Anti-Jeffersonians of the 21st century

Here in Rhode Island, folks are understandably proud of how the colony was founded by champions of religious freedom, and diversity, like Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson. It is no coincidence that the first synagogue in North America was built in Newport. This tradition of tolerance, and separation of church and state, was honored by men like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson who insisted that these ideals become part of our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Now centuries of success, in allowing children of different faiths, or no faith, to be educated in non-religious public schools is being cast aside. The religious right, and its corporate backers, are actively working to dismantle public education and replace it with for-profit, mostly religious, schooling. This effort is already far advanced in places like Texas and Florida, yet is also starting to happen nationwide, as teacher-unions and public schools come under attack. This clip by Thom Hartmann does a nice job in explaining the situation: