PHOENIX — Never mind that it's called a different name by everyone outside the United States.
State lawmakers gave final approval Tuesday to requiring that Arizona high schoolers be taught that the body of water from Florida all the way around to the Yucatan be called the Gulf of America. The last word now belongs to Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.
House Bill 2700 was proposed by Casa Grande Republican Rep. Theresa Martinez in the wake of the edict by President Donald Trump renaming what for centuries was called here — and is still called elsewhere — the Gulf of Mexico.
"It's important to start teaching pro-America to our students,'' Martinez said in pushing her bill through the House with all Republicans in support and all Democrats opposed. "What better way to promote a patriotic country and teach children about patriotism than to start calling it Gulf of America and taking pride in that?''
The Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature wants to force schools to teach the new Gulf of America name declared by President Donald Trump for the Gulf of Mexico and already adopted by Google Maps.
On Tuesday, the Senate followed suit, also along party lines — but not before one Democrat made it clear how ridiculous she finds the mandate.
Tempe Democratic Rep. Lauren Kuby said the body of water got its name from a combination of diplomacy and geographic accuracy.
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The name goes back to the 1600s. At that time none of the land bordering the gulf was what was eventually to become the American colonies and, later, the United States. Florida belonged to the Spanish, the area in and around Louisiana was owned by the French, and Texas was part of Mexico.
"But we're not a nation or state bound by facts or history books,'' Kuby said. "We're a nation powered by vibes, by slogans, and the unshakable belief that everything is better when it has the word 'America' duct-taped to it.''
Kuby said this form of rewriting geography is little different than decisions made to rewrite climate reports and high school textbooks to suit a political agenda.
"If we can manifest our own facts, why not our own oceans?'' she asked.
"So here's to the Gulf of America, proudly polluted, seriously rebranded, and only 60% controlled by the U.S.,'' Kuby said. "May the next hurricane make landfall with patriotic intent.''
