The Revisionaries

See How a Handful of Fundamentalists Decides What Your Kids are Taught in School
Texas native Scott Thurman reports from the latest of the front lines of the American culture wars: The Texas State Board of Education. Thurman captures the action as the the far-right majority of the board, led by governor-appointed chairman and small-town dentist Don McLeroy, decide on the language used in public school text books for the state of Texas until the year 2020.

The first battle is over language used in science texts, specifically in regards to wording about the "weaknesses" of theories and how it affects the teaching of the theory of evolution. Battling the board members are activists with the National Center for Science Education and the Texas Freedom Network. This may at first seem to the casual observer to be a bit of hair splitting and semantics--a case of left v right political squabbling. But then we see the board members' true intentions in the film's behind-the-scenes footage, as McLeroy publicly brags about his belief in a 6,000-year-old Earth,...

Eyes wide open
The Revisionaries showcases how public education has become the latest battleground in a new wave of cultural, religious and ideological clashes, with local Texas education board members advancing agendas of Creationism and other religious issues in public schools. This documentary highlights how their tactics have had the effect of rewriting key tenets of U.S. democracy and are affecting educational policies at the national level

The Revisionaries
I recently reviewed a film in which the following statement was made: "Fanaticism is often nothing more than the other face of madness." Watching the powerful and very informative "The Revisionaries," I couldn't help but think about this statement, and how true it is.

The documentary can be viewed as a tragic-comedy, as it displays how sad and serious, as well as at times funny, the state of our union is in regard to some issues. In this case, the issue is science versus religion. Director Scott Thurman, who also produced and wrote the film, takes us to the glorious state of Texas, where we meet Don McLeroy, who is being grilled by state officials in reference to "fifteen bills around here, to strip your authority." You see, McLeroy is a local dentist and Sunday school teacher, who heavily supports the "intelligent design" concept and is against evolution. He also happens to be the Texas School Board's chairman, and he is part of a select group that decides the contents of...

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