Brandon Haught from Florida Citizens for Science just sent me a note that things are actually looking up in Florida in fighting the creeping crud of creationism©:
The American Institute of Biological Sciences released a letter in support of the science standards.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State also released a letter in support of the standards.
The Florida Academy of Sciences presented a supporting resolution at Monday’s public forum meeting in Orlando.
Links to those letters are on the FCS site linked above. Also, Monroe County, one of the contested counties, has passed a resolution in favor of the standards that support evolution!
This is great news, but the stare BOE meets next week, and we’ll see where things fall then. But this bodes well.
February 13th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Now if we can find a way to ensure that the teachers actually teach evolution rather than opting to skip over it either because they personally don’t believe it or because they want to avoid a confrontation with some of the kids who don’t.
February 13th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
global warming, evolution…
…one day I guess other controversial subjects and unlikely theories like the fact that the earth is round and it spins around a common star will not be teached without mentioning those alternative theories…
and what about gravity… we know to well that scientist don’t know everything about it… so maybe it’s not real >;P
apple falling… bam… boinc… boinc…
February 13th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
i am just glad that (at least at this moment) we dont have this problem here in indiana. but i still fully support science in all its forms to to tuaght as it must to give people a leg up in see through the fog of lies, ignorance and myths. i just wish i had the draw on people that sagan did
February 13th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
@danezia:
The anti-science crowd all got bonked on the head with apples while trying to disprove the Theory of Gravity! That explains it! Loss of brain function due to severe injury!
February 13th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Man, I’m a fourth generation Floridian, and the fact that this even necessitates any public deliberation in my state makes me a sad Scope’s Monkey.
Of course, the election 2000 fiasco makes me even sadder.
Go Evolution!
February 13th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Wesley Elsberry had a running commentary going on his blog during the meeting on Monday, and he’s got the link to the videos if anyone wants to see them.
The creationists were out in numbers, but they sure hung themselves out to dry should a lawsuit arise. Lots of them didn’t get the memo that they weren’t supposed to say “Creationism” or “religion” or “Jesus” or “the Bible”.
One of them (I understand she’s rather infamous in Floridian circles) even expressly advocated the “Of Pandas and People” text book.
Big Whoopsie.
Kisses
February 13th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
I’m not sure if everyone here has already read the Council of Europe resolution 1580. If you have not, read it and weep (if you’re American) at our lagging standards. Just picture trying to introduce this resolution here.
February 14th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
One of the scariest parts of ID the fact that it means astronomy and geology have to be wrong. I’m watching The Universe the other day and I’m thinking that every time anyone refers to an event older than 6000 years they are speaking heresy. I wonder if ID people going after evolution most vocally because it is easier for people at a gut level not to want to be “descended from monkeys?”