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Textbook Debates Lead to Death Threats

Updated: Tuesday, 18 May 2010, 11:55 PM EDT
Published : Tuesday, 18 May 2010, 7:47 PM EDT

    The state school board will begin its final discussions on new standards for history and social studies textbooks. The Texas Textbook War has caused a lot of debate, and prompted at least one police review of what was considered to be a "thinly veiled" death threat.

    Time is running out before the state school board makes a final vote on standards for history and social studies. Staff members at the Texas Education Agency spent Tuesday going through more than 200 requests to speak during the Wednesday board meeting. Faxes and emails are also pouring in, according to TEA spokesperson Debbie Ratcliffe.

    "When it comes to history and a lesser extent to science everyone has an opinion about it," said Ratcliffe.

    More than 20,000 formal comments have come in so far. Each one is being processed by two staff members.

    “So, they'll prepare a document that will explain exactly what happened in response to these official comments,” said Ratcliffe.

    That includes all the form letters and even those sent with hateful statements against the board.

    Kathy Miller, Executive Director of the Texas Freedom Network, is a liberal critic of conservatives on the state school board. She's received several e-mails from people taking exception to her work.

    "I did receive a message that was very specific about a manner of which I should die,” said Miller.

    The e-mail described those with her organization as "witches", and noted Miller's past job with Planned Parenthood. A connection to Kansas abortion provider Dr. George Tiller was also made. He was shot and killed last year.

    The email states:

    "Remember live your life by murder and one has a good chance of dying by murder. Maybe that's what happened to Dr Tiller, you think."

    Police were notified, but no arrest was made.

    "What I really like to do is to be able to encourage the media and other people who are speaking in public not to make this a heated personal attack. Nothing I am doing is personal, everything I’m doing is about my kids and the kids of Texas, and if we could all understand why we are working a better tomorrow than maybe the threats will go away,” said Miller.

    "I think that’s unfortunate, that those things happen,” said Jonathan Saenz of the Liberty Institute.

    Saenz, who is Miller's conservative counter-part, says he has also received hate mail.

    "So I can understand people having strong views but sure we have to stay focused on the facts and the issues and respect the process and leave the personal attacks aside," said Saenz.

    The critical vote on the history and social studies standards is expected Thursday.

    Last year the battle was about evolution in science textbooks. Tuesday afternoon, the board decided it did not have enough money to purchase the new books. They approved a scaled back expenditure that is expected to save the agency $300 million. Supplements for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades will be purchased as well as for High School Biology, Chemistry, Physics and IPC courses. TEA is also allowing schools to purchase electronic material that students can download to their computers.

    The following are copies of some of the e-mails sent to Kathy Miller. Names of those who sent the e-mails have been removed. 

    Editor's note: The emails are posted here exactly as they were received, none of the content has been changed.

    Date: Tue, Jan 26, 2010 at 11:53 AM
    Subject: Religion in Textbooks
    To: judie@tfn.org, tfn@tfn.org, rachel@tfn.org
    Your progressive organization(code name for degenerate communists losers)will never change text book facts that this country was founded on Christian/ Judaism values. Many have tried to change or skew history and they all failed. The word of Jesus Christ will never falter or go away and there’s not a darn thing you and your witch’s can do anything about it, missy!!! To try and dismiss these facts and rewrite history is a waste of time. Oh by the way after reading your Queen Bee’s bio, I understand what Texas Freedom Network is all about. Let’s see public affairs director for Planned Parenthood, Wow!!!, who would of known Kathy Miller would have ties with sponsored government abortion clinics. Maybe Abbey Johnson should have a talk with her and set her straight that Pro choice means Pro Murder. Remember live your life by murder and one has a good chance of dying of murder. Maybe that’s what happened to Dr Tiller, you think. By the way is this a satellite organization for NOW, national organization for witches, just curious. Texas Freedom network, now that’s a contradiction in terms because I smell a big mess of “BONDAGE” instead. Oh and ladies ,OBAMA is tanking bad. HA,HA,HA.
    Gotta Love it
    XXXX XXXXX

    From: XXX XXXX
    Date: Tue, Jan 26, 2010 at 5:55 PM
    Subject: LiberalsStillSxxx08 has posted a comment to your profile
    To: tfn@tfn.org

    LiberalsStillxxx08 has posted a comment on your profile:
    Kathy Miller is a complete xxxxxx! Maybe she should stop relying on input from liberal teachers and proffesors who outnumber their ideological counterparts

    4 to 1. After we clean house of all progressives, in the government, we can then concentrate on our schools and institutions of higher learning.

    From: XXXX XXXXX
    Date: Tue, Jan 26, 2010 at 5:47 PM
    Subject: Comment posted on "Kathy Miller testifies before SBOE 1-13-10"
    To: TXFreedomNetwork

    LiberalsSxxxxxx08 has made a comment on Kathy Miller testifies before SBOE 1-13-10:
    Xxxx Kathy Miller!!! It's time we get rid of these liberal pukes who thwart THEIR ideology on our schools. Who's the one politicizing our schools?!! Relying on liberal teachers and proffesors who out number their ideological conterparts 4 to 1 to decide the content of textbooks is absurd. Blatant propaganda!, nothing more!

    From: XXXX XXXXX
    Date: Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 7:05 AM
    Subject: HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
    To: tfn@tfn.org
    To whom it may concern,

    As a Christian, a Marine, a American Red Cross volunteer, a Community Emergency Response Team member, and a patriot who loves America (and everything good that it stands for), such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, it is inconceivable that ANYONE would have a problem with teaching students the heroic actions of Gen. Patton, (GOD REST HIS SOUL). It is obvious to me that you people don't have a clue, (as usual), on how the whole world benefited from the Generals' GOD-given brilliance and outstanding leadership.

    When I think what this world would be like if Hitler and his damn NAZI psychopaths would have won the war,.....I am almost positive that all of you with (all of your ideology), would be the first ones to be EXTERMINATED! After all, if it wasn't for all of the brave, freedom-loving, GOD-fearing Americans like him, all the athiestic, liberal PROGRESSIVES in the world might not have the liberty to spit out their blasphemous venom on a daily basis, without running the risk of persecution or death. If I didn't enjoy GOD's love in my life, and didn't put my life on the line in actually doing something useful like oh, (I don't know), SERVE AND PROTECT MY COUNTRY (including all of you INGRATES!)

    Here's an idea, since you people are so hell bent in re-writing history, why don't you go to North Korea and try re-writting their history! I would love to see what would happen to all of you people,...GOD forgive me, I can actually imagine it.

    I wonder what written history would be like if all of you Marxist, statist, socialist, radical left-wingers were allowed to re-write history to fit all of your backward-thinking agendas? I thank GOD everyday for the precious gift of life, and for the opportunity serve America, and protect our country's Constitution, Bill of Rights, and all of our GOD given rights!

    It is obvious to me that you people are not too bright so let me enlighten you a little bit,.....OUR COUNTRY, OUR CONSTITUTION, OUR BILL OF RIGHTS, OUR LAWS, EVERYTHING WAS BASED ON CHRISTIANITY IN RELATION TO THE BIRTH OF AMERICA! Our founding fathers had so perfectly written the Constitution with the blessed forsight as to allow even all of the non-religious heathens in the world the freedom of having a voice.

    Here's another idea for your (so called "organization"), why don't you people leave all of our school history books alone and publish your "re-written" history books for Russian, Cuban, or even Chinese school kids,....I'm sure those communistic and murderous governments would appreciate your twisted version of what history should be, I can only imagine,....well, maybe not as I actually use my GOD-given brain to be able to "think and believe" on my own, knowing almost anything is possible if its part of GOD's Design. You people wouldn't know anything about that. I WOULD LOVE NOTHING MORE IN LIFE THAN TO RECEIVE YOUR RESPONSE TO THIS EMAIL! And please, try making some kind of sense in your response.

    PS

    Thanks to you people and organization, I am teaching, a
    One last thing, just because YOU PEOPLE do not believe in GOD ALMIGHTY, HIS SON JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD AND SAVIOR and THE HOLY SPIRIT, it doesn't mean that HE doesn't exist. I definately wouldn't want to get this one wrong. It is so reassuring that that's what you "non-believers" (by choice), were created for, to balance things out in my everlasting life. I AM GLAD JESUS MADE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR ABOUT THOSE ON EARTH WHO DENY "HIM".

    But you people don't have to worry about it do you? You people are so much smarter than 90% of the rest of the world who actually believe in some sort of GOD. We have saying in the Marines...."leave it to the 10% in the world to screw everything up for the rest of us!" YOU PEOPLE ARE ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING, (not because of your NON-BELIEVE OF GOD!) YOU PEOPLE ARE HURTING IN A MAJOR WAY,....IT MUST XXXX TO BE YOU PEOPLE!

     

     

     


     

     


     

     

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