New Ted Cruz bill appears to inadvertently ban the teaching of several constitutional amendments

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is proposing a new bill that would require the censorship of all public schools in the teaching of any kind of American history involving slavery.

While it appears Ted Cruz was endeavoring to ban the teaching of critical race theory, what he has inadvertently done is bar the teaching of several amendments of the Constitution.

President Abraham Lincoln's effort to abolish slavery with the 13th Amendment would cause problems since it directly addresses the history of U.S. slavery that was abolished by the new law. Cruz's censorship bill would effectively bar the teaching of that as well as the 14th Amendment, which made it so any person born in the United States a citizen of the United States. It also said that no person can be denied life, liberty or property. Teaching it would likely require educators to explain why that amendment came about, which would be censored by Cruz's bill.

It would also stop the teaching of the 15th Amendment, which ensured that all citizens of the United States had the right to vote "shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Even the word "servitude" would violate the censorship law Cruz wants to enact.

Critics wondered how educators would be able to teach about the three-fifths compromise under Cruz's law.

It'll never be brought before the Senate for a vote, much less signed into law, but the legislation will give Cruz an opportunity to fundraise off of his proposed bill.

The legislation goes back to the manufactured crisis created by a right-wing think tank to create a culture war issue involving people of color and the teaching of slavery. Many on the right feel defensive about their children learning that white people enslaved people of color and being told that it was morally wrong.