The cited article distorts what was said and proceeds to manufacture a position that was not taken by that rather soft-spoken state rep. Having said that, I disagree with her actual position: that mandating the reading of the declaration by students is unfair to those whose genetic ancestors were most certainly not free at the founding. I see no problem with it so long as the educational process includes the facts of the times, which includes that the slaves were not free, and were in fact held to slavery through a degrading combination of economic interests and racism. The state rep's objection is quite mild and understandable, even if her belief that the mandate would be unfair to some American students is wrong. After all, there is a rather obvious hypocricy in declaring all men are created equal, and proceeding to ensure through the constitution that they are not:
Declaration:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Constitution:
Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.
