11:30 a.m. – Another entrepreneur warns of the consequences of giving Texas a reputation as being hostile to sound science education.
11:44 – A creationist testifier: “Why are we supporting such a theory (evolution) that has no evidence supporting it?” Really? That’s the kind of stunning ignorance on display before the state board today.
11:53 – Josh Rosenau at his Thoughts from Kansas blog explains what state board member Cynthia Dunbar said in November about a Nobel laureate actually being skeptical of evolution. He nails it, explaining very clearly how evolution deniers are distorting facts in support of an ideological agenda.
12:03 – Ide Trotter, associated with the creationist group Texans for Better Science Education, is up. He argues that modern scientific theories make evolutionary theory “more difficult to believe,” but evolutionists are trying to censor those counter arguments.
12:06 – Ryan Valentine, deputy director of the Texas Freedom Network, is up now. Ryan reminds the board that four creationist members tried to reject proposed biology textbooks in 2003 because those books didn’t include phony “weaknesses” of evolution. He calls on the board not to ignore the teachers, academics, scientists and other experts who oppose requiring that students learn phony challenges to evolution.
12:14 – We’re taking a break from live blogging while we prepare for a short press conference. Live blogging will continue after lunch, when the board’s planned evolution “show trial” begins, featuring scientists and evolution opponents on a so-called “expert” reviewer panel. Check back in around 1:30. There’s a lot more to come.
Go, Ryan!
Every Texas HS graduate should make a pilgrimage(online?) to TFN and others in appreciation for all the hard work everyone there has done, and continues to do, to insure that a proper science education is instilled in their minds. Really, you all are truly heroes. Thank you so much for your dedication to this extremely important issue.
It is my fervent hope that, once victory over creationism in the science classrooms has been achieved, I never hear the name Cynthia Dunbar again, unless it’s to announce her resignation.
Wow, thanks for this! The creationists mean well, but they won’t accept that science and religion are not the same.
This is very informative – I feel very fortunate that you are there, and somewhat hopeful that evidence-based science will prevail.
These arguments are not new and perhaps point to the need for a better way to go about textbook adoption. Is it still the case that the Texas market is so big that the rest of the country gets only textbooks that Texas approves?