The War for the Public Schools in America (We lost)

In 1974 an event occurred in West Virginia that has been arguably called "the first shot in the cultural war." Fundamentalist Christians and their conservative allies, objecting to anti-Christian and anti-American textbooks shut down West Virginia's largest school system (about 45,000 students) along with many major businesses and the bus system of the capital city (Charleston) and garnered intense national attention. The folks who formed the grassroots textbook protest were not wild-eyed ignoramuses and some were as educated as the snobs who mocked them. The protesters were good people—the kind of folks most people would want to have as neighbors. The overwhelming majority of them were peaceful and their actions were honorable.

Some believe the Kanawha County Textbook War launched the conservative movement that brought conservative professing politicians into power nationwide. For me, the issue had to do with matters far more important than politics. Unfortunately, the protesters were conned and by 1977 most of their noble efforts had been nullified by a system that was built upon a humanistic (i. e. atheistic) foundation. Ray Moore (Exodus Mandate director) correctly said, "The Kanawha Valley battle was a kind of first salvo for an exodus (from the public schools), but it never caught on and was sort of still born due to lack of clear vision and a resolute K-12 Christian education theology agenda. The people were conflicted between public school reform or whether to support K-12 Christian education."

The Texbook War is not over!

I think that the TBW was the first call for Christians to rescue their children and that now Exodus Mandate is sounding what appears to be the last call. (Also, please see the Exodus Mandate-WV page.) The TBW was about religion (even though there were academic and philosophical issues)--our religion AND their religion. There cannot be any compromise between the two diametrically opposed belief systems.

Those textbooks were the spearhead for lower academic standards and much more detrimental public school problems. Illegal drug use, student pregnancies (and abortions), evolutionism, anti-Americanism, and the homosexual agenda swept into Kanawha County Schools. (Proof is provided on the West Virginia News pages.)

As expected from liberals who control the "free" press, the reporting of the TBW has been (as it was in 1974) obviously slanted against the protesters. Unfortunately, the miniscule minority who were violence prone are the ones who receive nearly all of the attention. A typical "history" of the TBW takes facts that only focus on the violence and other "extreme" events and ignores the overwhelming opposing occurrences. There was violence (shootings and car bombs) directed toward the protesters. Media coverage of the protest often featured hot-headed foul mouthed professing (some were probably plants) protesters. It would not have been difficult to find plenty of soft-spoken articulate folks on the protest lines. As a matter of fact, I distinctly remember a reporter interviewing me as I walked in the first major protester march to the Capitol. I have no record of her printing anything I said.

Other Main Stream Media cohorts (academic researchers, liberal clergy, and left-wing organizations) have also contributed a biased view of that historical event.

Now, you can see for yourself the protesters in action and read the true story in a first time, first-hand protester account of the event that launched the fightfor the heart and soul of America.

Legally Stupid: Why Johnny Doesn't Have to Read - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjLEIvVEoiA

Give Us the Young (Control of Science and Religion) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsbNeEZksoE

Category:

Education

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[InternetDisciple]

Evolution is being passed off as science. These textbooks are lying to the kids in an attempt to get them to believe that evolution is a scientific theory.

A theory, to be considered scientific, must be adequately defined. But nobody knows what a 'species' is.

[thechessstick]

Satan isn't going to give the schools back. This is all part of his master plan. Before Satan can set up his One World Government he had to start the public school system so he could start brainwashing the general public. Now after years of brainwashing and indoctrination the American public has become totally doltish. They all just accept as fact that the Earth is billions of years old. What is amazing is Satan's control over the American teachers. They don't even care about our children.

[praisegod1972]

I need as much prayer as possible requesting that The Lord will continue to provide for our children to attend their Christian school, in Jesus' Name.

[Brucev7]

God bless these sons of God. 2 Thessalonians 2:15

So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

[CitizenSoldiers]

Great video!

[westchesterny]

The other thing: some kanawha county students were then sent to the catholic school, (the county was predominantly protestant) and the parents did not know enough about what the catholic school taught their children about the protestants and the area (that they were crazy, "heretics," and so on). So, in an effort to send them somewhere "Christian" the kids were even more horrified and scared, told they were "heretics," and 'unsaved," and so on in the religious classes.

[westchesterny]

Also, yankees came down from the cities to rabble rouse and make their point, figuring they could politicize "poor white trash." Also, just through "projective introjection" the kids had to be interacted with as if they were some sick thing. And this is after LBJ's "war on west virginia,' when all the "missionaries" showed up, (northeast catholics and so on). So much for a free country of conscience.

[westchesterny]

@nettytek yes... it is. Kids who had to read things that made them uncomfortable are adults today. The "left: did not give a damn about what they did to kids. They still don't. But those kids grew up and did not appreciate what was done. They are political b/c of it, and those demoralized to the point of not partaking of political process in their own country---are coming back. Who do you think you are? You did not teach "tolerance," but control, fear, discomfort and more.

[westchesterny]

@SGNorman "Reading Appalachia From Left to Right" by Carol Mason is about this and helped process what we had to read. Finally made me feel people had fought for my rights as a kid. Also, there were bombings and more. I left---and am glad I could go out of state to finish high school, anyway. The book was helpful in processing some of the things I later had to learn in college (which was what they were trying to put in more of in my public school. 60s/70s didn't give a damn 4 kids.

[westchesterny]

@nettytek As someone who went to those wv schools, I thank people who tried to help us students stay away from books that were frightening to me as a student. As an adult now, I know I have no obligation to take in anyone else's pain, public narratives, histories, group mythologies, or to be the target of hate (which my parents paid to have me hear via their taxes). I dropped out.  Then went out of state to school. Some people could not do that.

[nettytek]

This video just threw me back into the 60's when these radical, militant, openly racist Christian parents attacked cultural tolerance. Shame on those that made this video and the parents that raised them in an Kanawha County environment.

Disgusting.