Tennessee citizens are taking an active roll in the selection of textbooks.

The process of approving text books for use in Tennessee's public schools has in the past been a pretty lame and superficial process. For one thing, the number of people appointed to the commission could not possibly read all of the text books they are charged with approving in the allotted time and there has not been a citizen watchdog group that exerted influence on the commission. Usually no one showed up at the public hearings on textbooks.

Since most textbooks in use are the same book from one state to another, we can be thankful for the activism of Texas parents who have kept the worst of text books from being approved. For about 50 years or more, Texas has been the filter that kept the worst in liberal indoctrination from making it into the text books of the nation. Since Texas has such a huge share of the market, if Texas rejected a textbook the publisher would go back and revise it in order to get it approved. Texas however could not keep all bad textbooks off the market. Some books are not even considered for use in Texas, so those were never reviewed by the Texas textbook commission. And, Texas could not catch everything.

For the first time that I know of, Tennessee is taking seriously the process of reviewing text books.This year dozens of parents across the state devoted their summer to actually reading the Social Studies textbooks that were up for adoption and they expressed their concern to the text book commission.

Below is a report from Thomas Bunetta posted on the Tennessee Eagle Forum Facebook page:

The Tennessee Department of Education’s Textbook Commission is meeting to consider approval of recommended social studies textbooks for the state’s public schools. Normally, nobody from the public shows up at these meetings. But this time, ACT! for America chapter leaders and members are out in force. They’ve done their homework, using our “Education or Indoctrination: The Treatment of Islam in 6th through 12th grade American Textbooks” report. They’ve done the legwork, educating public officials and the members of this textbook commission, showing them the many flawed and biased ways Islam is presented in the textbooks they are considering.

And then the time comes for the commissioners to vote on whether or not to approve the textbooks. And not one of them makes a motion to do so. So a second call was made for a motion. And not one of them offers the motion. The state’s Director of Curriculum stands up and sternly warns the commissioners there’s a deadline looming and they need to approve these books. And the commissioners hold fast and refuse to approve the textbooks.

Wow.

To our knowledge this is the first time a state textbook selection committee has refused to approve textbooks due to concerns about how Islam is presented! Yes, folks, you can fight city hall. It’s not easy, but it can be done. You have to be informed, organized and strategic. Which is what we do at ACT! for America and what our Tennessee chapter leaders and members did. They did it smart. They did it right. And they’re just the latest example of what ACT! for America is accomplishing and how our strategic and grassroots approach WORKS!

The final chapter still has to be written. There’s another commission meeting on October 23rd. We need the commissioners to stand their ground and refuse to approve these social studies textbooks. If you live in Tennessee, you can help push this across the finish line by contacting the Rutherford County chapter of ACT! for America at rutherfordcountyact@gmail.com.

Thank you, ACT! for America chapter leaders and members in Tennessee for your awesome work on our behalf. Keep fighting the good fight!

This fight over text books used in public schools started in Williamson County over a textbook that activist claimed was biased against Israel and equated Israeli self defense with Palestinian terrorism. The textbook in question was A Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography, used in a human geography class, an elective in an Advanced Placement course. The specific complaint was a passage that asked students this question: “If a Palestinian suicide bomber kills several dozen Israeli teenagers in a Jerusalem restaurant, is that an act of terrorism or wartime retaliation against Israeli government policies and army actions?” 

My feeling at the time was that smart high school seniors who next year will be in college did not need to be protected from that kind of thought-provoking question. Also, the protest opposing this textbook was led by Laurie Cardoza-Moore, who heads a Christian Zionist group called Proclaiming Justice to the Nations. She is best know for leading the opposition to the building of a Mosque in Murfreesboro. I certainly would not have joined her in that fight. I believe the First Amendment also applies to Muslim and that they have as much right to build a mosque as do Mormons or Jews to build a temple, or as do Hindus or Buddhist or any Christian sect to build a house of worship. 
Because of her anti First Amendment position on that issue, I was not likely to support her fight over textbook selection. Also, I am leery of  ACT! I have attended some of their meetings and saw a film they produced, but have  tended to think they painted all Muslims with the same brush and their position was on occasion more based on bigotry than logic. 

Not being a fan of ACT or Laurie Cardoza-Moore I am, nevertheless, pleased with the developments taking place in the Tennessee Textbook Commission. I am glad that citizens are taking an active roll in the selection of textbooks. In countering the bias in textbooks as it relates to the presentation of Islam and history concerning Muslims, ACT has done their homework. They have meticulously examined numerous textbooks and countered claims that white washed or distorted Islam history or doctrine or contemporary Islamic culture. They have footnoted and documented with other superior sources those claims and generalizations that presented Islam is a favorable light or misrepresented historical fact. To view their report go to this link: Education or Indoctrination, The treatment of Islam in 6th thought 12th grade American textbooks. 

While ACT is concerned with the presentation of Islam, I am much more concerned with a liberal bias presented in books on American and World history and economic matters. I wish someone was taking the same meticulous approach to how history books portray the cold war, Communism, the arms race, the settlement of America and the conflict between Europeans and Native Americans, the sixties, environmentalism, social movements, and government economic intervention and the roll of free markets. 

What is taught is our schools is too important to be left to academics who have a liberal bias. It is an undeniable fact that liberalism is the dominant point of view in academia. While academics may claim they adhere to the highest academic standards of objectivity, it is unavoidable that their own prejudice finds its way into the textbooks they write. All textbooks should be examined carefully and we should have confidence that controversial topics are presented with balance, that sensitive matters are age-appropriate, and that text books are accurate and that they educate rather than indoctrinate. 

 

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The Government attack on the First Amendment

From:

THE TENNESSEE FREEDOM COALITION
*** Update from the TFC ***

Rod -

ACT! for America and many other groups are paying attention to a serious issue here in Tennessee: civil liberties and free speech. Read below for a message from the national ACT! for America group.

---

On June 4th, an event titled "Public Disclosure in a Diverse Society" will be held from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at the Manchester-Coffee County Conference Center, 147 Hospitality Blvd, in Manchester, Tennessee. The special speakers for the event are a U.S. Attorney and an FBI special agent.

The instigation for this event was a Facebook posting by a Coffee County Commissioner, a Democrat. The posting showed a picture of a man pointing a shotgun at the camera with the phrase, "How to wink at a Muslim."

ACT! for America believes this posting was ill-advised, offensive and provocative - but it appears to us to be the kind of political satire that is protected by the First Amendment. And it's certainly less incendiary than some of the comments jihadists have been known to publicly make.

In an article in The Tullahoma News, the U.S. Attorney is quoted as saying:

"If a Muslim had posted 'How to Wink at a Christian,' could you imagine what would have happened?" he said. "We need to educate people about Muslims and their civil rights, and as long as we're here, they're going to be protected."

We know the answer to his question - nothing would have happened.
There would have been no meeting like this one to warn Muslims about how they might be violating the civil rights of non-Muslims.

The attorney further went on to state in the article that violations of civil rights will be prosecuted. ACT! for America is not in the business of violating anyone's civil rights. We are, however, in the business of protecting our constitutional right of free speech. And we find the tone of the U.S. Attorney's remarks, and the very existence of this meeting, disconcerting at best and a preemptive assault on the First Amendment at worst.

On March 11th we conducted a national webcast announcing the creation of "Americans United to Defend Free Speech." We explained how our own State Department was complicit in efforts by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to impose what amounts to "hate speech" laws in countries around the world.

This State Department effort is unprecedented, which is why we're encouraging people to sign our Open Letter to Congress and the state legislatures to oppose the effort.

Here's your opportunity to stand up against the intimidation of free speech in your state. You can join the many others we know who are planning on attending the meeting in Manchester.

Our message-your message-at this event is simple: The First Amendment right of free speech is one that we cherish and that we will defend - even provocative, offensive speech must not be used as a pretense to muzzle it.

Should you choose to attend, we encourage you to be respectful with any questions and responses to the speakers, and stay focused on the issue of free speech.

---

The Board of Directors
Tennessee Freedom Coalition

My Comment: Even "hate speech" should be protected and the government should not be engaged in indoctrination campaigns. 

I am more concerned about the growing trend of our government to indoctrinate people and to force people to conform to political correctness than I am those who may exercise bad taste and offend someone. I am more concerned about a coercive government that tells you what to think and forces you to display proper attitudes than I am the odd bigot who lumps all Muslims together and lets it be known he doesn't care for them. 

A good example of this trend to coerce proper attitudes is the incident in which the Department of Justice issued a memo to employees saying that failure to actively promote LBGT pride month would be construed as disapproval. "Silence will be interpreted as disapproval,” said the memo. If a Christian who thinks the transvestite in the next cubical is living a sinful life of which he does not approve, it is not good enough just to keep his opinions to himself and ignore the co-worker. No, he must actively show his acceptance, or surfer the consequences. He must display a LBGT sticker or leave a brochure promoting tolerance on his desk or do something to actively affirm acceptance. 

 If some coalition of advocates of toleration want to have a seminar in Coffee County because of this anti-Muslim Facebook posting incident, I would say, "go for it." It is another matter, however, when the government sends in an Attorney General and FBI agents to conduct a seminar preaching the virtue of diversity. This incident and the use of IRS police powers to silence conservative organizations and the DOJ LBGT memo are all evidence of a government attempting to coerce uniformity of thought and silence dissidents. The real threat to our liberty is an out of control government that does not respect the First Amendment.

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Boycott Lowe's Hotels!

If you are coming to Nashville, please do not stay at the Lowe's Vanderbilt. If you are going to be doing any traveling, please do not stay at a Lowe's anywhere. If you already have reservations, please cancel them. If you are a meeting planner, please consider moving your meeting. I am urging a boycott of Lowe's because they cancelled a contract with ACT, the day before the conference.

Let me make clear that I am not a member of ACT and I have never contributed to their cause. I have attended one of their presentations and found if informative but am not convinced that they do not exaggerate the threat from Muslim Americans. Knowing that Muslim extremist in Europe have recruited terrorist from among European Muslim, I am not so naïve as to think that immigrant Muslims could not be potential terrorist recruits in America. I support vigilance on the part of our government to keep us safe from terrorism. However, I am not as alarmed as ACT by the Muslim population in our midst. I do not accept that it is the Muslim faith that is our enemy. I have known some Muslims and have helped several Muslims become homeowner in the homebuyer education classes that I teach. The agency I work for has had many Kurdish and Somali refugees in the English as a Second Language classes that we provide. I support dialogue with and an understanding of our Muslim neighbors. I believe a Muslim can be a good Americans.

Unlike ACT, I was not outraged that Tyson’s Food’s let their Muslim employees have a Muslim holiday in place of Labor Day. I did not support English-only. So, I am tolerant if not somewhat liberal on immigration issues. Political correctness should not blind us to a genunine security theat but neither should concern over a perceived terrorist threat promote bigotry in America. We should not paint all of a group with the same brush.

So, while I think ACT may be providing awarness the public needs, I am not an enthusiastic supporter of ACT. I am, nevertheless, outraged that Lowe's would contract months in advance with ACT for them to have a conference at their hotel and then cancel the day before the event. Mr. Negri needs to be fired or reprimanded and ACT deserves an apology. Letting someone rent space from you does not imply an endorsement. Mr. Negri should not allow his own political prejudices to dictate to whom he rents and especially he should not be allowed to cancel a contract at the last minuet.

Here is the story from ACT:




ACTION ALERT! ACT! West Nashville Chapter

Freedom of Speech attacked in Nashville by Mr. Thomas Negri, Manager of Lowe's Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel. 1 June 2009

It's Time to Speak Up and Be Heard! We must react to this! This breach of our rights to free speech must not be ignored.

Here are the facts as reported by Ken Timmerman at Newsmax:

The manager of the Lowe's Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel, Mr. Tom Negri, cancelled a contract with a conservative foundation to hold a conference this weekend on radical Islam, apparently after learning that the group would feature a keynote address by controversial Dutch parliamentarian and filmmaker, Geert Wilders.

Thomas A. Negri, managing director of Loew's Vanderbilt Hotel and Office complex in Nashville, told Newsmax on Wednesday that he had taken the extraordinary step of cancelling the conference at the last minute "for the health, safety and well-being of our guests and employees." Negri did, however, allow a press conference today by the Coalition for Education about Immigration, a left-wing group involved with "immigration reform".

Negri refused to say why he felt the conference would adversely affect the "health, safety and well-being" of the hotel's guests and employees, except to refer to the website of the New English Review, the group organizing the conference. The website features articles that warn about radical Islam written by activists, journalists and scholars, including former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy, and former Muslim scholar, Ibn Warraq.

One article, written by a retired U.S. army intelligence officer, Jerome Gordon, warns of the growing problems caused by the recent influence of several thousand Somali Muslim refugees who have come to work for a nearby Tysons Food plant to replace illegal Hispanic meat packers.

Negri appeared at a 2003 pro-immigration event on the same dias with a well-known Somali warlord, Gordon told Newsmax. In a written statement to the conference organizers, Negri said that the hotel had "not received any information related to a specific security threat concerning this event," and declined to provide any justification for cancelling it at the last minute.

One of the conference organizers told Newsmax on Wednesday that the group was considering a lawsuit against Negri and the Loew's hotel chain for "unlawful breach of contract." Negri also serves on the board of advisors of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, TIRRC, an activist group that states its mission "is to empower immigrants and refugees throughout Tennessee to develop a unified voice" and "defend their rights." The group boasts of having helped to defeat an "English only" amendment this January that would have required all Nashville government communications to be in English. Earlier this month, the group won an award from the Migration Policy Institute, which is funded by grants form the J.M. Kaplan Fund, a left-wing group that also funds the ACLU, the Tides Foundation, the Tides Center, the Sierra Club, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and other left-wing causes. The award singles out TIRRC for its "Welcoming Tennessee Initiative," to "foster constructive public dialogue on immigration within the state." When asked if he objected to Geert Wilders appearance at the conference, Negri refused to comment.

Action Items:

Contact Mr. Negri at tnegri@lowesvanderbilthotel.com

Contact the Front Desk Manager at Lowes dhuffins@lowesvanderbilthotel.com

Call Lowes Corporation public affairs office: Public Affairs Contact, 667 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10065-8087, Phone: (212) 521-2416 , PR@loews.com

Call or Write Mr. Jonathan M. Tisch, Co-Chairman of the Board and Member of the Office of the President, Loews Corporation Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Loews Hotels, 667 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10065-8087, Phone: (212) 521-2000.

Write to Tommy Tisch at Lowe's Corporation (described as the one "conservative" in the Tisch family that owns Lowes Corporation) Mr. Tommy Tisch, Loews Corporation, 667 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10021-808.

Contact the Nashville Better Business Bureau, Middle Tennessee Headquarters 201 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 100, P.O. Box 198436, Nashville, TN 37219, Phone (615) 242-4222,Fax (615) 250-4245, Email BBBNash@aol.com

Call the local ACLU in Nashville(615) 320-7142

About ACT! for America, West Nashville Chapter contact us!

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