Texas Couple Taking On Textbooks : They Aim to Purge ‘Barnyard Morals’ From Schoolbooks

In a sense, Marilyn Monroe provided the impetus to the campaign of Mel and Norma Gabler to purge the nation’s public school texts of “barnyard morals” and what they believed were grievous inaccuracies.

“We were angry at what we saw in our children’s books and wanted to take action,” said Mel, a retired oil pipeline worker now living in Longview, Tex. “We weren’t afraid of getting up and embarrassing ourselves.”

They did just that. And embarrassed a lot of other folks as well, including the prestigious Texas schoolbook selection panel, responsible for the largest single-unit purchase of textbooks in the nation.

During a hearing a few years back, Norma gave them a piece of her mind.

“She told them that if George Washington was father of his nation, then Marilyn Monroe certainly qualified as mother of her nation,” said Mel. That is because textbooks under review gave scant notice to details of Washington’s life and his political accomplishments, while dwelling at length on Monroe’s loves, life and marriages.

“That caused quite a ruckus,” said Mel. The panel agreed: What Norma said made sense. Overnight, the nation’s book publishers deemphasized Marilyn Monroe and restored Father George to his rightful place.

Headlines around the world proclaimed the power of this small bespectacled woman. She had launched a revolution. Since Norma’s campaign, scores of public advocates, representing a wide spectrum of views, gather each year in growing numbers for the state’s public textbook hearings.

“We used to be out there all by ourselves,” Mel said. “Now, everybody’s got their views, and they’re out there expressing them. That’s good. That’s democracy.”

Texas’ selections are viewed as an acid test for the industry. Many large school districts base their purchase on the books that filter through the state’s rigorous examination. And the publishers are willing to make changes based on recommendations from the process because Texas is such a huge order; the state boasts 3 million school children.

“The publishers may not agree with us, but at least they know where we stand,” said Mel. “When we make an objection, they listen.”

All textbooks are reviewed every six years, some more often than that in fields in which information rapidly changes--physics or modern political history, for instance.

The process begins in the spring. The state board of education issues a proclamation, similar to bid specifications issued by a city council, detailing what it wants in a particular text and an appropriate price range. All publishers must meet those criteria. They submit their books, usually more than 150, to educators, businessmen and members of the state textbook committee.

In addition, copies of the sample books are placed in libraries and regional educational centers for the public’s review. The citizens then respond. This year, the Gablers submitted a 500-page report, listing their grievances. Other citizen reports totaled nearly 2,000 pages.

After a few months, the public is encouraged to appear before the textbook selection committee and summarize their feelings. The committee then recommends a list of books to be approved, including two alternates in each subject. Publishers are told where to make changes.

“From beginning to end of the process takes roughly two years,” Mel said. “That’s a pretty small time frame when you consider the issue at stake--the future of our nation.”

Says Norma Gabler: “The censors should be asked why there is such a dearth of textbooks and public school library books that support the following--monogamous families, anti-homosexuality, anti-abortion, American patriotism, morality, conservative views, teaching of honesty, obeying laws, changing bad laws through a legal process, etc.

“The nation that does not teach its values to its youth is committing intellectual suicide.”

The director of the Texas Civil Liberties Union, another active advocate in the textbook process, agrees--and disagrees.

“We disagree with what the Gablers stand for--getting up and saying Martin Luther King and Joan Baez shouldn’t be mentioned in books because they don’t approve of their politics,” said the TCLU’s Gara LaMarche. “But we do agree with their premise, and that is that the more participants, the better the process.”