Alejandra Garcia

A bookshelf filled with Holy Bibles and a single, chalky copy of “Macbeth” sits alongside a poster of the Ten Commandments. This image does not derive from the latest sequel of the Christian drama series, “God is Not Dead.” No, the liturgical iconography may be what decorates the future classrooms of Texas public schools. 

A U.S. appeals court’s unconstitutional favoring of the Ten Commandments’ required display in Texas public schools proves that the state remains content with shoving Christian ideology into the brains of children rather than protecting their educational and individual freedoms.

Republicans have been advocating for a larger religious influence in public schools, as it seems some absurdly believe that the Ten Commandments are at the forefront of American identity. 

“The Ten Commandments have had a profound impact on our nation, and it’s important that students learn from them every single day,” Attorney General Ken Paxton said.

Paxton opts for the Band-Aid solution to instill morality in students, but a poster will not work. The student will look up at the poster then back down at their State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness exam, trying to recall what the First Amendment protects, and the answer will not be in the Ten Commandments. Thankfully, when the student walks home, they will “remember the sabbath day,” even if they could not recall what happened at the Alamo.

The state must have oversight in its schools, but Texas is failing to use its power to develop students into empathetic, responsible civilians. Rather than the Ten Commandments, Texas public schools need to display the Bill of Rights, so students can ensure their rights and the rights of their peers are not infringed upon.

Just as someone cannot take a pledge to suddenly become holy and unsinful, nobody can look at a piece of paper and instantly become infused with perfect morals. Morality is built and learned through media consumption, thinking and conversation.

Paxton and Republicans can better improve the morality of students by expanding the bookshelf instead of restricting it. An investigation by P. Matthijs Bal and Martijn Veltkamp found that reading fiction increases empathy, while a control group, which read non-fiction, demonstrated no growth in empathy. Literature remains a tested defense against festering indifference in students, yet Texas continues to lead a tirade that unjustly targets works featuring LGBTQ+ themes, protagonists of color and discussions of race and sexuality. These books may be some of the first encounters students have in learning about people with identity markers outside of their own — their first chance to begin fostering an understanding for communities they may be unfamiliar with.

The state must stop interfering with the inner workings of schools and simply ensure that public schools and open enrollment charter schools have the resources necessary to lead effective, welcoming classrooms.