Gov. Jindal should veto anti-science Senate bill
Neal Hebert
Issue date: 6/24/08 Section: Opinion
With the legislative pay raise fiasco dominating newspaper headlines, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that everyone under the sun is airing their grievances with Republican golden-boy Bobby Jindal and our state legislature. This is unfortunate, considering both have been assaulting the integrity of our classrooms when they weren't busy stealing money from our pockets to increase legislator salaries.
During the past ten days, nine of our nation's premier scientific societies went "all-in." They purchased their place in the firing squad assembling in front of both Louisiana's wunderkind and the ladies and gentleman who just gave themselves a shiny new pay raise.
It isn't just retrograde right-wingers whining anymore. And this time, the outrage being directed toward both Jindal and the legislature actually affects the University - both now and in the years to come.
The state legislature has passed an education reform bill that sets its sights on changing the way science is taught in grades K through 12.
Senate Bill 733 - a bill that innocuously "Provides for the La. Science Education Act" according to the Louisiana Legislature's Web site - is a bill designed to weaken the teaching of evolution in public schools. The Louisiana Coalition for Science called the effort a "stealth creationism bill."
As best as I can tell from the legislation and its proponents, the coalition is dead on. My mother always told me if you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas - and any time I see a list of endorsements from the Louisiana Family Forum and the Discovery Institute listed prominently on a piece of legislation, I reach for my insecticide.
The American Institute of Biological Sciences - joined by the American Ornithologists Union, the American Society of Mammalogists, the Botanical Society of America, the Natural Science Collections Alliance, the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, the Society of Systematic Biologists and the Society for the Study of Evolution - called for Jindal to oppose and if necessary veto SB 733.
During the past ten days, nine of our nation's premier scientific societies went "all-in." They purchased their place in the firing squad assembling in front of both Louisiana's wunderkind and the ladies and gentleman who just gave themselves a shiny new pay raise.
It isn't just retrograde right-wingers whining anymore. And this time, the outrage being directed toward both Jindal and the legislature actually affects the University - both now and in the years to come.
The state legislature has passed an education reform bill that sets its sights on changing the way science is taught in grades K through 12.
Senate Bill 733 - a bill that innocuously "Provides for the La. Science Education Act" according to the Louisiana Legislature's Web site - is a bill designed to weaken the teaching of evolution in public schools. The Louisiana Coalition for Science called the effort a "stealth creationism bill."
As best as I can tell from the legislation and its proponents, the coalition is dead on. My mother always told me if you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas - and any time I see a list of endorsements from the Louisiana Family Forum and the Discovery Institute listed prominently on a piece of legislation, I reach for my insecticide.
The American Institute of Biological Sciences - joined by the American Ornithologists Union, the American Society of Mammalogists, the Botanical Society of America, the Natural Science Collections Alliance, the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, the Society of Systematic Biologists and the Society for the Study of Evolution - called for Jindal to oppose and if necessary veto SB 733.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 22
chris dithi
posted 6/24/08 @ 12:08 AM CST
Outstanding article Mr. Hebert. Interesting that Jindal hasn't yet signed it and it seems to me quite likely that he'll let it become law without his signature. (Continued…)
Fred
posted 6/24/08 @ 1:42 AM CST
Mr. Hebert,
You've obviously been smoking too much pipe weed. Maybe after you get out of college you'll find out that you don't know it all. That's a great bill and I'm sure Gov. (Continued…)
LSU mom and science teacher
posted 6/24/08 @ 7:08 AM CST
There is nothing wrong with teaching Creation along side Evolution in school. Many Christian schools do it and their students do just fine in science classes at LSU. (Continued…)
Daniel Z.
posted 6/24/08 @ 5:16 PM CST
Why on earth would Jindal veto a bill he agrees with?
I disagree with Jindal's stance on teaching ID as part of "the best science", but I do not expect him to vote against something he supports. (Continued…)
Tiger17
posted 6/29/08 @ 1:52 AM CST
What are you people so afraid of? Afraid that some Creationist will finally disprove your beloved theory of evolution? Evolution is no more scientific fact that Creationism. (Continued…)
rational person
posted 7/06/08 @ 2:49 AM CST
you people are delusional, let science be taught by the scientists, not the fairy tale believers
Jason
posted 7/08/08 @ 12:02 AM CST
Here is the URL to the current text of SB 773.
http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=503483
It is very short dont be scared. (Continued…)
Liz
posted 7/08/08 @ 11:50 PM CST
Tiger,
I talked about the word theory because you brought it up "hence the title "theory"" Quite often when I talk about evolution (or any scientific theory) there is a confusion about the word, as if calling it a theory means that it isn't based on facts or that by calling Creationism a theory it is somehow scientific. (Continued…)
Larry Cerenzie
posted 7/10/08 @ 1:38 PM CST
It is about time that the "Emporer of Evolution" be revealed as to wearing no clothes. As a chemical engineering graduate of LSU and having worked on some of the most advanced scientific projects of their type around, the more I learn of science -- chemistry, physics and biological sciences -- the more I know that happenstance did not make us or this universe. (Continued…)
Tiger 17
posted 7/11/08 @ 2:19 AM CST
Larry makes an excellent point, "Why should we allow the Evolutionists to teach a lie and not allow the counterbalancing argument to be presented as well? We all deserve the opportunity to make up our own minds and not be programmed by self-serving Evolutionist and liberal interests. (Continued…)
Post a Comment