So, I normally stick to posting about all things calendar, but today I got an e-mail from The Bad Astronomerasking for help getting the word out about impending doom in Louisana.Â
Although it’s true I probably can’t say no to him anyway, it’s also true the the Louisiana Coalition for Science needs every platform they can get. (Also, it bears mentioning that Dr. Barbara Forrest, who’s among those spearheading this effort, has been fighting this good fight since 1981, tirelessly. Now that’s skepchicism for you.)
The House and Senate in Louisana have passed the “LA Science Education Act,” and if (read: when) the asshat governor signs it into law, it will allow the teaching of CREATIONISM in public schools.Â
Not surprisingly, the Discovery Institute is merrily “blogging the daylights out of the Louisiana situation,” according to Dr. Forrest.  Here’s the thing: Louisana is just their first stop on the Unmaking Reality Tour of the US. It’s starts, not ends, with Louisana, if they get their way.
So, don’t stand silently by- do something. Want to contact the exorcist governor? Do it here. You can also contact the Coalition for Science if you’re so inclined. Now is the time.
Talking points below the jump.Â
Point 1: The Louisiana law, SB 733, the LA Science Education Act, has national implications. So far, this legislation has failed in every other state where it was proposed, except in Michigan, where it remains in committee. By passing SB 733, Louisiana has set a dangerous precedent that will benefit the Discovery Institute by helping them to advance their strategy to get intelligent design creationism into public schools. Louisiana is only the beginning. Other states will now be encouraged to pass such legislation, and the Discovery Institute has already said that they will continue their push to get such legislation passed.
Point 2:Â Since Gov. Jindal’s support for teaching ID clearly helped to get this bill passed in the first place, his decision to veto it will stick if he lets the legislature know that he wants it to stick.
Point 3:Â Simply allowing the bill to become law without his signature, which is one of the governor’s options, does not absolve him of the responsibility for protecting the public school science classes of Louisiana. He must veto the bill to show that he is serious about improving Louisiana by improving education. Anything less than a veto means that the governor is giving a green light to creationists to undermine the education of Louisiana children.
Go get ’em, dear Skepchick readers!Â
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Uhoh. I have a post scheduled to come out tonight that, um, disagrees with this. I actually wrote it yesterday and updated it this afternoon after I read Phil’s post. I guess you’ll have to wait a few hours for my take on the whole ID fiasco.
Well, I don’t know how much these posts disagree (ok, a little at the end.)
Like you, I’d have less of a problem with ID if the intention was to teach it OUTSIDE the science classroom. This is not what this legislation is designed to do… this law would allow teaching of ID in the science classroom.
Classified as fiction, I’m much closer to right-there-with-you. Alas, this is not the case.
Hmmm… Just read through the bill. What gets me is that, if they actually followed it as written, it would exclude the teaching of ID, since it is not really a scientific theory. But I expect what they’ll do is interpret it to mean that they can use ID text books as “supplemental material” in order to “critique and objectively review scientific theories.” Ugh.
Part of me wants to throw up my hands and say, “whatever, let them teach their kids whatever they want.” But the rest of me knows that if we don’t take action, the general level of eduction in this country will continue to fall and things will get worse.
PS – I find it ironic that the governor has a degree in biology.
a.real.girl, did you cheat and read my unpublished post? :-)
That link to contact the ‘exorcist governor’ is broken.
sent my 2 cents million dollars. also sent this email to everyone in my contact list. feel free to critique/copy/modify
Hello All,
I am reluctant to send an email to so many people, many of whom I do not know, but for one reason or another have found their way into my address book. However, I feel so strongly about this issue that I cannot, in good conscience, restrain myself because this issue requires national attention.
Just recently, a bill in the Louisiana state legislature called Senate Bill 733, “Louisiana Science Education Act†passed both the House and the Senate and is awaiting Governor Bobby Jindal’s signature or veto. He has indicated that he will sign the bill into law.
This seemingly noble bill is a veiled attempt to insert religion, specifically Intelligent Design, into the science curricula of public schools as a scientific alternative to the Theory of Evolution. This “theoryâ€, which is the same as Creationism, the literal interpretation of the book of Genesis as scientific fact, has been rejected by the scientific consensus ( American Association for the Advancement of Science, National Center for Science Education, National Academy of Sciences, etc.).
Science is the use of evidence to construct testable explanations and predictions of natural phenomena, as well as the knowledge generated through this process. Religion is based in faith, which is fine, but it does not belong in a discipline driven by evidence and testable hypotheses. To introduce religion into science classes is to stifle scientific progress. Look around you right now and take note of all the objects that are owed to scientific advancement and understanding.
The Louisiana Coalition for Science has much more information here.
This bill affects not just the the state of Louisiana, but the entire country in the precedent it sets and the precedents it ignores.
Please let the Governor know your feelings on this matter of national import before he takes action. Below is the open letter from the LA Coalition for Science.
As I said, this is an extremely important issue to me, and I believe it should be to everyone who values the Separation of Church and State. Government should not impose on religion and religion should not impose on government.
Thanks for your time.
This is a frightening turn of events, though I can’t say completely unexpected. Honestly, I kind of expected my home state of Texas to be the ones to pass something like this through, but LA would have been not too far behind in my estimation. Have I mentioned lately how much I hate living in the buckle of the Bible-belt.
I touched on this in my blog today, and there’s pictures of a kitty so it doesn’t seem so bad.
Geez! First I go to Indiana last week to visit a sick relative, and see a preponderance of license plates with “In God We Trust” on them. It seems the state is issuing these free of (extra) charge, and it costs extra to not have one!
Then as the wife and I are driving down the street fuming about that very topic, we pass a church with a sign out front that says (swallow your beverages before reading this):
“Stop trying to cram your atheism down my throat!”
THEN, I return here to my beloved New Orleans, and hear about this ID in schools crap, first on Phil’s site and now here. Sigh.
I’ve always felt the education system here was sub par. Reason # 33,521 for me to not have children.
But shouldn’t that be reason #33,521 TO have children? Do you want the future to belong to the moronic? I spent like an hour today watching YFZ FLDS crap on youtube and those subnormals are breeding like rabbits. Idiocracy….
Louisiana is almost enough to get me to believe in hell on earth. Giant bugs, weather of DOOM, no booze selling on Sundays, and a crazy governor.
@whitebird-I suppose I could call it reason #2 TO have kids. Still, ain’t havin’ em. I have always wondered about the whole evolution/survival of the fittest thing as it pertains to humans. It’s the poverty-stricken, under-educated (usually religious) people having most of the offspring while the wealthy, highly-educated people decide not to.
@Amanda-You forgot the oppressive heat and humidity, although I guess that could be included in the weather of DOOM.
But you can buy booze 24/7 here. We even have drive-thru daiquiri shops! (You read that right.)
Also, you can go down to Bourbon Street on any evening and see lots of boobies!
Hmph! Does hell have boobies? I don’t think so! *Snap*
“It’s the poverty-stricken, under-educated (usually religious) people having most of the offspring while the wealthy, highly-educated people decide not to.”
yup, that’s the premise of the film Idiocracy.