0:00:00.650,0:00:05.305
Texas passes a bill to counter critical race[br]theory in schools
0:00:05.305,0:00:09.459
Critics say Texas is declaring a war on history
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by promoting white supremacy
0:00:12.434,0:00:18.270
But wait… is that true?
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Welcome to America Uncovered.
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I’m Chris Chappell.
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Be warned, YouTube is secretly unsubscribing[br]people
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and might not be telling you about new episodes.
0:00:42.159,0:00:44.149
So make sure you’re still subscribed,
0:00:44.149,0:00:48.988
and[br]check back every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday for new episodes,
0:00:48.988,0:00:51.660
even if you[br]don’t get a notification.
0:00:51.660,0:00:55.328
So, according to CNN,
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Texas has declared war[br]on history!
0:00:58.372,0:01:01.780
That’s what you get for messing with Texas,[br]history!
0:01:01.780,0:01:04.623
According to multiple news reports,
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a new[br]bill introduced by Republican lawmakers in the Texas Senate
0:01:08.759,0:01:13.091
will radically alter what[br]gets taught in Texas schools.
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No more Civil Rights rights movement.
0:01:15.192,0:01:17.638
No more Martin Luther King Jr.
0:01:17.638,0:01:21.146
And the KKK is no longer morally wrong.
0:01:21.146,0:01:24.253
This article in The Nation says the Texas[br]Senate bill
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“raises the prospect that Texas students could finish K-12 education
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with[br]scant knowledge of the civil rights movement.”
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Which is alarming,
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since Texas students already[br]finish their education with scant knowledge
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that cowboy hats don’t make them look as cool[br]as they think they do.
0:01:42.059,0:01:46.063
The Huffington Post calls the new bill “a[br]new political low.”
0:01:46.063,0:01:50.210
Although I think the lowest political point[br]I’ve seen involving a politician from Texas
0:01:50.210,0:01:51.705
is still this.
0:01:51.705,0:01:52.849
“Please clap.”
0:01:52.849,0:01:55.516
Yes, I know Jeb Bush was[br]governor of Florida,
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but he grew up in Texas,
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and frankly this level of political cringe[br]transcends state lines.
0:02:02.779,0:02:05.395
Back to the Texas Senate bill.
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Texas Democrats are up in arms.
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State Representative James Talarico says the[br]Republican bill is,
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“a frightening dystopian future that [is starting] to come into focus.”
0:02:15.956,0:02:19.579
Which is almost as terrifying as an out of[br]focus dystopian future.
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Other Texas Democrats said Republican Governor[br]Greg Abbott
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doesn’t want kids to learn that white supremacy is morally wrong.
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That he’s trying to recast the KKK as the[br]good guys.
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I don’t know if I’d go that far.
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This pandemic has shown Greg Abbott
0:02:35.884,0:02:39.349
isn't[br]a fan of establishments that make people wear masks
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And get this—Texas isn’t alone.
0:02:42.767,0:02:46.531
Many other states are doing the exact same[br]thing.
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“But Texas is now one of at least 26 states
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that have proposed or have passed laws restricting
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or banning classroom discussions of concepts[br]relating to race and racism
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that Republican lawmakers say are divisive.”
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Leah Wright Rigueur:[br]“When you look at these states that have banned the Critical Race Theory,
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they’re[br]banning the study of race and racism in America
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and they are banning anything that essentially[br]upsets this idea
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that America is this perfect united place.”
0:03:14.986,0:03:16.998
Whoa whoa whoa, hold the phone.
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Banning Critical Race Theory is the same thing
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as banning the study of race and racism?!
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Are we sure we’re all talking about the[br]same thing?
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Looks like it’s time for another segment[br]of
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Wait, is that True?!
0:03:32.623,0:03:34.607
More after the break.
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Welcome back.
0:03:37.340,0:03:40.329
Though if you didn’t see an ad, it’s because[br]YouTube demonetized us
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for talking about controversial topics like Critical Race Theory.
0:03:44.396,0:03:48.358
So if you like getting your news outside the[br]mainstream media,
0:03:48.358,0:03:51.784
please support our work with as little as a $1 per episode
0:03:51.784,0:03:54.143
on the[br]crowdfunding website Patreon.
0:03:54.143,0:03:57.759
Visit pateron.com/AmericaUncovered for more.
0:03:57.759,0:04:01.331
So you know, when you hear sensationalist[br]news stories like,
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Texas stops teaching that the Ku Klux Klan is morally wrong,
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it’s kind of like when a suspiciously hot[br]woman
0:04:08.376,0:04:10.126
with a new Facebook account
0:04:10.126,0:04:13.572
messages you saying she wants to “make the kissing”
0:04:13.572,0:04:15.790
but needs your social security number.
0:04:15.790,0:04:17.899
Before you get too excited about it,
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you might[br]want to take a moment and ask yourself,
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Wait, is that True?
0:04:23.083,0:04:28.214
So a lot of states have started banning Critical[br]RaceTheory in K-12 schools.
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Now obviously,
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all of us learned in school[br]that slavery was bad
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and what happened to the Native Americans was horrible.
0:04:36.293,0:04:41.244
And this was all possible in the days before[br]Critical Race Theory was taught in schools.
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So then this raises the question, what is[br]Critical Race Theory?
0:04:45.053,0:04:47.922
What is actually being taught to children?
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Well, to quote one of the leading pro-Critical[br]Race Theory voices, Ibram X. Kendi ,
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“The most threatening racist movement is not the[br]alt right’s unlikely drive for a White ethnostate
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but the regular American’s drive for a ‘race-neutral’[br]one.”
0:05:04.690,0:05:09.719
Now some people talk about judging people[br]not by the color of their skin
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but by the content of their character.
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Remember, it doesn’t matter what someone[br]looks like.
0:05:14.653,0:05:15.919
All that matters
0:05:15.919,0:05:17.986
is that they’re not a ventriloquist.
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But the new message is, being race-neutral[br]is actually bad.
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“The only remedy to past discrimination[br]is present discrimination.
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The only remedy to present discrimination[br]is future discrimination.”
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That sounds like he wants to create an endless[br]cycle of discrimination.
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And this is why Critical Race Theory is so[br]controversial,
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and why Republican lawmakers in Texas want to ban it.
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It’s essentially a way to look at the history[br]we all learned about,
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but through the Marxist lens of class struggle—
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that there must always[br]be opposing groups
0:05:54.844,0:05:57.493
bent on destroying each other.
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For a more indepth look at Critical Race Theory,[br]check out our previous episode,
0:06:01.351,0:06:03.851
“Is Marxism Invading our Schools”
0:06:04.310,0:06:06.817
Still one of our best[br]thumbnails.
0:06:06.817,0:06:08.121
Across the country,
0:06:08.121,0:06:11.207
more and more parents[br]are saying Critical Race Theory
0:06:11.207,0:06:13.693
has no place in schools.
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“What kept me down?
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What oppressed me?
0:06:16.053,0:06:18.549
I worked myself from off the streets to where[br]I am right now.
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You’re going to sit here and tell me this[br]lie of Critical Race Theory,
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of this is the reason why black folks can’t get ahead because[br]of white folks?
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Are you kidding me?”
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Of course please don’t listen to what that[br]man says.
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It’s all a part of the GOP’s strategy!
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Letting parents share their opinions?
0:06:35.371,0:06:37.171
Diabolical!
0:06:37.171,0:06:39.121
So what was actually in the bill
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that has[br]led to claims Texas is stripping the KKK
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and Civil Rights teachings from school curriculum?
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Well, Texas House Republicans wanted a bill[br]to ban Critical Race Theory.
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“Texas Republicans wanted to be sure teachers[br]aren’t telling your kids
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that white people are inherently racist.
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So, this last session, they made a list of[br]concepts public schoolers
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should and should not learn.”
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Sadly, how dorky they look in cowboy hats[br]didn’t make that list.
0:07:09.899,0:07:13.884
Now Texas House Democrats were not happy.
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They were operating under the premise
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that[br]banning Critical Race Theory means banning all conversation
0:07:20.419,0:07:23.460
about slavery and the civil[br]rights movement.
0:07:23.460,0:07:25.389
So a compromise was reached.
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“To get that bill through the House,
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the[br]Republican authors allowed Democrats to tack
0:07:31.380,0:07:36.257
on a whole host of other issues that the Democrats[br]wanted to talk about.”
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Democrats included requirements for what had
0:07:39.280,0:07:41.438
to be taught in public schools.
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These include lessons on things like Martin[br]Luther King, Jr.,
0:07:44.643,0:07:46.626
the Emancipation Proclamation,
0:07:46.626,0:07:49.766
Native American history, women's suffrage,
0:07:49.766,0:07:51.544
the History of the KKK,
0:07:51.544,0:07:54.877
and the ways in which white supremacy is morally wrong.
0:07:54.877,0:07:56.910
All great lessons to learn.
0:07:56.910,0:07:59.569
If only certain Democrats also learned
0:07:59.569,0:08:03.632
this doesn’t make you seem as woke as[br]you think it does.
0:08:03.632,0:08:06.304
State Representative Talarico , who I mentioned[br]earlier,
0:08:06.304,0:08:08.991
is a major opponent to the bill,
0:08:08.991,0:08:11.028
he says “the amendments the House added
0:08:11.028,0:08:14.346
were[br]essential to ensure that we were teaching students
0:08:14.346,0:08:16.174
all of American history —
0:08:16.174,0:08:17.200
the good,
0:08:17.200,0:08:18.643
the bad,
0:08:18.643,0:08:19.981
and the ugly,”
0:08:19.981,0:08:22.063
Talarico also said these amendments
0:08:22.063,0:08:24.190
“were[br]put in place to ensure that teachers
0:08:24.190,0:08:28.200
wouldn’t be punished for telling their students the[br]truth.”
0:08:28.200,0:08:32.498
In June, Texas Governor Greg Abott signed[br]the bill into law.
0:08:32.498,0:08:35.397
It was set to go into effect in September.
0:08:35.397,0:08:37.381
But then the twist!
0:08:38.266,0:08:43.234
This month, Republicans in the Texas Senate[br]passed another bill
0:08:43.234,0:08:47.001
that took out most of what the House Democrats added.
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Which is why you have headlines saying
0:08:48.910,0:08:52.232
the[br]Texas GOP wants to dump MLK
0:08:52.232,0:08:54.826
and whitewash the KKK.
0:08:54.826,0:08:59.325
Of course, whitewashing is the KKK’s favorite[br]type of washing.
0:08:59.325,0:09:02.802
So, is the Texas GOP really trying to ban
0:09:02.802,0:09:06.667
teaching about Martin Luther King Jr. in schools?
0:09:06.667,0:09:10.617
Let’s put this story to rest after this[br]final commercial break.
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Welcome back.
0:09:14.133,0:09:16.640
So it is true the Texas Senate passed a bill
0:09:16.640,0:09:22.236
that removes the requirement to teach that the KKK is morally wrong.
0:09:22.236,0:09:25.108
But headlines like these are misleading.
0:09:25.108,0:09:27.730
Cutting out a provision citing the KKK
0:09:27.730,0:09:32.587
doesn’t[br]mean that Texas is banning teaching about the KKK.
0:09:32.587,0:09:35.186
It just means it isn’t required.
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Kinda like how it isn’t required to teach[br]atomic wedgies in school, either,
0:09:39.315,0:09:41.401
but I still learned about them.
0:09:41.401,0:09:43.533
The hard way.
0:09:43.533,0:09:46.824
In fact, none of the things taken out from[br]the House bill
0:09:46.824,0:09:49.662
will be banned from classrooms.
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That’s because those things are already[br]included in the Texas Administrative Code,
0:09:55.094,0:09:58.059
which covers Texan education policies.
0:09:58.059,0:10:01.903
The Texas Administrative Code says it is essential[br]for schools
0:10:01.903,0:10:04.010
to teach about how Jim Crow laws
0:10:04.010,0:10:07.811
and the KKK created obstacles to civil rights.
0:10:07.811,0:10:10.665
The roles of political organizations and leaders
0:10:10.665,0:10:13.374
who supported various rights movements.
0:10:13.374,0:10:16.673
The impact of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s[br]writings.
0:10:16.673,0:10:22.308
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting[br]Rights Act of 1965.
0:10:22.308,0:10:25.890
And how Whataburger is superior to In-N-Out.
0:10:25.890,0:10:27.556
The list goes on.
0:10:27.556,0:10:31.993
So why did this new Republican Senate bill[br]cut all that stuff?
0:10:31.993,0:10:35.197
Well, according to the author, Senator Bryan[br]Hughes,
0:10:35.197,0:10:40.335
that’s because legislation isn’t supposed to be a detailed curriculum.
0:10:40.335,0:10:45.239
He’s saying a “specific reading list doesn’t[br]belong in statute.”
0:10:45.239,0:10:50.414
And instead, these requirements should be[br]developed by the State Board of Education.
0:10:50.414,0:10:52.920
“Each school would be responsible for deciding
0:10:52.920,0:10:57.062
whether or not to teach” the topics omitted from the Senate bill.
0:10:57.062,0:10:58.441
Makes sense.
0:10:58.441,0:11:01.241
It’s probably a good idea that politicians[br]don’t decide
0:11:01.241,0:11:03.624
what books kids are forced to read.
0:11:03.624,0:11:05.335
To make it even clearer,
0:11:05.335,0:11:07.911
an amendment to the[br]bill against Critical Race Theory
0:11:07.911,0:11:10.941
later clarified the bill would not prevent teachers
0:11:10.941,0:11:16.043
from discussing[br]things already included in the required curriculum.
0:11:16.043,0:11:21.139
And again, teaching about MLK and civil rights[br]and the KKK
0:11:21.139,0:11:25.110
are already included in the required curriculum.
0:11:25.110,0:11:29.578
So no topics are actually being banned by[br]the Senate bill.
0:11:29.578,0:11:31.886
Not even atomic wedgies.
0:11:31.886,0:11:35.020
The bill just puts the decision on what topics[br]to cover
0:11:35.020,0:11:37.720
in the hands of the State Board of Education.
0:11:37.720,0:11:40.795
And again, the topics that Democrats were[br]worried about
0:11:40.795,0:11:44.094
are already in the curriculum.
0:11:44.094,0:11:47.199
But that hasn’t satisfied critics of the[br]Senate bill.
0:11:47.199,0:11:50.579
Critics say removing the topics from the list[br]of requirements
0:11:50.579,0:11:54.238
means teachers “may come under scrutiny due to the vague,
0:11:54.238,0:11:56.704
anti-critical[br]race theory language.”
0:11:56.704,0:12:01.458
Republicans, after all, have made it clear[br]this bill is meant to oppose critical race theory,
0:12:01.458,0:12:04.001
including the 1619 Project.
0:12:04.616,0:12:07.181
Lucky for Critical Race Theory proponents,
0:12:07.181,0:12:10.006
the Senate Bill is like a 46 year-old DJ
0:12:10.006,0:12:12.649
taking his G.E.D. for the third time:
0:12:12.962,0:12:15.567
He probably[br]won’t pass.
0:12:15.567,0:12:20.393
To become law, the bill must pass the state’s[br]House of Representatives.
0:12:20.393,0:12:25.948
The problem is, 51 Democrats left the state[br]to D.C. earlier this month
0:12:25.948,0:12:28.024
to block a voting bill.
0:12:28.024,0:12:30.658
The Senate can’t hold a vote otherwise.
0:12:30.658,0:12:35.852
We can also thank Governor Abbott for threatening[br]to arrest Texas Democrats earlier this month.
0:12:35.852,0:12:39.194
“As soon as they come back in the state[br]of Texas, they will be arrested,
0:12:39.194,0:12:43.801
they will be cabined inside the Texas Capital until[br]they get their job done.”
0:12:43.801,0:12:46.965
Nothing like threatening to imprison your[br]political opponents.
0:12:46.965,0:12:50.476
That’ll get them to pass a bill they already[br]don’t like.
0:12:51.099,0:12:52.236
As I said before,
0:12:52.236,0:12:55.360
the left and right seem[br]to have a very hard time
0:12:55.360,0:12:59.320
finding ways to talk to each other in a meaningful way.
0:12:59.320,0:13:01.413
Wherever you are in the political spectrum,
0:13:01.413,0:13:03.690
I don’t think any normal American
0:13:03.690,0:13:07.004
would say they’re opposed to learning from our[br]past mistakes
0:13:07.004,0:13:09.312
about slavery and racism.
0:13:09.312,0:13:14.379
What we disagree on is how we interpret and[br]frame our history.
0:13:14.379,0:13:16.946
Are we a country that’s getting better?
0:13:16.946,0:13:18.679
Or getting worse?
0:13:18.679,0:13:22.038
And the fact we can’t even communicate with[br]each other about it,
0:13:22.038,0:13:24.897
that’s the biggest political low since—
0:13:25.188,0:13:26.355
“Please clap.”
0:13:26.355,0:13:28.606
So what do you think about the Texan Senate[br]bill?
0:13:28.606,0:13:30.322
Let me know in the comments below.
0:13:30.322,0:13:34.474
Also, remember that we need your support to[br]keep America Uncovered going.
0:13:34.474,0:13:37.511
We’re covering history without whitewashing[br]it.
0:13:37.511,0:13:41.512
All it takes is $1 per episode on the crowd[br]funding website Patreon.
0:13:41.512,0:13:45.189
Visit Patreon.com/AmericaUncovered to learn[br]more.
0:13:45.189,0:13:46.583
Once again, I’m Chris Chappell.
0:13:46.583,0:13:48.789
Thanks for watching America Uncovered.