The Barbarians, “Are You a Boy, or Are You a Girl?” (click to listen)
From the state that brought you the “Texas Miracle” that wasn’t (and led directly to the No Child Left Behind mess) comes a flashback to the worst of the 1960s or maybe the 1800s. The Needsville Texas school district has refused to admit a five-year-old boy because his hair is too long (hat tip to Region19 Gazette). “”I’m just afraid if the district gives in, other problems will occur in the future,” said Shelly Sullivan, a former Needville student.” Yeah, like fluoridation in the water, revolution in the streets and maybe respect for individual choices. Horrors.
That the child is Native American recalls the shameful forced assimilation policies of Native American boarding schools.
I know Texas has produced much of worth (especially in music, but can’t forget Governor Anne Richards and others). Still, things like this make me wonder what goes on down there.
Thomas J. Mertz
AMPS 