Education & Political News 07/22/2006 What’s been happening in school boards about evolution and intelligent design? Here are some recent stories about politicians, reporters and ordinary citizens:
Kansas Grass Roots: Candidates vying for school board seats in Liberal, Kansas squared off over the evolution issue: see Hutchinson News.
Ohio Rematch: Despite an earlier loss, Darwin critics in Ohio are hoping to bring up the issue for a vote again, reports CNS News. The article editorializes that “Their goal is to force curriculum changes that would also allow discussion of the intelligent design theory,” when the wording of the proposed changes specifically denies this.
McCain’s Open Mind: Though an evolutionist himself, Senator John McCain thinks students ought to hear both sides in the debate over evolution, according to a piece in Evolution News that comments on a story reported in the New York Sun July 18. The Sun said, “the senator mocked the idea that American young people were so delicate and impressionable that they needed to be sheltered from the concept” and compared it to cold-war efforts to shield students from learning about Marxism.
White House Press: President Bush’s press secretary Tony Snow entertained Wesley J. Smith of the Discovery Institute. Smith was there to congratulate the president for vetoing the stem cell funding bill this week.
Quilt Warfare: In a bizarre piece of propaganda, Canadian quilt-making mom Barbara West ridiculed intelligent design on her (hopefully) intelligently-designed quilt. According to Canmore Leader, West, whose quilt showed the earth on a pile of turtles (see humor page), won the National Award of Excellence for her design. Casey Luskin of Discovery Institute had some smirks about this.
Free Press: Patrick Gavin, associate editorial page editor of the LA Examiner, gave lengthy coverage to Casey Luskin and John West about their post-Dover book Traipsing Into Evolution that critically analyzes Judge Jones’ ruling.
WWJD: Lita Cosner wrote for Creation Ministries International about how governments and secularists are fighting to make US schools Christ-free zones and are erring on the side of censorship.
National Wahoo: In the vein that everyone is someone elses’ weirdo, George Gilder of the Discovery Institute wrote a lengthy article supporting intelligent design for National Review, only to be trashed a week later by John Derbyshire on National Review.
Evolutionary Faith: Uncommon Descent found out that the National Center for Science Education is looking for a “Faith Project Director,” This is odd, because the NCSE argues that evolution is built on science, and creation is based on faith. The job duties include “developing materials pertaining to evolution and religion for print and web; representing NCSE to the faith community, in print and in person; serving as liaison between NCSE and professional theological societies and religious organizations; speaking to the press about issues involving evolution education and challenges to it; counseling teachers, administrators, parents, and others facing challenges to evolution education.”
Thanks to Evolution News and Access Research Network for most of these leads. Let’s get the ACLU to turn on the NCSE over separation of church and state. Derbyshire is an arrogant hack who likens creationists to whack-a-moles. This is a psychological disorder known as role reversal.
[2006/07/22] Education & Political News
