Reason # 786 to Secede

This is old news, but it's back in the buzz. Our government now has funding to implement mandatory mental health testing at the K-12 level. In short, this will allow (and eventually force) schools to test any student for mental illness. A school can then force parents to medicate their children—refusal to do so will result in suspension or expulsion.

From the British Medical Journal:

The president's commission found that "despite their prevalence, mental disorders often go undiagnosed" and recommended comprehensive mental health screening for "consumers of all ages," including preschool children. …The commission also recommended "Linkage [of screening] with treatment and supports" including "state-of-the-art treatments" using "specific medications for specific conditions."

So it’s genius, really. Cutting education funding and pushing unfunded educational mandates will only go so far to create working-class drones who vote against their own self-interest and are willing to fight to the death any educated fool who tries to compel them otherwise. The only real flaw with this plan was that the drug companies weren’t making any money off of it—oh, and that smart and curious kids with smart and progressive parents would still ask questions, push boundaries, and piss on the party line.

Hyper kids, smart kids, weird kids, bookish kids, antisocial kids, oversexed kids, undersexed kids, curious kids, shy kids, overbearing kids, talkative kids, creative kids, Northern kids, urban kids, Muslim kids, Jewish kids, progressive-instead-of-regressive Christian kids, any kids at all (and their teachers) who even slightly don’t fit the easy-to-contain, easy-to-manage mold that our crumbling unfunded schools will require to stamp out lookalike new brownshirts to fight on the front lines of our New World War Order.

The mandatory testing plan is based on the

Texas Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP), a 1996 project that "illustrates an evidence-based practice that results in better consumer outcomes." [emphasis on consumer mine]

FfffffFUCK, people! If it came from Texas, especially during the Bush years, it is BAD! Molly Ivins already told us about this. Look at every Texas initiative during the Bush terms. He ruined the state (ok, made it worse), and they are only now even beginning to feel and try to repair the damage.

Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) was paying attention, at least, and tried to get this line removed from the omnibus spending bill back in September, but he was overruled. I repeat: FfffffFUCK, people! If a TEXAS REPUBLICAN is saying the bill could hurt people and set a scary precedent, and he isn’t quoting scripture while he does it, you should REALLY consider listening to him.

Secession. Let ‘em have it—we’ll start over.