The Evolution of Texas
I almost feel sorry for people trying to keep up with politics in the rest of the country these days. They must be overwhelmed - having to analyze the complex maneuverings of the stock market, forced to pore over the arcane elements of Wall Street bonuses and buyouts, mesmerized into memorizing the details of derivatives.
Life in Texas is so much easier.
Down here, we're still fightin' over the stupid stuff.
Like evolution.
Now, I must confess that living in Texas for the past 20 years has led me, on occasion, to doubt Darwin. To wonder if I had moved to some sort of land-locked political Galapagos, a dry island where species no longer found in the rest of the world still roam free.
After all, there has to be some explanation for why Texas is welcoming back with open arms a moral and political pariah like you-know-"W"ho.
We're even building him a lie-berry.
But the notion that evolution ensured that the whole human race would end up at more or less the same cognitive level hits a real speed bump when you factor into the primordial pool some of the Lone Star State's leaders.
Darwin clearly isn't finished with some of them yet.
Look at Tom DeLay. Before he became a Congressman, he worked as an exterminator -- but he will always be a bug.
Well, a bug with a bad facelift.
Unluckily for the school children of Texas, these kinds of guys are the very people making decisions about the content of public education science programs.
Here in one of the last bastions of conservative Christian control, about half of the people on the Texas Board of Education have made it clear that they don't believe in the far-fetched idea of fish turning into frogs, dinosaurs turning into birds, or monkeys turning into Rush Limbaugh fans.
Conservatives on the Texas Board of Education don't believe in evolution.
No, sir.
They believe in Noah's Ark, Jonah and the whale, the parting of the Red Sea and talking snakes.
Actually, talking snakes do exist in Texas politics. We call them lobbyists.
But I digress.
This week, a conservative cabal on the Board will pick up where the Scopes Monkey Trial left off, triumphantly grabbing the nearly worn out baton and waging once more the eternally popular religious right battle against reality, common sense, and every piece of empirical evidence ever gathered.
In this latest skirmish, the Board will be considering the adoption of a school science curriculum that would give teachers in Texas schools textbooks that openly challenge the basic tenets of evolution.
Texas Board of Education members are elected from a number of similarly sized districts. State Democrats have been pushing to get education professionals onto the Board and they've had some success.
But some of the most reactionary members have retained their seats. One guy, known for sitting through hearings with his back to witnesses he doesn't like, still has a place on the board and still refuses to listen to testimony. By his side is a lovely woman who claims that Barack Obama is plotting with terrorists to attack the U.S.
If that isn't bad enough, the Governor always gets into the act, choosing the Chairman of the Board, typically someone who will most endear him to the craziest Christians in the state.
Governor Rick Perry, who brings the intellectual heft of a Sears catalog underpants model to his job, did not disappoint, naming Don McLeroy, to chair the Board's business.
McLeroy works as a dentist when he is not busy lecturing others on the origins of the earth, which he believes is less than 10,000 years old. Furthermore, he thinks "evolution has a problem," and says school books just need to be "honest with our kids."
At least until we start talking sex.
As a devout evangelical Christian, he is a big proponent of the Texas abstinence-only approach to sex ed, known down here as "Don't ask, Don't tell," a policy that has led the state to a constant presence on the nation's teen pregnancy top-five list.
Maybe it's a blessing that this guy doesn't want to help educate Texas kids about sex. I get the impression he thinks referring to someone as a "homo sapien" is talking dirty.
McLeroy and his ideological voting partners on the board say they want Texas schools to get "back to basics" in the classroom.
You know, less studying the cosmos, more work on cosmetology. So they have called for a hearing to examine the state textbooks' approach to evolution.
Public testimony before the Board begins Wednesday and will continue for three days or until someone is injured.
The 15-member board is tightly divided. Seven votes against evolution. And on the other side, seven people who can read.
Out on a limb is one poor soul who is probably afraid of both sides and has been known to swing both ways. Evolutionarily speaking, that is.
How the vote will go is completely up in the air.
What is certain is the anger that will attend the meetings. Things have gotten so tense in years past that it's been reported that an armed guard had to be brought in to keep the discussion from breaking out into hair-pulling slap-fights between people with different views.
Not in the audience, mind you, but between board members.
All of this is probably shocking if you live outside the state. But you shouldn't laugh too hard.
Since Texas is such a large purchaser of school textbooks, the bruised and compromised state standard has a way of seeping into other parts of the country, places where people smugly think they are beyond the reach of the anti-evolution forces.
Surprise!
Everybody out there snickering about what a backwards, backwoods state this is may end up with the same monkey on their backs. Their children's science books may ultimately be vetted by Texas Education Board members - conservative activists who home-schooled their kids, who think public education is a "tool of perversion" and who treat the Bible as a beginning biology book.
But then, it could be worse.
Wait 'til they find out about gravity.
Opponents of Evolution Adopting a New Strategy - NYTimes.com
FOXNews.com - Texas Debate Over Evolution Curriculum Could Affect ...
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Warning: School vouchers are a scam to get the government to pay for private schools that teach Creationism.
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As a native Texan, I've experienced the worst and best of this state from segregation to miraculous rescues from hurricanes. I was raised a Baptist; but learned at an early age the difference between people who try to live their faith and those that use organized religion to judge others, create enmity, and further their own agenda. Ignorant and malicious people of all political persuasions who only spout generalizations and stereotypes just contribute to the problem.
Texas is a complex and complicated state. It isn't one religion, one culture, or one party. It, like the rest of the nation, has suffered under the stranglehold of the Republicans for decades. Yes, it is somewhat due to the Southern reaction to the Civil Rights Act. However, that act was pushed through Congress by a Texan and signed into law by a Texan.
Can we try arguing the merits and leave the name calling for tabloid readers nationwide? The only way to fight the problem is to observe then ignore the "Religious" Right, turn off Limbaugh, PLAN to move the state and country forward and just DO IT!
We elected President Obama to lead us through intrinsic change. Least we can do is participate in the process in Texas and elsewhere. It's my hope that Texas' progressives, and there are many, can help make changes necessary in the state government and solve some of our problems from EPA standards to green energy research to improved education.
Can most of us agree to that?
If you're looking for a little state pride, go back and re-read the piece and pretend it was written by Texas native Molly Ivins. It's the closest to her style I've read in a long time.
We are going through a rough stretch here in Texas. Yes, we have an idiot of a Governor. You guys have to remember that Karl Rove got his start here. Kind of how the Germans practiced in Spain before WWII. The Republicans took over here and Gerymandered the state to such a degree it will take a while to fix it. Our Governor does stuff like appoint one of the largest real estate devlopers in the state to run the state agency that decides rules he has to abide by. He appointed the guy that owns the San Antonio Spurs to run our Fish and Game department. The guy made his fortune as the owner of the largest Catapiller dealership in the nation. So yes, a bulldozer salesman runs our outdoors agency. Yuck it up.
We used to have leaders like Ann Richards and Jim Hightower and now we have this. Read Jim's website. It's a hoot.
The answer is to build more prisons!..
This is why we have places like Texas, to give people who support this kind of thinking a place to live. Iraq is what Texas would like to be.
ignorant statement "SgtMac"
My son attends a large public high school in Texas. There are academic classes on three levels--regular, honors, and advanced placement. In the latter, students can receive college credit for courses, and they also have the option of attending the local community college to take additional college-level courses, instead of high school level, if they choose to. French, Spanish, German, Chinese (Mandarin), and Japanese are offered for foreign language credit, and students often travel with their classes to these countries at the end of the year. In addition, they have orchestra (philharmonic and symphony), band (symphonic, concert, and wind ensemble), choir (a cappella, treble, and chamber), theatre, and dance, all of which place in state competitions. For sports, they have football, basketball, baseball, golf, cross country, track and field, soccer, swimming, volleyball, tennis, softball, drill team, cheerleading, and wrestling. The graduation rate is 94%.
Not all Texas schools are backwoods, and, trust me, creationism won't be taught at my son's school. Not a chance.
Thanks MomfromTexas. I'm from Texas originally and I hate reading these things that ignore the more progressive parts of the state. She lightly touches on progress the Democrats have made - but says nothing to applaud that effort or the people behind it.
I hope the author of the article is working towards change - rather than just publicly shaming everyone who didn't vote for but has to live with bad election results. After living through the GWB years, I know that approach is not helpful. And things do change especially if people don't think the situation is a lost cause.
Hang in there Mom. I used to teach High School science in this state. Most teachers don't want this stuff shoved at them. Just one more thing to have to deal with. It's not like Biology teachers spend the whole year on Darwin. It barely comes up. You don't have time. I taught Physics. Some people weren't happy when I discussed the Big Bang Theory. But, I only talked about it one day out of 180.
As long as we have parents like you who are passionate about their kid's education, our schools will be fine.
Well, the anti=evolutionists lost - they lost everything in Texas. We finally got them off our backs completely.
Read the news - they were defeated.
A 7-7 vote is permanent defeat? I sure hope so, but somehow I think they'll be back.
http://www
This is what was decided:
http://www
Does this article make sense to anyone?
Read *all* the news. They lost on the "strengths and weaknesses" part, but still managed to get the requirement to mention "several things that evolution cannot explain". They even managed to tweak the verbage on the age of the universe.
While this article may be a bit alarmist (at least in retrospect), the fact that issues like this come down to the vote of one or two votes *is* scary.
The real good news is not the mixed victory on the evolution issue. It's the fact that Texas is slowly turning blue again. Maybe by the 2020 redistricting we'll be able to get some voices of reason into Austin.
The Republican War On Science: http://www
God: "Hey, wait a minute. you idiots! You've got the wrong order in that Cretaceous layer. You've got to put the trilobites ABOVE the sepelius laricans, and you have to do it in the sandstone, not the shale! Now dig it up and start over! Read the doggone plans! Can't you guys get anything right?"
TEXAS EDUCATION WORKS TO KEEP THE POOR DUMB AND WORKING FOR LOW PAY !!!!!!!!!!!
This debate is ridiculous.
If you're now looking for your calendar under your bible, I completely understand and will save you the trouble. Yes, it's 2009, and no, Jesus didn't write a memoir and call it The Flintstones. But not everyone is as sure of that as I am.
http://www
it's incredible how much anti-Texas sentiment there is out there. I guess that is what this author is playinfg off of in writing this flame article. There are 7 people on a little government board who represent the ENTIRE state in her mind.
It's also incredible how some people can generalize a state of 28 million people that happens to have one of the most diverse populations in the entire country with a variety of cultures.
Whoaaa LB14 don't go spitting out facts, it messes with the flow of this board haha
The problem? The state elected these fools.
I'm with you and as a Texan resent the picture this paints of a very large diverse state. But, this textbook thing is big. And I am as conservative as anyone, but science is science. Whatever the circumstances, it is not right for an over zealous minority to force their views on the public at large. I was religious once, but these people have converted me in the other direction. They are the abusers, not using the sense God has given them.
Hey LB -
Do the math - *half* of the school board is pushing creationism. Each school board member *represents* and is elected by a district. These bozos were elected to office by a majority of Texans in those districts. So we're not just talking about "7 people on a little gov't board". We're talking about the large number of people who voted for them (and probably based their vote on this issue alone).
I'll agree that Texas is much more diverse and progressive than this article portrays. BUT, it's still got a sizable population of people who are ignorant, racist, intolerant and xenophobic (I'm probably leaving off a few appropriate adjectives, but I'll leave it there). These people deserve to be shown for what they are.
I completely agree Texas is sooo backwoods that they have 3 cities in the top 10 in growth over the past 3-4 quarters..
As a lifelong Texan I reserve the right to critique the government of my state.
p.s. I'm not a redneck!
It's really not that we're that much more nuts than anyplace else. It's just that, like so many other places, we always seem to have our own SPECIAL way of being nuts. So we like to share it with others. There are a lot of good things about Texas, for example, our tornadoes pretty much only getcha in a trailer park. California earthquakes move everything but Jessica Simpson. Oh cripe, she's one of ours too. See, that's another thing we enjoy. Cheap shots.
lol !
I've been a paid Texas booster, but sometimes you just gotta laugh. (As we still could, Mary, at the Hard Rock awhile back with you, Franken and Sheehan.) Here are some favorite true "Welcome, you're in Texas" (Dallas?) stories.
Second week here, supermarket shopping, woman observe's daughter's brilliantly red hair. Notices ours isn't. Asks, "Is it 'natural?" Wife replies, "She's 3!" Then explains the red is from her father's eyes.
Son's 5th grade class is learning one fact about each president. Jimmy Carter? "Gave away the canal." On the plus side, it was often easy to remember your teacher's name, "Coach."
The education our kids get is fine and our local school folks pretty much enlightened. We just look at things funny. things. Aforementioned daughter, gets her MD in May. During her last year of high school, my wife was complaining to some other mothers about the amazingly hectic week the kid had: aced whatever that exam is you need to get out of high school, school orchestra concert, cheerleading practice, was teaching a horseback class to a group of French kids entirely in French (as a vegan, did not appreciate my observation that the great thing about French equestrian events is when you're finished you can eat the horse) , placed sixth in the state in hunter jumper comp., trying to decide if she'd need a car at Vassar, 3-4 other things. The response was always, "Really? She's a CHEERLEADER?!"
If she went to Vassar, she obviously received a decent education in our schools.
Why don't they just vote to abolish science completely from the school curriculum? Just cut to the chase--no science. It would be far less hypocritical then giving Bible class masquerading for science class. I really feel sorry for these people.
Intelligent Design cannot be taught in schools for religious purposes, so those who want it taught in schools claim that they are trying to further intellectual inquiry. They claim to want to let students hear alternative theories.
But will Texas ever want its school children to hear alternative theories on the 9/11 incident that claim that George W. Bush planned the attacks? Will they ever have field trips to Dallas to see the grassy knoll where the 2nd shooter in the alternative Kennedy assassination theory was said to have shot from? If those pushing to get Intelligent Design in the schools really were interested in intellectual inquiry, they would be pushing for these alternative theories to get into the classroom too. Afterall, these non-sensical ideas are every bit as valid as Intelligent Design, possibly even more so. At very least they aren't self-contradictory like Intelligent Design.
To deny evolution is moronic and if the conservatives succeed is due to their effectiveness at working together towards a goal, not because they are right. Evolution is based on scientific research, the same research that cures these morons of diseases. Too bad science can't cure stupid....
Bible teachings do not belong in a school at all, unless it's a private school in which case you can spend the money and you child can learn to be an idiot just like you conservatives
jeez what makes you think that most conservatives or most evangelicals dont believe in evolution? In reality, most conservatives and most evangelicals do believe in evolution. The two arent mutually exclusive.
ive been a Christian my entire life, and i grew up in Texas schools, and I was taught evolution in my science classes my entire life. Also, I actually took a lot of Geology in high school and college and there are some Texas schools with some of the best geology programs in the state.
but the entire state is "backwards"? you arent very open minded are you?
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