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Goddamn it, people are stoopid.
Jan. 30th, 2004 03:39 pmStoopid people in Georgia. Summary: Georgia's state school superintendent proposes replacing the word "evolution" with "biological change through time" to side-step complaints about (horrors!) teaching evolution (the theory that binds the biological sciences together the way that plate techtonics does geology).
Possibly the best quote from the article is "If teachers across this state, parents across this state say, 'This is not what we want,' then we'll change it," said Cox, a Republican elected in 2002.
Isn't that nice to know? If you're faced with an uncomfortable fact, just change it! Upset that the South lost the Civil War? Just stop teaching it that way! If it's what the majority wants, it can't be wrong, right? Denying the Holocaust? Sure, as long as a majority thinks it didn't happen... then it didn't happen! Wishing that African Americans had never gotten the vote? You don't need to teach students about the 15th amendment if it makes their parents upset. Heck, you don't even need to tell them that women have the vote -- take care of two problems at once!
What fun! Okay, how about some more: if your state happens to be predominantly atheist (not that this is ever possible, of course, because atheists are Evil and Bad, and will all kill each other if they gain control of a state), is it okay to teach that the Bible is merely the work of a few nutjobs and is just another book of myth? If your state is predominantly Baptist, can you teach that the Pope eats babies for breakfast and lunch, and then has a nutritious dinner, keeping his weight under control? If it's composed of Flat-Earth Society members, can you teach that there's really no evidence that the earth is round -- it's all the product of the scientific cabal intent on destroying your way of life?
What do you mean, no? It seems to be fine in Georgia...
Possibly the best quote from the article is "If teachers across this state, parents across this state say, 'This is not what we want,' then we'll change it," said Cox, a Republican elected in 2002.
Isn't that nice to know? If you're faced with an uncomfortable fact, just change it! Upset that the South lost the Civil War? Just stop teaching it that way! If it's what the majority wants, it can't be wrong, right? Denying the Holocaust? Sure, as long as a majority thinks it didn't happen... then it didn't happen! Wishing that African Americans had never gotten the vote? You don't need to teach students about the 15th amendment if it makes their parents upset. Heck, you don't even need to tell them that women have the vote -- take care of two problems at once!
What fun! Okay, how about some more: if your state happens to be predominantly atheist (not that this is ever possible, of course, because atheists are Evil and Bad, and will all kill each other if they gain control of a state), is it okay to teach that the Bible is merely the work of a few nutjobs and is just another book of myth? If your state is predominantly Baptist, can you teach that the Pope eats babies for breakfast and lunch, and then has a nutritious dinner, keeping his weight under control? If it's composed of Flat-Earth Society members, can you teach that there's really no evidence that the earth is round -- it's all the product of the scientific cabal intent on destroying your way of life?
What do you mean, no? It seems to be fine in Georgia...
