Promoting Religion in the Public Schools of New Mexico

If a roll-call vote was taken today of the New Mexico government officials who actively support the promotion of religion in the New Mexico Public Schools it would go like this:

*Governor William Richardson. Guilty.
*New Mexico State Legislature. Guilty.
*Chairwoman of the Education Committee Ms. Cynthia Nava. Guilty.
(Senator Nava is also the Superintendent of the Gadsden ISD.)
*New Mexico Cultural Affairs Secretary Stuart Ashman. Guilty.
*New Mexico Public Education Department Secretary Ms. Veronica Garcia. Guilty.
*All 89 Public School Districts. Guilty.
*University of New Mexico Press. Guilty.
*New Mexico State University. Guilty.
*City of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Guilty.
*Third Judicial District Attorney Ms. Susana Martinez. Guilty.
*Las Cruces Public Schools District. Guilty.

This list does not include the various civic, business, and fraternal organizations that are active supporters.

Part 1: A children's storybook The Santero's Miracle, by the well-known NM author, Mr. Rudolfo Anaya, is a popular Catholic folk-tale from northern New Mexico about a Christmas miracle, statuary, saints, faith, angels, and prayer.

On 19 December 2007 in the 27 public elementary schools in Las Cruces, New Mexico, all third grade students were rounded up and forced to hear the reading of this religious story during the day before the annual Christmas break. The adult readers were the Superintendent, District Administrative staff, School Board members, and NM State Legislators. Each of the reported 27,000 public school third grade students in New Mexico were given a special edition of the book.

The book was selected by Governor Richardson who has his picture in the book with some happy children. The final book selection was orchestrated by Senator/Superintendent Cynthia Nava who refuses to provide public documents concerning the whole program. Senator Nava presented the program to the NM State Senate and it was approved. The appointed NM Secretary of Public Education Department Veronica Garcia gleefully endorsed her friend's project, then denied the proselytizing intent. The book was supposedly paid for by the eighteen corporate sponsors listed in the book. I wrote them all a letter and none have bothered to reply. Silence is guilt. The corporate sponsorship is a ruse to discharge any responsibility from government officials in their role of proselytizing.

Part 2: A search of the NM Public Education Department's web site will further expose the extent of proselytizing in that Department. A set of forms with a 'TM' for 'Trademarked' and titled "New Mexico Teacher Assessments" can be found. The top left corner shows a 'logo' with a 'TM' and at the bottom of the pages is this note: "The New Mexico Teacher Assessments logo are trademarks...of the State of New Mexico Public Education Department and Pearson Education, Inc."

The 'logo' is a modification of the religious Zia Sun symbol that was appropriated without permission from the Zia Pueblo. The modification shows three extensions of the four branches, instead of the usual four extensions on four branches. On the growing number of modified NM government logo symbols the three extensions are for the Trinity. For this one which also has a halo, the individual groups of three extensions on the four branches represents the Gospel of John Chapter 3. A closer look reveals four little peaks between the four branches. Add them together and you get a clever example of the governmental proselytizing: Gospel of John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

The NM Public Education Department Custodian of Records writes that they know nothing about the logo on the forms, its trademark, nor does "their contacts at Pearson, Education,Inc." The NM Secretary of State writes that there is no record of this logo being registered in NM. I spent several hours in the federal web site Trademark records and found no reference to a logo like this. If someone can find it I certainly would like to see who the owner is.

Until then the NM Public Education Department is illegally active in promoting Christianity in the public schools of New Mexico, which includes the university system.