From Florida we hear some strange remarks from those picked to supervise its educational standards. Nancy Bostock, under the bizarre impression that "the entire theory of evolution is not scientific fact," think that "intelligent design balances it out." Her solution to getting intelligent design into the classroom: "We can call it a different name if that makes a difference to critics." (It doesn't, Ms. Bostock; crazy talk by any other name is still crazy talk.) Another member, Carol Cook, babbles incoherently, "We should expose them [schoolchildren] to it [creationism]. I wouldn’t necessarily say teach them. They need to know both things are out there–both trains of thought, both theories [sic]. To teach one as if nothing else existed, I think we’re doing our students a disservice." Still another, Jane Gallucci thinks "that students should be given the opportunity to view all theories on how man evolved," a not unreasonable position. But then it turns out that she actually thinks that "god made us" is a scientific theory, and that "both theories should be presented to children. I think especially in a scientific world both theories should be presented to children," she notes. Why childish superstition should be presented to children alongside scientific fact, especially in a scientific world, she doesn't explain. But a certain Peggy O'Shea takes the cake on this one. In a world in which biology is increasingly important, where biotech is the wave of the future and in which biological advances have applications in everything from police investigations to the safety of our food supply, she can write about the central idea of biology, "I’d probably ideally like to keep it ALL out of the classroom. If it’s going to create this much controversy, how important is it?" She seems to think that the best approach is to allow parents to "opt out" and to let their kids skip being tested on it. Ah, yes, more special privileges for the "christian" children. Just what we need. And I suppose when they want to enter college they'll demand to be allowed in under some kind of special dispensation for the willfully ignorant, as is happening now in California. Affirmative action for those too lazy to learn. Give me a break.
4 comments:
"If it’s going to create this much controversy, how important is it?" "
Does she not understand the meaning of controversy, why controversy exists in the first place? It can only exist where people think that something is important. The stupidity of people who are allowed power and access to the media in this country continues to amaze and sicken me.
Hello there.
I just stumbled across your blog and will be adding you to my blogroll.
If you've never lived in Florida, I don't know that you can get a true picture of the depths of the dumb down there or the amount of influence evangelical fundamentalists exercise in most of the state. It's hard to imagine from the outside. Imagine getting blasted with Christian music everytime you get on a bus, or walking into a fast food restaurant to find a copy of the 10 Commandments taped to the cash register and, again, loud Christian music. Imagine asking that it be turned down because it's so loud that it hurts your ears... and being told that the Wendy's you were standing in was a Christian establishment.
The extent to which religiously-inspired nuttiness permeates every aspect of daily life, particularly in northern Florida, is mind-boggling.
go ahead, let 'em opt out, will leave all the decent R&D jobs in all fields to those willing and able to do the math. Then when the throngs of Christian thyroid cases get all mob-up, the science minded will have the hands on the smaller but terribly more lethal tools of crowd controll and supression. (okay, kinda wing-nutty and conspiracy end times sounding, but I'm trying to get back to my inner dickhead again)
When the plagues begin, save the vaccines for the Unfaithful and tell the anti-science crowd that it's God's will. Of course, at thet point no doubt they'll tell you that it is God's Will that they take the vaccines from the Unbeliever.
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