Breckenridge Texan

Editor’s Note: This column originally appeared in The Dallas Morning News, where Glenn Rogers is a contributing columnist.

By Glenn Rogers

Misinformation, followed by the spread and gullible acceptance by massive numbers of nonthinking humans, has been a plague since the dawn of civilization. We are wired as humans to lazily consume information without the work and effort to thoroughly investigate the source and veracity of the data presented. In words often attributed to John F. Kennedy, “Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”

Nowhere is the massive void in critical thinking skills more obvious than in the political arena, which thrives on low information, nonthinking voters. A thoughtful review of sources and facts is a threat to those who seek complete control of the voting populace. Repressive regimes view critical thinking as a significant threat to their stability and control and actively work to suppress it.

In 2012, the Texas Republican Party platform opposed the teaching of critical thinking skills in public schools because of what the party perceived as its focus on “behavior modification,” its challenge to students’ fixed beliefs and the threat of undermining parental authority. In a newly enlightened stance, the 2024 Texas Republican Party platform no longer includes the bizarre opposition to critical thinking in its education section. Progress.

Critical thinking is about “how to think,” not “what to think” and based on past and current failures in grasping this concept, we need an all-out effort to educate and develop these skills.

The current Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards from the Texas Education Agency emphasize skills like critical thinking and problem-solving. But what are the methods currently employed to effectively teach these skills and are there verifiable successful outcomes?

As a former educator at the college level and supporter of public education, I often think about creative ways to teach voters, and future voters, about navigating our contentious political environment.

One approach would be to bring real-world political materials into the classroom for examination. Teachers could ask students to evaluate the claims made in campaign texts, mailers and social media posts.

For example, one campaign brochure during the 2024 Republican primary season was titled “We Don’t Want Sharia Law in Texas.” It was mailed to several districts across the state targeting incumbent legislators including Reps. Stephanie Klick, Lynn Stucky, Mano DeAyala, Lacey Hull, Ellen Troxclair, Steve Allison, Dade Phelan and me.

The obvious intent was to lead voters to believe the candidates being attacked supported Shariah, or Islamic law, in Texas. And the mailer presented four statements, which it labeled as fact, regarding the recognition of various Muslim observances by the state Legislature.

Without thinking critically, a conservative Christian voter might assume that the candidate in question doesn’t align with his values. But in a classroom setting where students are invited to use critical thinking skills, a different picture would emerge.

The source listed on the mailer was the Texas Family Project, an organization allied with megadonors Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks. A source referenced in the mailer was the Texas Scorecard, a Wilks-Dunn mouthpiece.

The candidates attacked in this mailer were accused of “voting with every Democrat.” But the brochure failed to mention that most Republicans voted the same way. The bills in question were passed on the Local and Consent Calendar without a record vote. Several Republicans filed post-facto “no” votes to the resolutions recognizing Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, but those actions are meaningless. If lawmakers wanted to consider those measures and put them to a record vote, they should have had them removed from the consent agenda.

After the Legislature passed another consent agenda item recognizing Texas Muslim Capitol Day, 39 lawmakers, including many who were targeted by the mailing, registered “no” votes, but the mailer failed to mention that fact.

After checking references and attempting to verify facts, students would have the context to recognize the mailer for what it was: an outright lie.

Based on information from a Texas Ethics Commission attorney there are no restrictions regarding using public campaign materials for student classroom instruction. Good news!

Deceptive political misinformation tactics are not new, but with the explosion of social media and effects of the landmark Supreme Court decisions striking down restrictions on political spending, money and lies rule the day. Dark money, powerful megadonors and political action committees that shift and change names fast enough to make your head spin have created more control by a small number of wealthy donors at the expense of every other citizen.

Purveyors of negative attack mailers often assume the voting public will not take the time to check out references. And putting campaign opponents in a position of answering false accusations only feeds the problem. “When you’re defending, you’re losing,” as the saying goes. In the midst of a campaign season, false claims cannot be countered in a timely and effective manner. So the deception and even outrageous lies continue to increase with every campaign cycle.

Without major campaign finance and ethics reforms (which are highly unlikely) 100% of the onus for attaining wise electoral outcomes falls on voters. This unfortunate fact makes the development of a new generation of discerning voters, trained to think critically, more important than ever. Continued maintenance of our constitutional republic depends on an educated electorate navigating through an unfair and corrupt political process.

As Thomas Jefferson might have said, “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.”

Glenn Rogers is a rancher and veterinarian in Palo Pinto County. He served in the Texas House of Representatives from 2021 to 2025, representing Stephens County. He is a Dallas Morning News contributing columnist.