Ron Reagan wrote:Creationism and vacating the Age of Reason (Ron Reagan)
The state of Kansas is poised to vacate the Age of Reason. If all goes according to brain-addled plan, the Kansas school board will soon vote to water down the state’s public school science curriculum, minimizing Darwinian evolution and giving credence to a half-baked, non-scientific notion variously called “creationism” or “intelligent design.”
We dealt with the issue recently on our show and I got a little steamed, as I’m prone to do when faced with shameless lies told at the expense of innocent children. Evolution, of course, has mountains of evidence on its side—the fossil record; genetics; observations of rapidly mutating species in nature in the lab, as well as some compelling new computer models. I challenged our creationist guest to provide similar evidence for his point of view. He couldn’t... because there isn’t any. But it got me thinking: education that ignores the facts could be a lot more fun.
For instance, generations of school kids have been taught that George Washington and his troops defeated the British after crossing the Delaware River in wooden rowboats. Plenty of scholarship backs that up. But we don’t have any of the actual boats, do we? Who’s to say that Washington didn’t ditch the watercraft and instead cross the river on the backs of specially trained dinosaurs? No evidence for that - but in Kansas, we don’t need no stinkin’ evidence.
How about math? The diameter of a circle equals twice the radius? Nah, in my new new math, the diameter of a circle equals time to order out for pizza. Doesn’t sound like mathematical science to you? Yeah... and what’s your point?
All that’s necessary for ignorance to triumph is that people who know better step aside and get out of its way. We might want to consider that as we sit back twiddling our thumbs and playing politics while Kansas spirals into the Dark Ages, dragging its unwitting children with it.
Right after his rant Monica Crowley spouted something about alternate theories or alternate views, and he agreed - but not in the science classroom. I thought it was refreshing to see the pro-evolution side of the debate given such a good amount of airtime.
To Absent Friends
Dalton | Admin Smash | Knight of the Order of SDN
"y = mx + bro" - Surlethe
"You try THAT shit again, kid, and I will mod you. I will
mod you so hard, you'll wish I were Dalton." - Lagmonster
Conservatives will just say that he's defected from the True Way. They have a way of connecting morality, political allegiance, and scientific validity all together as if they're the same thing.
"It's not evil for God to do it. Or for someone to do it at God's command."- Jonathan Boyd on baby-killing
"you guys are fascinated with the use of those "rules of logic" to the extent that you don't really want to discussus anything."- GC
"I do not believe Russian Roulette is a stupid act" - Embracer of Darkness
"Viagra commercials appear to save lives" - tharkûn on US health care.
Conservatives have already said that Ron Reagan had departed from the True Way a long time ago. Politically he's on the other side of the spectrum from his dad and it really pisses off alot of conservatives. Kind of hard to have a Reagan Dynasty when the son is a liberal who does things like speak at the Democratic Convention about stem cells and to support John Kerry.
"Show me an angel and I will paint you one." - Gustav Courbet
"Quetzalcoatl, plumed serpent of the Aztecs... you are a pussy." - Stephen Colbert
"Really, I'm jealous of how much smarter than me he is. I'm not an expert on anything and he's an expert on things he knows nothing about." - Me, concerning a bullshitter
So this is Ronald Reagan II? I was confused for a second, since I thought the original Reagan had Alzheimer's.
"If one needed proof that a guitar was more than wood and string, that a song was more than notes and words, and that a man could be more than a name and a few faded pictures, then Robert Johnson’s recordings were all one could ask for."
wolveraptor wrote:So this is Ronald Reagan II? I was confused for a second, since I thought the original Reagan had Alzheimer's.
The only way the original Reagan is going to comment on evolution vs. creationism is through a medium. He died last year.
Any city gets what it admires, will pay for, and, ultimately, deserves…We want and deserve tin-can architecture in a tinhorn culture. And we will probably be judged not by the monuments we build but by those we have destroyed.--Ada Louise Huxtable, "Farewell to Penn Station", New York Times editorial, 30 October 1963 X-Ray Blues
Hm ... is he younger than his old man was when he switched parties? Maybe a gene is about to kick in and he'll suddenly start talking about how he's a man of faith and a uniter .......
Ah well, he's out there every day helping undo a little of the damage his pops did, that's nice.
[img=right]http://www.tallguyz.com/imagelib/chmeesig.jpg[/img]My guess might be excellent or it might be crummy, but
Mrs. Spade didn't raise any children dippy enough to
make guesses in front of a district attorney,
an assistant district attorney, and a stenographer.
Sam Spade, "The Maltese Falcon" Operation Freedom Fry
wolveraptor wrote:So this is Ronald Reagan II? I was confused for a second, since I thought the original Reagan had Alzheimer's.
The only way the original Reagan is going to comment on evolution vs. creationism is through a medium. He died last year.
Wow. It REALLY makes me look bad when I don't keep up on current events.
"If one needed proof that a guitar was more than wood and string, that a song was more than notes and words, and that a man could be more than a name and a few faded pictures, then Robert Johnson’s recordings were all one could ask for."
Ghetto Edit: Now that I think about it, I remember seeing a tribute to him in the paper.
"If one needed proof that a guitar was more than wood and string, that a song was more than notes and words, and that a man could be more than a name and a few faded pictures, then Robert Johnson’s recordings were all one could ask for."
wolveraptor wrote:So this is Ronald Reagan II? I was confused for a second, since I thought the original Reagan had Alzheimer's.
Um...the original Reagan is dead, actually.
And didn't he have more than one son?
Incidentally, I'm conservative - libertarian, actually. I write for the conservative paper on campus, and as far as I know, everyone in it would agree heartily with Ron Reagan - one of the things we fight for the most is to eliminate bias in the classroom, both political and religious.
wolveraptor wrote:So this is Ronald Reagan II? I was confused for a second, since I thought the original Reagan had Alzheimer's.
The only way the original Reagan is going to comment on evolution vs. creationism is through a medium. He died last year.
Gipper from Beyond the Grave!
"Show me an angel and I will paint you one." - Gustav Courbet
"Quetzalcoatl, plumed serpent of the Aztecs... you are a pussy." - Stephen Colbert
"Really, I'm jealous of how much smarter than me he is. I'm not an expert on anything and he's an expert on things he knows nothing about." - Me, concerning a bullshitter
Darth Wong wrote:Conservatives will just say that he's defected from the True Way. They have a way of connecting morality, political allegiance, and scientific validity all together as if they're the same thing.
Not all conservatives, just the fundy ones. Unfortunately, they are the ones capable of making the most noise.
CotK <mew> | HAB | JL | MM | TTC | Cybertron
TAX THE CHURCHES! - Lord Zentei TTC Supreme Grand Prophet
And the LORD said, Let there be Bosons! Yea and let there be Bosoms too!
I'd rather be the great great grandson of a demon ninja than some jackass who grew potatos. -- Covenant
Dead cows don't fart. -- CJvR
...and I like strudel! -- Asuka
It's important to make that distiction. John McCain isn't the same Dubya.
"If one needed proof that a guitar was more than wood and string, that a song was more than notes and words, and that a man could be more than a name and a few faded pictures, then Robert Johnson’s recordings were all one could ask for."
-- Asuka