Posted on 04/07/2011 10:05:13 PM PDT by Ethan Clive Osgoode
In a 70-28 vote today, the Tennessee House of Representatives passed HB 368, a bill that encourages science teachers to explore controversial topics without fear of reprisal. Critics say the measure will enable K-12 teachers to present intelligent design and creationism as acceptable alternatives to evolution in the classroom.
The bill's text, if passed into state law, would protect teachers from discipline if they "help students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught," namely, "biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming, and human cloning." The bill also says that its "shall not be construed to promote any religious or non-religious doctrine."
In a letter to the House education subcommittee, Alan I. Leshner, the chief executive officer of AAAS (which publishes ScienceInsider), said, "There is virtually no scientific controversy among the overwhelming majority of researchers on the core facts of global warming and evolution. Asserting that there are significant scientific controversies about the overall nature of these concepts when there are none will only confuse students, not enlighten them."
In addition to AAAS, the Tennessee Science Teachers Association, the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, and the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) have expressed their opposition to the bill.
"There has been a widespread pattern of discrimination against educators who would challenge evolution in the classroom," Casey Luskin, a policy analyst for the pro-intelligent design Discovery Institute, in Seattle, Washington, told ScienceInsider. "Schools censor from students the evidence against evolution. This protects the rights of teachers to teach in an objective wa ." The Discovery Institute supports the bill and others like it in other states.
"We think it's very unfortunate that the House has chosen to push this forward," Steven Newton, policy director at NCSE, told ScienceInsider. "It would be especially unfortunate if this took the next step and became law, as it might give momentum to antievolution forces and forces that seek to deny the reality of climate change."
If the bill passes, Tennessee would join Louisiana as the second state to have specific "protection" for the teaching of evolution in the classroom. The effects of the Louisiana law, which passed in 2008, are still unclear. "Some teachers there are teaching creationism, were before, and now will be even more encouraged to bring out antievolution rhetoric," says Newton.
An identical Tennessee Senate bill, SB 893, is up for a vote by the Senate Education Committee at the end of the month. If it follows the party line vote seen in the House, Newton expects it to pass and Republican Governor Bill Haslam to sign it into law.
It should be noted that the AAAS was a eugenics organization for a good part of its history. Several of the presidents and officers of the AAAS were members of the American Eugenics Society. See here for more info.
What made up story of Lamarck and Darwin? This is a TERRIBLE thing for Tennessee to do. The US already trails Asia in issuing PHd’s and is lagging hugely in scientific innovation. Ask ANYONE working in a mircobiology lab for a pharmaceutical corporation and they’ll tell you how fundamental Evolution is to their work.
Who scientifically studies the scientists?
If the “mircobiologists” [kinda sic] are turning out anything but other microbes from their microbes, then they have a reason to cheer for theories of macro-evolution.
Generally, skeptics of macro-evolution tend to know more about the tenets of science in general than does the general public.
I love Tennessee. Lots of churches of Christ, country music, right-to-work and no state income tax. This bill is another real plus for the Volunteer state.
A lot of Tennesseans fought for our Texas liberty at the Alamo so there's a natural affinity between the states. I hope that Texas takes a cue from Tennessee on this matter of academic freedom.
Anyone who opposes evolution is a moron. Almost as stupid as those who oppose creationism...
Like the one you find in this lesson plan.
I hear what you’re saying, but a bill that allows students to critique, review, and analyze evidence for and/ or against evolution can only be a good thing, because there should never have been a bill or other hindrance against reviewing any scientific theory, free thought or idea. Whatever one believes should be open for debate, in my experience this is how people learn and not just accept what is told to them.
Next up, alchemy in chemistry class and six day Earth creationism in geology class.
The brouhaha will, I fear, rapidly de-evolve into nonsensical babble of Babel as words are wildly flung about without heed to the meaning intended.
The question as most “evolution skeptics” see it, is whether an externally unaided self contained dance of atoms and radiation is anywhere even close to sufficient to explain the history of life on earth. The skeptics say no it is not.
Damn the fools in Tennessee want to go through another monkey trial. How stupid.
Cool
Try are also going to roll back nashville’s recent homosexual love ordinance thru a state law prohibiting such
Looking forward to turning that lead into gold. LOL
eep eep oop oop eep eep oop oop
Be happy you guys have those new more conservative textbook regs
We still have lib propaganda
Any serious alchemist would view that statement much as a church organist would view “Looking forward to your pretty dance music.”
Alchemy was an attempt to merge the spirit of man into the physical universe. Long before it would be hypothetically possible to coax lead into becoming gold, one would cease to care for the financial gain to be had, being “above it all.” If it sounds weird, it’s because it was weird. But don’t misrepresent it please.
I treat it the same way history treats it and you cannot change history. Now how about those golden goose eggs.
Your beloved historians told a lie, so you’ll hang on to the lie?
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