America & The Genetic Fallacy

To the Editor:

In her latest response, Cindy Rodibaugh demonstrates a remarkable talent for reading what she wishes were there rather than what was actually written. This is standard operating procedure for Ms. Rodibaugh.

I must correct the record. I never proposed that modern schools “mirror” a colonial, God-centered curriculum. In fact, I identified that very idea as a Genetic Fallacy: the logical error of assuming that because an institution began with a certain religious purpose, it must retain that purpose 250 years later. Agreement is impossible when one party invents the other’s platform.

Next, Ms. Rodibaugh avoids the fiscal reality I presented. Cheering for the “abolition” of the lottery while the state faces a $50 million education funding gap is not accountability; it is fiscal negligence... one that illustrates the inability to comprehend exactly what she seems to be advocating for.

The claim that the Ten Commandments are not “religious” is a legal fantasy. While they are indeed historical, their primary function is sectarian. To suggest otherwise ignores the very “truth” Ms. Rodibaugh claims to seek. If we want to develop “good character,” we should start by teaching children the difference between historical study and state-sponsored indoctrination. It seems Ms. Rodibaugh could have benefited from some of this teaching.

Finally, Ms. Rodibaugh calls for an investigation “without bias” while simultaneously demanding a curriculum centered on a single theological worldview, which I did not advocate for. You cannot have it both ways, Ms. Rodibaugh. A truly unbiased history acknowledges all influences on our founding, including the Enlightenment and the secularism that gave us a Constitution free of religious tests.