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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 01/31/2011 : 06:16:56
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Seems that one Sally Kern, a fearless warrior against anything that makes sense, has raised her shrill head in support of forcing OK teachers to question the ToE.
Oklahoma bill would mandate educators question evolution in classes
By Nathan Diebenow
Sunday, January 30th, 2011 -- 10:55 pm
Educators in Oklahoma would be forced to openly question in their classes the legitimacy of the scientific theory of evolution should a new bill become state law.
“It’s a simple fact that the presentation of some issues in science classes can lead to controversy, which can discourage teachers from engaging students in an open discussion of the issues,” state Rep. Sally Kern, a Republican, said in defense of the bill she filed recently.
The legislation (HB 1551) titled the “Scientific Education and Academic Freedom Act” singled out “biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming, and human cloning” as topics that are controversial and thus questionable.
It is the second of such anti-evolution proposals in Oklahoma and the fourth filed nationwide so far this year.
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Y'know, I'm of two minds about this. On the one hand, it would promote nonsense in place of science, but on the other, any science teacher worth his/her chalk ration could easily tear down any argument against the theory, to the benefit of the students. The trick, of course, is in finding those teachers and keeping the YEC whackaloons, like Kern, from getting them fired.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2011 : 05:33:08 [Permalink]
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So, under Silly Kern's "Scientific Education and Academic Freedom" bill, if a biology teacher stated (correctly) to a class that "the basic scientific facts of the Theory of Evolution are scientifically uncontroversial" and that "natural selection forms the unifying principle of all biology," that teacher could be disciplined?
Some "scientific education." Some "academic freedom"! |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2011 : 06:23:47 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by HalfMooner
So, under Silly Kern's "Scientific Education and Academic Freedom" bill, if a biology teacher stated (correctly) to a class that "the basic scientific facts of the Theory of Evolution are scientifically uncontroversial" and that "natural selection forms the unifying principle of all biology," that teacher could be disciplined?
Some "scientific education." Some "academic freedom"!
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Indeed he/she could, depending on the school board.
But riddle me this, old friend: Whaddafork does "academic freedom" even mean? Since when is the classroom a democracy? As I recall, they were anything but.
In my rather less than humble opinion, that silly catch-phrase is no more than a figuritive dung fork to shovel YEC bullshit into science classes. And they are succeeding. As noted in another thread, most teachers at the HS level would rather not discuss the ToE, whether they accept it or not. They fear reprisals from parents for teaching the scientific truth. This is an unacceptable state of affairs.
Edited to add link.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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| Edited by - filthy on 02/01/2011 08:00:23 |
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Hawks
SFN Regular
Canada
1383 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2011 : 17:05:39 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by filthy
Y'know, I'm of two minds about this. On the one hand, it would promote nonsense in place of science, but on the other, any science teacher worth his/her chalk ration could easily tear down any argument against the theory, to the benefit of the students. The trick, of course, is in finding those teachers and keeping the YEC whackaloons, like Kern, from getting them fired.
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The problem is that science teachers are often not very good at their jobs. |
METHINKS IT IS LIKE A WEASEL
It's a small, off-duty czechoslovakian traffic warden! |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2011 : 19:54:48 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by filthy
But riddle me this, old friend: Whaddafork does "academic freedom" even mean? Since when is the classroom a democracy? As I recall, they were anything but. |
Wikipedia has a good article on the term. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2011 : 04:06:15 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dave W.
Originally posted by filthy
But riddle me this, old friend: Whaddafork does "academic freedom" even mean? Since when is the classroom a democracy? As I recall, they were anything but. |
Wikipedia has a good article on the term.
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A god article indeed. I hadn't known much of that. It nicely shows that no matter how well meaning something is, someone will come along to pervert it.
Academic Freedom is also associated with a movement to introduce Intelligent Design as an alternative explanation to evolution in US public schools. Supporters claim that academic institutions need to fairly represent all possible explanations for the observed biodiversity on Earth, rather than implying no alternatives to evolutionary theory exist. They also seek legal protection from, and repercussions for, discriminatory injustices of faculty members and students who criticize evolution.[30]
Critics of the movement claim Intelligent Design is religiously motivated pseudoscience and cannot be allowed into the curriculum of US public schools due to the US Constitution's First Amendment, often citing Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District as legal precedent.[31][32] They also reject the allegations of discrimination against proponents of Academic Freedom and Intelligent Design, of which investigation showed no evidence.[33]
A number of "academic freedom bills" have been introduced in state legislatures in the United States between 2004 and 2008. The bills were based largely upon language drafted by the Discovery Institute,[34] the hub of the Intelligent Design movement, and derive from language originally drafted for the Santorum Amendment in the United States Senate. According to the Wall Street Journal, the common goal of these bills is to expose more students to articles and videos that undercut evolution, most of which are produced by advocates of Intelligent Design or Biblical creationism.[35] The American Association of University Professors has reaffirmed its opposition to these academic freedom bills, including any portrayal of creationism as a scientifically credible alternative and any misrepresentation of evolution as scientifically controversial.[36][37] As of June 2008, only the Louisiana bill has been successfully been passed into law.
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In a nut shell, forgive the quote mining. They have no factual foundation for their tripe so they must resort to cheap rhetoric and political gymnastics.
Thanks for the read.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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Yea though I walk through the valley of ignorance
