We can chuckle and guffaw, but I’m afraid that misses the point. The point is that all of those folks that want to teach American exceptionalism in our classrooms are purposely or unwittingly attempting to white wash history before our very eyes. I use the term white wash very intentionally here, because that is exactly what it is.

These folks come in all stripes. There are those that are racists that don’t want to be confronted with their racism. There are those that want to apologize or cover up for the racists of the past. You’ve heard these folks. “I never owned a slave. My family never owned slaves. I’m not a racist. So why should we be bombarded by this message?” I even get that on a certain level.

The reasoning goes back to Mr. Cain. One of two things is going on here. Either he is a racist that is trying to install a racist agenda or he is ignorant of our racist history. I can’t decide which one is worse. In one case, you have an idiot forwarding a racist agenda accidentally because he doesn’t know any better. In another instance, you have a racist that is floating a racist agenda past most Texans because they don’t know any better. Take your pick.

They removed the language from the bill, but much of the bill was intact. It can’t be an accident that all of this is happening after the U.S. Supreme Court watered down the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Apparently, systemic racism doesn’t exist anymore. Except we can literally point to hundreds of bills nationwide that says that it does.

I don’t know Briscoe Cain. I don’t know what exists in his heart. I can’t read his mind or tap into his true feelings. What I can do is judge the impact of his decisions. I can look at this bill and know it will hurt our poorer citizens and people of color. I can’t help but think that if we were taught the history of oppression we would be able to avoid this. Either those that propagate it would know better or the rest of us would more easily recognize it when they tried. Perhaps it would even be both.