

@DineshDSouza Ga. lawmakers introduce a resolution urging schools to show my "America" film as an antidote to left-wing propaganda http://t.co/...

Georgia lawmakers last week introduced a resolution calling on schools to screen conservative author and filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza's latest movie, "America: Imagine A World Without Her." According to the resolution sponsored by six state House Republicans, D'Souza made the movie to "combat the idea that America is a 'disgrace' to the world."

Yup, Georgia wants to "encourage" middle schools and high schools in Georgia to show the latest right-wing propaganda project of an admitted felon in history classes. Which is totally cool, though, because, you see, this six-pack of Georgia right-wingers only wants to show this propaganda because they are convinced ... convinced! ... that history classes are already a cesspool of left-wing propaganda.

Which makes it necessary, apparently, to demand that schools air a film that claims that "today that notion of the essential goodness of America is under attack, replaced by another story in which theft and plunder are seen as the defining features of American history—from the theft of Native American and Mexican lands and the exploitation of African labor to a contemporary foreign policy said to be based on stealing oil and a capitalist system that robs people of their 'fair share'."

But, hey, on the bright side, according to the House Resolution, D'Souza has charitably offered a truncated 80-minute version of the film that "eliminates interviews with political pundits so that it contains 'purely historical content.'"

Two things about that make me (note: my day job is as an advanced-placement U.S. History teacher) smile. One was that even the six Republicans felt the need to put quotes on "purely historical content." The other smile-worthy note was that the original film is over two hours, meaning that a third of the original film, evidently, was the bleating of "political pundits." Which might explain the most laudable Rotten Tomatoes rating the film got from critics (I'll give you a hint—you could add up the film's favorability rating from critics with your fingers).

We shouldn't be surprised by this—indeed, Georgia is actually the second state where Republicans have insisted that D'Souza's "documentary" be viewed by students. Indeed, a resolution in the state of Florida went one step further, insisting that the film be required viewing for students in the 8th and 11th grades.

We also shouldn't be surprised because this has become par for the course in Republican-dominated state legislatures. Remember, of course, that this comes hot on the heels of the Oklahoma state legislature mulling banning the teaching of AP U.S. History.

There's volumes more that can be said about the Republican War on History, but for now, let's leave it at this: this is why state legislatures matter.