In a recent Texas House legislative session, State Rep. James Talarico (D) relentlessly questioned fellow State Rep. Candy Noble (R) over her support of a mandate requiring every classroom to display a poster of the Ten Commandments. The proposal, driven by Texas state Republican lawmakers, was prompted by a Texas mother earlier this month.
Taking to Twitter, Talarico shared a thread featuring clips of his grilling of Noble, labeling the mandate as “idolatrous, exclusionary, and arrogant.” In his tweet, he stated, “Texas Republicans are trying to force public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom. I told the bill author: ‘This bill is not only unconstitutional and un-American, but it’s also deeply un-Christian.'”
Talarico, a former middle school teacher, confronted Noble on the issue of “parental rights,” questioning whether state-sponsored religious indoctrination would infringe upon these rights. Noble’s response was dismissive, calling it an “interesting rabbit trail.”
Talarico then proposed adding language to the bill that would require parental consent from all students and parents in a classroom before displaying the Ten Commandments. He further pressed Noble by asking how a Hindu student would feel seeing a poster in every classroom that reads, “Thou shall not worship any God before me.”
Noble’s response seemed evasive, saying, “I think you want me to answer in a way that I’m confused on; I’m hoping they will see that and wonder about our Founding Fathers.”
