Texas Censors Science

[marmar]

Published on Saturday, November 5, 2011 by CommonDreams.org
Texas Censors Science

by Christopher Brauchli

Religious feeling is as much a verity as any other part of human consciousness; and against it, on the subjective side, the waves of science beat in vain.
— John Tyndall, Professor Virchow and Evolution

Just when you think that science may have a fighting chance in Texas, its governor’s protestations to the contrary notwithstanding, something comes along to suggest, once again, that science may be happier finding a home in a different state.

Its struggles to be recognized in textbooks have been well documented. One of its recent struggles involved evolution, a concept taken by some Texans to be more theory than fact, a position with which it is difficult to argue when examining its proponents. When the 10-year review of science textbooks that was concluded in 2010 was taking place, evolution was a hot topic. The Texas Board of Education said that students must examine all “sides of scientific evidence” when it comes to evolution, including the scientific evidence that the earth is only 6000 years old, give or take a few years. The Discovery Institute that promotes “intelligent design” rather than evolution, said the revised standards were a “huge victory for those who favor teaching the scientific evidence for and against evolution. When the Board of Education agreed to include both sides of the evolution debate in text books the president of the school board said: “Our science standards are light years ahead of any other state when it comes to challenging evolution.” The Board of Education’s successful challenge to evolution, as it were, has now been joined by a less noted, but nonetheless Texas sized challenge, to global warming. Not that Texas is stopping it. It is just keeping it out of a recent scientific study.

The recent and successful assault on global warming (not its cause but its concept) came from an agency with the promising name of The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ.) The uninformed would think with a name like that it would have a lot going for it. The uninformed would be disabused of that notion upon learning that all its members were appointed by presidential hopeful, but climate change (and evolution skeptic), Texas governor Rick Perry. Members of the commission share his skepticism about global warming. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/11/05-6

[RC]

1. How can people be so stupid?

And these are physical adults yet. They have had plenty of time to apply logic to this and come up with the correct answer. I can see their Christ doing a face palm at their painful stupidity. Oh, where did he fail.

[iris27]

2. The really sad part, when it comes to textbooks, is that Texas is effectively censoring for the rest

of the nation as well. They are such a big market that most publishers won't stand up to them for fear of losing the sales. But neither will they spend the money to make a special Texas edition and a normal edition - they just edit their main book to fit the Texas standards, and sell it to schools nationwide.

[Sirveri]

3. I have become immune to the stupid coming from Texas as of late.

There simply is so damned much of it anymore that it has overwhelmed my ability to be shocked.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

4. My apologies to all libs forced to live in Texas, surrounded by all that Repuke crap nt