Something’s rotten in Texas. Several members of the Texas State School Board felt that most history books are too "liberal" and could potentially warp the minds of children. How do they correct this problem? By eliminating certain historical events and figures that could put conservative ideas in a bad light.

When I first heard about this plan, I was surprised. I quickly dismissed this plan, thinking that there were enough rational people who realized that this was a heinous idea. Right? Wrong. The Texas State School Board voted in favor. Here are some of the changes: Thomas Jefferson is no longer mentioned. Title IX and affirmative action are now considered programs that created "unintended consequences." Joe McCarthy is recast as a misunderstood patriot who wanted to protect America from those liberal commies. These changes wouldn’t be that big of a deal except for the fact that Texas is the nation’s leading buyer in history textbooks, so this revisionist history will spread to schools all over the country.

This is one of the most destructive pieces of legislation in recent memory. This is even worse for schools than "No Child Left Behind." Not to sound pious, but I think books expand the mind more than anything else. There are very few people who read incessantly who aren’t intelligent. I hate people who censor books more than anyone. So when people pass a ruling that tries to do that it isn’t just bad, it’s evil. We should let Texas secede from the Union. We’d all be a lot better off.

It’ll take years before a higher court takes a look at this ruling, so the high school students need to throw away their apathy and seek out the truth. I know there are plenty of teachers who’ll also be disgusted, but unfortunately they’re handcuffed by their administrators. We can’t succumb to those who wish to censor history. The Texas state motto should be changed to "Who controls the past, controls the future. Who controls the present, controls the past."