Action Alert!
Texas Gov. Perry Picks Creationist for Board of Ed.!
July 14, 2009
Please contact Texas Gov. Rick Perry to object to his June 10 decision to appoint creationist Gail Lowe as chair of the State Board of Education. Perry first selected Don McLeroy for the same post earlier this year, but the Texas Senate rejected McLeroy on the grounds that he advocated teaching creationism and discrediting evolution in public schools. Unfortunately, because Lowe is a replacement appointment, the Texas Senate is unable to vote on her appointment this term.
Lowe's record is no less tainted by the grip of religious absurdity. As a member of the State Board of Education first elected in 2002, Lowe appointed David Barton, a zealous far-right activist, to an "experts" panel responsible for revising social studies curriculum. (Barton founded WallBuilders, a conservative Christian organization that promotes "America's Christian heritage." One of Barton's most appalling actions thus far has been to call for the elimination of "politically objectionable" characters from history, such as Cesar Chavez and Thurgood Marshall). In 2004, Lowe objected to high school curriculum containing medically accurate information about reproductive healthcare. Both in 2003 and 2009, Lowe voted to incorporate creationist criticisms of evolution into state curriculum standards.
This appointment means that the Texas Board of Education, which has undue national influence because of its power over textbooks, will continue to be at the mercy of creationists. It is entirely disappointing and inappropriate that Gov. Perry chose to dictate that the education of Texan children should be charged to a person with such a narrow, unscientific agenda.
Please write succinct, firm, and signed messages to Gov. Perry, the Lt. Gov. of Texas (also the President of the Senate) David Dewhurst, and/or local newspapers objecting to the wildly inappropriate choice of Gail Lowe as the chair of the Board of Education. Even a one-line email will be read and counted. Concentrate on one or two major points, and write as an individual, not as someone responding to this action alert. (Do not forward our action alert message to the target!) We are pleased to receive "blind" duplicates of your letters or responses by email: bgutsch@ffrf.org, Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Read Coverage From The Houston Chronicle
Contact
Governor Rick Perry
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, TX 78711-2428
Phone: (512) 463-2000
FAX: (512) 463-1849
Email Form
Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst
Capitol Station
P.O. Box 12068
Austin TX 78711
Phone: (512) 463-0001
Fax: (512) 463-0677
Email Form
Media Contacts
Austin American-Statesman
Letters to the Editor
P.O. Box 670
Austin TX 78767
Email Form
(Please be sure to reference 'Letters to the Editor', include your name, address and phone number, and do not exceed 150 words).
Letters From Readers
Dallas Morning News
Box 655237
Dallas TX 75265
Phone: (214) 977-8222
Fax: (972) 263-0456
Email Form
(Please keep letters under 200 words).
San Antonio Express
Letters to the Editor
P.O. Box 2171
San Antonio TX 78297-2171
Phone: (210) 250-3476
Email: letters@express-news.net