State’s bid cites requirements that $60 Trump-endorsed God Bless the USA Bible appears to be tailor-made to meet

State’s bid cites requirements that $60 Trump-endorsed God Bless the USA Bible appears to be tailor-made to meet

Oklahoma’s top education official is seeking to buy 55,000 Bibles for public schools and specifying that each copy contain the Declaration of Independence and US constitution, which are not commonly found in Bibles but are included in one endorsed by former president Donald Trump.

The request is part of Republican state superintendent Ryan Walters’ ongoing efforts to require Bibles in every classroom, which has been met with resistance by some of Oklahoma’s largest school districts.

Walters is seeking to spend $3m in state funds for Bibles that fit a certain criteria, including that the pages are supplemented with US historical materials. The Bibles must also be “bound in leather or leather-like material for durability”, according to state bidding documents posted this week.

  • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
    23·
    2 months ago

    Walters in June ordered public schools to incorporate the Bible into lessons for grades five through 12. The bidding documents also specify that the Bibles include both the Old Testament and New Testament, the Pledge of Allegiance and the Bill of Rights.

    Seems like it’s time to publish an annotated Bible that meets the criteria and costs much less than Trump’s bible.

    • jonne@infosec.pub
      8·
      2 months ago

      They thought of that and don’t allow any other commentary in the book, otherwise I could see a great opportunity for the satanic temple to get into book publishing.

      • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
        8·
        2 months ago

        Hmm, going to need to review the bidding documents, but I’m sure we can find an opportunity to make him regret being so specific.

        Edit: After reading the bidding documents, there’s a number of opportunities for malicious compliance. They don’t specify a size, a language, or anything more than the contents. So it might be tempting to make one that’s floormat sized or printed in a font that fits on a single page of water-soluble paper bound in leatherette.

        But I think the better thing would just be to print the books as requested. Make a KJV Bible with the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, and whatever other bullshit they asked for, get it printed exactly to spec, and do it for a fraction of the cost of the Trump bible. It won’t coat $55 to produce them, and then Oklahoma won’t be able to justify spending a premium to buy from Trump.

        Then donate all of the money to actual education programs.

        • jonne@infosec.pub
          4·
          2 months ago

          Yeah, undercutting in price is probably the best approach. If they still pick Trump’s book there’s probably legal options.

          • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
            3·
            2 months ago

            Exactly. We know this is transparent corruption, but they’re going to get away with it because it’s a garbage state nobody cares about. But it’s still America.