Texas Politics

I just learned that the Republican Party of Texas has a Plank in it's Platform that states "WE oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outcome Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student's fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority." Now they claim that it had been decided to remove that wording, but they apparently forgot. How do you forget to remove wording that basically says Texas children should not be allowed to learn how to think for themselves? Do you suppose it was forgotten in order to satisfy a certain portion of that electorate? Can you say you don't mean it, but you can write it? Can you say you don't mean it ,but write it because you haven't decided whether or not you like it? Critical thinking skills are the skills that every entrepreneur needs to be successful All scientists need those skills to do any kind of research. Some few folks are born with an affinity to those skills. For the rest of us, we need to be taught. But when any set of leaders or jurisdiction, local, state or federal, suggests that it's best not to teach their young people how to think independently, well that's when you know you're in trouble. Or even considers adopting such measures, as Texas has done, you need to run, not walk, to the nearest polling place and unelect those people. When you allow your religious beliefs to determine you vote, you're wrong. Your religious beliefs should help to guide your decisions on voting, but should not supersede your rational thinking. Nor as a parent, should you demand your children think exactly as you.