It’s time for letters to the editor. Pick you closest paper and fire off responses today to the various articles about yesterday’s science standards public forum. Don’t do it tomorrow. Do it today!
Lakeland Ledger — Science experts countered that theory has a different meaning in the biological world.
“It is a theory just like the theory of gravity,” said Chris Parkinson, a biology professor at the University of Central Florida. “It is all about testing hypotheses.”
Orlando Sentinel — They came from one end of Florida to the other, and with views on evolution as far apart as the 800 miles that separate the Keys from the Panhandle.
St. Petersburg Times –Â Opponents of the state’s proposed new science standards turned out in force Monday, encouraging education officials – in the last public hearing before next week’s vote – to take a more skeptical view of evolution.
Bradenton Herald –Â “That is a grave disservice to our students,” she said, after a Manatee County school board meeting on Monday night. “There is so much misinformation.”
If you see any more articles, let me know. Wesley Elsberry has some good insight into this issue.
I was unable to attend the meeting in Orlando but this is what I had planned to say:
I would like to offer an apology to all the members of the Board of Education, who have to make an unbiased decision, free from any personal aggrandizement and prejudices when the new Florida science standards are presented to them
I apologize to all the school board members who felt it necessary to pass or suggest anti evolution resolutions based on their total ignorance of science.
I apologize that they do not know the meaning of a scientific theory or the difference between Evolution, Abiogenesis and the Big Bang. And that they have left themselves and our state open to national ridicule.
I apologize to the framing and writing committees of the new standards, who selfless work for the betterment of our students has been cast into doubt by bureaucrats.
Why would they even entertain the fact that all their expertise and knowledge of science could match that of Pastor Bubba from the Swamplick Church of (lets keep science in the 16th century).
I apologize to a small minority of religious fundamentalists who think that their beliefs drawn from scripture will remain the only statement of truth until the world’s end.
Why would they bother with anti biotics or flu shots when it was the evidence of biological evolution that propagated these discoveries?
I apologize to the bio tech companies who were invited to Florida only to be forced to hire from outside the state because the local work force has no knowledge of evolution.
Most of all I would like to apologize to the angry young student who was studying to become a marine biologist and was failing his college science class because he had never studied evolution in high school.
Please, no more apologies, the students of our state deserve better.
Jonathan,
Well said. If you haven’t done so already, email the BOE members!
Just wanted to point out another news source with an interesting report about this process:
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/02/darwin_vote