Dan,
Exactly right, good points.
I did not necessarily mean to imply(although I normally think it outloud)
that they are themselves stupid. The people intentionally creating new
language and confusing the general populace enough to convince them that ID
and creationism are scientific and in any way comparable to scientific
understanding are clearly not idiots. Blinded by their beliefs perhaps,
ideologically motivated certainly, but not normally actually intellectually
deficient.
I agree that the newly created language is clever, perhaps even
intelligently designed, but smart is never the word to use in my opinion.
The language is designed to confuse and hide the facts of the discussion.
They understand perfectly well that this may be their last opportunity to
press the creation-as-science issue, and they are going to give it their
all. Sooner or later the majority will see through the confuscation, but a
great deal of damage will and is already being done along the way.
Even though they have won their temporary victory, and certainly feel very
big about themselves, it bothers me most that the concern of the Kansas
Board of Education is not the education of Kansans. They are far more
concerned with getting their faith taught in our public schools than they
are with the actual teaching of science, or history, math, or the arts for
that matter. Unfortunately for Kansas education, they are not likely to be
voted out in the near future.
I am also wondering where this will leave our museums in terms of
education. Now that so many children will be getting errant information in
their science classrooms(history will likely be next), we are going to
start running into challenges to the facts as we need to present them far
more often. I am waiting to hear about the first museum that is forced to
remove something about science based on public faith-based outcry. Or has
that travesty already occurred?
Mark Janzen
Registrar/Collections Manager
Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art
Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection
Wichita State University
(316)978-5850
Daniel Carey
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Yet, we must not forget that the Kansas creationists have "evolved" more
than the Pennsylvania creationists. It is important to see that the
creationists in Kansas have learned from their previous mistakes. There
is no mention of intelligent design or God in the science standards.
Instead they have produced language that is very complex. Now this is
coming from a historian, yet when I read the standards yesterday, I had
a hard time distinguishing the science from the non-science. I have
even taught Darwin's Origin of Species and feel that I am fairly well
educated on the matter, yet to the average high school biology teacher,
they must be equally confused.
So, what am I saying?
The language is smarter than some might think. Kansas creationist have
created language that may be harder to strike down (at least culturally)
yet at the same time it still allows for a critique of evolutionary
theory with intelligent design.
We must throw those who voted for the new standards out of office, yet
that takes resources and organizing. Calling them idiots only goes so
far.
Respectfully from the hinterlands,
Dan
Daniel Carey
Education Coordinator
Education/Outreach Division
Kansas State Historical Society
6425 SW Sixth Avenue
Topeka, Kansas 66615-1099
Phone (785) 272-8681 ext. 436
Fax (785) 272-8682
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>>> [log in to unmask] 11/9/2005 9:25:26 AM >>>
Indeed! Although none of us capable of understanding why these people
are
fools are surprised, it is still disgusting. Kansas is already rock
bottom
in the educational standings. This ought to push Kansas students right
off
the lists.
Pennsylvania on the other hand seems to have a brain or two among
them.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05313/603128.stm
Mark Janzen
Registrar/Collections Manager
Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art
Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection
Wichita State University
(316)978-5850
Greenwich
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051108/sc_nm/life_evolution_kansas_dc
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