, no matter the outcome, those health textbooks will only be used in Texas. That's why we have 50 seperate states -- the U.S. is not a single, centralized entity.

Well I knew I liked Texas, being born there and all...

I think that everyone is making wayyyy to big of a deal out of this whole same sex marriage thing..seriously. I mean who exactly is it going to hurt if america makes it ok for them to get married? And I knew they would invole the children into this..they have to instill into them hate and ignorance...I am totally against text book change..the children should be left out of the drama...

About Texas rewriting the textbooks, I have one word

STUPID

A waste of tax money since the wording did not suggest homosexuality.
What ever happened to fiscally responsible conservatives, they have a big corp out there that they will fatten with the money of the hard-working citizens that STILL WON'T HAVE HEALTHCARE

"Note the flame in this message is not directed at the members of ATS just the Greedy Government"

Originally posted by ThunderCloud
Second, no matter the outcome, those health textbooks will only be used in Texas. That's why we have 50 seperate states -- the U.S. is not a single, centralized entity.

Alabama is already interested in them and several other states reported on local news Montgomery.
Irony, Alabame may not be able to buy them, Amendment No2 is hanging by a chad near defeat. The Admt. would add a provision to allow the state to legally support public schools, if it fails, the legislature could just say oh well no more public school funding.

Originally posted by ThunderCloud
First, I live in Texas, and that debate over the health textbooks in schools has been going on for over a year now. It had nothing to do with Tuesday's elections. (Gay marriage wasn't even on the ballot in Texas.)

Second, no matter the outcome, those health textbooks will only be used in Texas. That's why we have 50 seperate states -- the U.S. is not a single, centralized entity.

as I've heard from the MODERATORS from my posts????