While the Texas Constitution includes the words “Humbly invoking the blessings of Almighty God,” it also supported slavery. Readers say public schools should keep religion out while teaching the full context of our nation’s history.
Steve Griffin/Associated Press
A sign indicating students are taking STAAR exams is displayed at Arnold Elementary School in San Antonio on April 2. Standardized testing is necessary to ensure students are being taught and learning what they need to know, a reader says.
Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News
Also includes slavery
Re: “Teach relevant religion…,” Your Turn, Thursday:
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The letter writer accurately wrote, “Our own Texas Constitution preamble states: ‘Humbly invoking the blessings of Almighty God.’ ”
The founding document also spends considerable time on keeping Black people enslaved.
How should we handle that in our public schools?
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Did God bless that?
A letter writer stated students cannot properly understand America without learning how the Bible, Christianity and belief in God influenced our founding principles, institutions and historical documents, and that the Texas Constitution preamble states, “Humbly invoking the blessings of Almighty God, the people of the state of Texas do ordain and establish this constitution.”
They should also teach that after declaring independence and surviving the siege of the Alamo in March 1836, Texas formally established the Republic of Texas as a pro-slavery nation, explicitly protecting and expanding the institution of slavery in its new constitution.
Was that change humbly invoking the blessings of the almighty God?
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Let’s keep religion out of politics.
STAAR serves purpose
Re: “TEA rescore raises Southwest ISD rating,” Metro, Aug. 23:
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Do not get rid of the STAAR test too quickly.
The current system includes a single test per subject with the results posted online.
In addition to the scores, the questions and student responses are available for parents to review with their children.
Standardized testing is necessary to ensure that students are being taught and learning what they need to know.
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Socialism is all around
Re: “McManus holds forth on supposed communist threat to U.S.,” Metro, Sept. 6:
We always regarded William McManus as a good police chief doing a difficult job, but we think he is dead wrong in his fear that socialism leads to communism.
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For one thing, during most of his career, McManus has worked in a socialist agency.
Most police departments, including San Antonio’s, are controlled by the city.
In San Antonio, the city also owns CPS Energy and San Antonio Water System. Nationwide, most of us support the government programs of Social Security and Medicare. It’s all socialism.
Worldwide, the top three happiest countries, according to the annual World Happiness Report, are Finland, Iceland and Denmark, which have robust social safety nets, including healthcare. McManus claimed that is the first rule for creating a socialist state.
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As for work ethic, some of the most productive nations in the world are socialist democracies, including Denmark, Norway, Ireland and Luxembourg. All four have strong safety nets, along with strong private capitalistic systems.
None of these entities — San Antonio, the U.S. and socialist nations — are sliding precipitously into dreaded communism.
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