Silly Season in WA State Legislature (my title)

Washington State Legislature ^ | 1/18/2002 | jennyp

[jennyp]

WA State Sen. Harold Hochstatter is at it again, and in rare form. Here's the digest of the bill:

SB 6500 - DIGEST

     Finds that the teaching of the theory of evolution in the
common schools of the state of Washington is repugnant to the
principles of the Declaration of Independence and thereby
unconstitutional and unlawful.
     Provides that all textbooks and curriculum that teach the
theory of evolution shall be removed from the public schools
forthwith and replaced with textbooks and curriculum that teach the self-evident truth of creation.

Here's the full text of the bill:

S-3206.2   _______________________________________________

                          SENATE BILL 6500
           _______________________________________________

State of Washington   57th Legislature           2002 Regular Session

By Senator Hochstatter

Read first time 01/18/2002.  Referred to Committee on Education.
    AN ACT Relating to the teaching of the theory of evolution in the
common schools of the state of Washington; and adding a new section to
chapter 28A.230 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    {+ NEW SECTION. +}  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter
28A.230 RCW to read as follows:
    (1) The legislature finds that the Enabling Act for the state of
Washington requires that the state Constitution not be repugnant to the
principles of the Declaration of Independence.
    (2) The Declaration of Independence declares the self-evident truth
that all men are created.  The Declaration of Independence also
declares that our rights are endowed by the Creator, and that
governments are instituted among men to secure these God-given rights.
    (3) The Preamble to the Washington state Constitution also
acknowledges the Supreme Ruler of the Universe as the grantor of our
liberties.
    (4) Article I, section 1 of the Washington state Constitution also
declares that governments are established to protect and maintain
individual rights, which rights are already acknowledged in the
preamble as being granted by the Creator.
    (5) RCW 28A.405.030 requires all teachers to teach the principles
of truth and to instruct their pupils in the principles of free
government in the common schools of the state of Washington.  The self-
evident truth that all men were created and endowed by their Creator
with unalienable rights and that governments are accountable both to
the Creator and the people to secure those rights is the foundation of
all political, civil, and religious liberty in America.
    (6) Both the United States Constitution and the Washington state
Constitution were instituted to protect rights endowed by the Creator.
    (7) All state legislators in the state of Washington swear an oath
to uphold the Constitutions of the United States and the state of
Washington.
    (8) The legislature finds that the teaching of the theory of
evolution in the common schools of the state of Washington is repugnant
to the principles of the Declaration of Independence and thereby
unconstitutional and unlawful.
    (9) All textbooks and curriculum that teach the theory of evolution
shall be removed from the public schools forthwith and replaced with
textbooks and curriculum that teach the self-evident truth of creation.

[jennyp]

Each year Hochstatter submits a creationism-in-the-schools bill. This year he's submitted two: This one and a standard "evolution disclaimer textbook sticker" proposal. They never see the light of day, but they're always entertaining.

But this year's bill, above, is a bit different. He's trying to argue that since both the US Declaration of Independence and the WA State Constitution mention individual rights as coming from a Creator, then any high school science textbook that doesn't teach creationism should be illegal! AFAIK, this is a new tactic on the creationist legal front.

This is the kind of argument that's sure to get lots of traction in, ah, certain circles here on FR. Unfortunately the argument is just plain wrong.

Sure, we've been endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights. It's just that our creator was a natural process, not some supernatural person. The critical part of that claim is that we are endowed with rights. This means that rights are necessary for our survival, because of what we are: Human beings.

Humans - because of our human nature as rational thinking beings with few other advantages against the beasts of the wild - requires civilization to survive & thrive. An advancing & robust civilization requires individual freedom. No successful modern civilization has been based (or could be) on slavery or dictatorship.

The Founders, being children of the Enlightenment, knew this 200 years ago. But since they were all theists (to varying degrees), of course they said we were endowed "by our Creator".

Fixating on the phrase "our Creator" and concluding that rights can only be a gift from a supernatural person, instead of the phrase's clear meaning that our rights are simply inherent in our nature as human beings, is a mistake. IMO it's exactly the same mistake that gun grabbers make when they fixate on the phrase "A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State" and conclude that the 2nd Amendment only means that states can have a National Guard.

[Poohbah]

jennyp, put me down as believing in a peronal Creator--yes, God Himself. But also put me down in believing that we came to be here via evolution--that God, in His infinite wisdom, thought we worth waiting 18 billion years for.

This guy is making a mockery of my faith.

[Chad Fairbanks]

I have no problem with schools teaching the Theory of Evolution, as long as they make sure the students know that it's still only a theory... ;0)

[jennyp]

Just for a minute let's all do the BUMP, BUMP, BUMP

[jennyp]

God, in His infinite wisdom, thought we worth waiting 18 billion years for.

Hey, if I were a God who had already lived an infinite length of time, all alone, I'd want to stretch out the evolution of the universe for as long as I could too, if only out of sheer boredom. :-)

[longshadow]

Just for a minute let's all do the BUMP, BUMP, BUMP

Are we permitted to talk dirty like that on FR?

And what do you mean: "Just for a minute...."?

Back to the topic, I'm just waiting for a legislator to get the bright idea of repealing the Law of Gravity, so it will be easier to walk up stairs with a bag of groceries. That would make as much sense as this guy's Bill.

[Poohbah]

Naw, maybe He's running an infinite number of Universes at once as an experiment. (Remember, He can multitask infinitely.)

Another theory: God was bored.

So He created the Universe.

But He was still bored, so He created plant life.

And, finding that He was still bored, He created animals.

No luck on dealing with the boredom, so He created man.

And He hasn't stopped laughing ever since!

[Poohbah]

Just for a minute let's all do the BUMP, BUMP, BUMP

I reserve that activity for The Fetching Mrs. Poohbah alone :o)

[ShandaLear]

This is my state and I'm really embarassed.

[Poohbah]

It could be worse. I live in California. No loonies like this guy, but we have Grayout Doofus for a governor.

[longshadow]

trying to legislate reality - bump

[Faithfull]

I think the critism is foolish. At least here is one person trying to make a difference. Why the joking? The schools curriculum is an even bigger joke. Some of you won't be laughing some day either. So enjoy it while you can.

[Shermy]

It's just that our creator was a natural process, not some supernatural person.

Nature? Good point. Jefferson is on the same track:

WHEN in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.

The problem with these fantasists like this politician, they assume the word "creator" in the Declaration of Independence means what they think is the "creator." Blind projection.

[VadeRetro]

(9) All textbooks and curriculum that teach the theory of evolution shall be removed from the public schools forthwith and replaced with textbooks and curriculum that teach the self-evident truth of creation.

And they bristle when we note that so many of them don't understand how science works at all.

[swatter]

And he ran for governor? No wonder Gov. Gridlocke was reelected.

[Physicist]

I have no problem with schools teaching the Theory of Evolution, as long as they make sure the students know that it's still only a theory... ;0)

Do you make the same demand with regard to the teaching of electromagnetism, or the atomic theory of chemistry?

[Chad Fairbanks]

Sure - if something is a theory, it means that it hasn't been proven yet... sure, the evidence may point in the direction of the theory, but it's still just a theory until then... I just like accuracy in education... regardless of the topic :0)

[cascademountaineer]

Fixating on the phrase "our Creator" and concluding that rights can only be a gift from a supernatural person, instead of the phrase's clear meaning that our rights are simply inherent in our nature as human beings, is a mistake

I completely agree, this is really ridiculous.

Washington state Bump

[Physicist]

But theories by definition cannot logically be proven; they can only be disproven. Almost everything in science is a theory (notice how I didn't preface that with "only a"), and will forever remain a theory. If all theories were so labelled, including such well-established models as the circulatory theory of the blood, or the theory that rain is condensed from atmospheric water vapor, the caveat would cease to mean anything to the students.

[PatrickHenry]

Washington state sounds like thumper heaven. But if you want to see how crazy things can get in Florida, check out this thread, about a proposed amendment to the state constitution: (Florida Supreme) Court Says Pregnant Pigs Amendment Can Go on the Ballot.