Response to Leiter’s Op-Ed Regarding Textbooks

Leiter’s letter lacked truth. The one environmental science textbook removed from the SBOE “approved” list last year was of such poor educational quality that the purchase of it would have equated to
robbery of the taxpayers.

This year, Venable’s reviewer recommended Public Media, Inc.’s film
series which includes a great piece on global warming. In this excellent presentation of the subject, varying views of prominent scientists around the world are expressed. If Ms. Venable’s views on
global warming are medieval as Leiter accuses, then so are those of the
BBC who produces the Public Media films. Last I checked, the British
Broadcasting Company was not considered a “right-wing extremist”
organization.

Leiter’s desire to have one radical left-wing opinion crammed down the
throats of the public as a fact, is far more medieval than anything the
citizens advocate in this process.
As for Leiter’s credentials, I noticed he’s not a scientist either!!

Come on, Leiter, get real!

Terry Reid

Sunnyvale, Texas

To the Editor:
In response to the article by Mr. Brian Leiter I would like to say that I am sick and tired of arrogant, left wing zealots who are guilty of the very things that they accuse others of. For every Nobel prize winning scientist these “holier than thou” extremist put up for their radical views, real scientists can produce multiple more to refute their radical religious left views. Did Mr. Brian Leiter ever bother to show up at any of these textbook review hearings? Probably not, because it is easier to call people names and look down your nose at the peasants than to get out of your rose colored bubble and interact with real people. To act like his worldview is the only right worldview is beyond arrogant it is narcissistic. Mr. Leiter’s fear-mongering tactics of trying to convince Texans and Americans that if they hold any other view than his own, they will cause businesses to run from our state as fast as they can, are the product of a desperate and obviously flawed belief system. Businesses do not relocate to socialist utopias where everything is taken from the producers and given to the non-producers. Businesses relocate to places where God-fearing, hard working, family values people are working their guts out to provide a better future for America and not trying to cram their “I have nothing but free time so I will sit around here and think up ways to make other people as miserable as myself” theories down other peoples throats. To attack normal, ever day citizens for daring to participate in their government’s processes is exactly the kind of elitist attitude that is wrong with most of academia. I own a successful business and I also take time to participate in local and state government activities (I also testified before the SBOE regarding the textbooks) because I understand that without the common man’s voice in these areas we will become what our Founding Father’s feared; a bunch of lazy, self-centered, God-less prisoners of a monarchy of the “Enlightened”. It is time for Texans to return to our roots of being a people who will fight for what we believe in. That is what I intend to keep doing, so Mr. Leiter better get ready for a long debate.

Jason Moore
Odessa, TX

Another Leftist Temper Tantrum

UT professor Brian Leiter’s name-calling op-ed about public school textbooks
reflects the far left’s typical nastiness when they lack the rationale to participate in an adult-level debate.

Liberal academians write much of our kids’ textbook material to support
their agenda: To rewrite history in conformance with politically correct dogma, while misrepresenting events which might stir feelings of pride in America.

Examples abound. One book portrays socialism and communism as economic systems that governments run “for the good of society” and for “the benefit of its citizens”.

Another book ignores the Wright Brothers. It puts the “Challenger disaster” at the centerpiece of U.S. space exploration, while omitting Neil Armstrong’s patriotism-stirring “One small step for mankind” speech.

The D-Day invasion is portrayed as a military snafu, while ignoring
students’ responsibilities to protect the freedom for which 9000 young Americans died on that day. The building of the Erie Canal focuses on exploitation of workers, rather than the greatest technological achievement of that time.

Fortunately, the citizens and parents that Brian Leiter so reviles have worked with publishers to correct these and other egregious attempts to corrupt U.S. history.

And that is why Brian Leiter’s temper tantrum has spilled over onto the pages of the Houston Chronicle.

Bill Ames
Dallas, Texas