Oklahoma schools are handing out ‘God Bless the USA’ Bibles, but 17 key amendments to the Constitution are missing.
Teachers across the state have raised concerns that the $60, Trump-endorsed Bibles are missing Amendments 11 through 27—including the amendment that abolished slavery and the one that granted women the right to vote.
The push to place Bibles in Oklahoma classrooms originated from State Superintendent Ryan Walters, who partnered with Lee Greenwood to donate the Bibles after the Oklahoma Legislature declined to allocate $3 million for their purchase.
The ‘God Bless the USA’ Bibles being donated are inspired by Lee Greenwood’s song of the same name. An edition signed by President Donald Trump sells for $1,000.
“Students need to understand the foundation of American history,” Walters said in a statement announcing that Bibles would be distributed to every AP U.S. Government classroom in the state. “That’s the Bible, the Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence.”
Yet, when Oklahoma social studies teacher Aaron Baker opened the Bible, he found that not the whole Constitution was included.
“This is not an accident, this is an incomplete at best Constitution that’s in this Bible, and it’s a dishonest Constitution, and it’s not the Constitution I teach in my classroom,” Baker said in a TikTok video liked by over 600,000 people.
The publisher of the Bibles told KFOR that “The decision was made to only include the original founding fathers’ documents, as Amendments 11-27 were added at later dates.”
The National Constitution Center states that “the U.S. Constitution is composed of the Preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments.”
The official website for the Bible states that it features: a handwritten chorus to “God Bless The USA” by Lee Greenwood, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and the Pledge of Allegiance.
“It would certainly mislead students if they are given this Bible,” Alex Luchenitser, Associate Vice President and Associate Legal Director for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, told KFOR in response to the publisher’s comment.
“The original article of the Constitution does not use the word slavery, the 13th amendment has a direct reference, and if you’re trying to rewrite history, leaving those amendments out will help make that point,” Baker emphasized in his video.
On Thursday, Ryan Walters resigned from his position as superintendent to lead the conservative nonprofit Teacher Freedom Alliance (TFA), which aims to help teachers mold their students into “free, moral, and upright American citizens.”
In July, Oklahoma was ranked 50th in the nation for education quality.
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