Thanks to the liberal online media, I've been following the Texas Board of Education's atrocity of rewriting its textbooks to reflect their conservative principles. While I am willing to accept certain changes with a minor bit of grumbling, the choice to take out Thomas Jefferson and the philosophy of the Enlightenment needs some comment. So, allow me to speak up on behalf of my fellow William & Mary alumnus.
Simply put, the philosophy of Thomas Jefferson and of the Enlightenment is the philosophy of America. Freedom of speech, religion, and the inalienable rights of man for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness all stem from this line of thought. We continue to celebrate these values every single day, and it is these values that have made America great. Our greatest atrocities all stem from when we walk away from our values (slavery, Japanese internment, McCarthyism, torture, etc.) Moreover, and with all due respect to John Calvin, no one believes in predestination anymore.
And so here is where I mess with Texas - for the past several months, conservatives in Texas have flirted with the idea of seceding from the United States, and now, they changed their textbooks stripping the very political philosophy upon which America was founded. As a patriot, I am outraged. This isn't just a repudiation of Thomas Jefferson, this is a repudiation of America. So, to you in Texas, let me say this - if you don't like America, if you don't like what it stands for, leave. Get the fuck out of my country. But you're not going to take Texas with you. That's ours.
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