Diane Roberts was right last year. "Floridians seem content in a state of ignorance"

[madfloridian]

I remember this article of hers from last year today when I saw that the anti-evolution crusaders are back again. They will never give up this battle to teach Creationism or Intelligent Design. It's their plan to just keep on pushing it, no matter what the courts say.

Diane Roberts articles about Florida are always great reading. This one from last year was one of her best.

From the St. Pete Times:

Diane Roberts: Floridians seem content in a state of ignorance

Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859; it wasn't until this February that Florida's state Board of Education voted to allow teachers to utter the word "evolution." But Sen. Ronda Storms, ever a vigilant foe of egghead secularism, has filed a bill to strike a blow for biblical science.

According to the "Ain't Kin to No Monkey Act" of 2008 (also known as S 2692), teachers would be protected from "discrimination" for presenting "scientific information relevant to the full range of views on biological and chemical origins." In other words, instead of learning how natural selection is the fundamental principle of biological and medical knowledge, if an instructor tells students there's a "debate" over evolution and "alternatives" to natural selection, he or she won't get fired or reassigned to the comparative religions classroom.

..."Let's be clear: There's no credible debate among the vast majority of scientists, no peer-reviewed research challenging the basic tenets of evolution. As Harold Kroto, winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize for chemistry, puts it, "Not only were Darwin's original observations explained, but every pertinent observation made since has fitted perfectly."

Nonetheless, Donna Callaway, a member of the state Board of Education, voted against the new standards, telling a Baptist newspaper that evolution "should not be taught to the exclusion of other theories." John Stemberger of the Florida Family Policy Council pouted that students need to know "the flaws with evolution." Sen. Stephen Wise, co-sponsor of Storms' bill, advocates teaching creationism with evolution.

But why stop with Darwin? How about including theories of gravity other than Newton's? Should decent, God-fearing people allow their children to be exposed to algebra (that's an Arabic word, by the way) without presenting other points of view? How about pitting Copernicus' heliocentric model against Ptolemy's version of the universe, the one where Earth's in the center?

And Amen to this paragraph.

Ignorance troubles neither voters nor politicians. According to a recent St. Petersburg Times survey, only 22 percent of Floridians want schools to teach evolution only, while fully 50 percent prefer only intelligent design or the Bible. "In Florida we love to establish the facts by voting on them," says professor Travis.

Roberts presents this jewel from Marco Rubio, who is planning to run for Senate against Charlie Crist. Rubio is Jeb's partner in all things dubious.

Speaker of the House Marco Rubio claims he wants Florida to become the "Silicon Valley" of energy diversification and biotech industry. But he told the Florida Baptist Witness newspaper, "I don't want a school system that teaches kids that what they're learning at home is wrong."

The Florida Baptist Witness is where Florida Republican politicians go to pander to the religious right.

So why did I think of Diane Roberts article today? I made the mistake of checking the right wing blog world. I found this from The Christian Post today.

Religious Liberty Stops at the Schoolhouse Door

President Lincoln clearly recognized the profound importance of education, and the immense responsibility incumbent upon educators to guide the next generation rightly. The primary goal, at least in Lincoln's day, was a system of schooling which effectively prepared our nation's youth to join society as productive, responsible, virtuous participants. It's nice to imagine that there was a time when it was that simple. Teachers busied themselves with the work of nourishing eager young minds with the fundamental skills necessary to develop into intelligent, capable, thoughtful adults.

In today's classroom, however, the story is very different. Modern sensitivities decry the presumptuous suggestion that productivity, responsibility, and virtue are legitimate universal measures by which to evaluate a good citizen. The goals of education in today's postmodern, multicultural, post-religious, globally-oriented society have evolved past these antiquated ideals. Hence the rise in influence of the radical ideology mentioned earlier. Too many teachers today enter the classroom with an agenda far more ambitious than the simple desire to instill a love of learning; these teachers go into the education business to proselytize a religion. This religion is comprehensive in its scope. It will not tolerate dissent because it cannot withstand scrutiny. Ironically, the State is its staunchest advocate and most ardent defender.

This state-sponsored religion teaches the theory of evolution as an indisputable fact, singling out and eliminating from its ranks proponents of intelligent design theory-or, heaven forbid, actual Creationists-with Puritanical zeal. This religion mandates the normalization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered lifestyles with no regard for parental consent while singling out traditionalists as ignorant bigots in need of reprogramming. Thus the classroom, once a forum for critical thought, analysis, and debate that allowed for many competing points of view, is now used to transform raw human material into homogeneous batches of progressive, enlightened, politically correct, intellectually timid, and spiritually vacant progeny, ready to shape tomorrow's world.

Calling evolution a religion. Now that is really table-turning propaganda.

Diane Roberts ends by saying "Which impulse will win out with the Republican leadership, Sunshine Silicon or Ain't Kin to No Monkey? Here's a hint: Check the poll numbers above. Our students don't need no stinking science. They'll have God. He'll tell them all they need to know. And if they ever travel beyond the Floridian Theocracy, He'll protect them from falling off the edge of the Earth."

[tularetom]

1. High tech companies will never relocate to a place that scorns scientific research

Primarily because there will be no labor market there for them. Kids who have been brainwashed into believing all that biblical bullshit will never be able to exercise the type of critical thought these employers need.

But also, the existing employees of high tech companies will resist relocation to a place so grounded in medieval superstition and idol worship.

Unfortunately this type of thinking is not confined to Florida. But it does seem pretty entrenched in official policy there.

[DonCoquixote]

2. There is an ugly truth about this state

The state was always on the borderline between the hard line Confederates and people who moved in. Even in the days of Harriet Beecher Stowe, there were Natives mad at people for moving in and trying to change their state from a Southern one to a Northern one. To some extent, they have a point, as I have heard many a "cracker" tell me. However, it also means that the even the UGLIEST aspects of the confederacy have stern defenders, ones that rush to it's aid as frankly, they are less secure about their identity as "Dixie" than anywhere else. It's why we have that godawful Confederate flag on 1-4, and why so many people kept on saying "but it's heritage, not hate!"

Oh, and to any would be defenders of the confederacy out there, yes, I know the war was not just about Slavery, but honestly, does anyone, much less a "progressive" really want to see what the powers that be would have done if slavery could have been kept alive?

[madfloridian]

13. Do you know when I really noticed?

I grew up here with a mostly Republican, very religious family, with strong ties to the military.

I never noticed any problems until Bush came into office. He brought out the worst in the religious fundamentalists, and even in my own family. He pitted family members against each other.

Yes, it is different here.

[dmr]

3. Do these people forbid their children from watching the Science/Discovery Channels?

National Geographic?

I suppose they dismiss the evolution of our rich, wonderful, beautiful and sometimes violent 4.5 million years of earth's grand history.

Reading your post, and as a former Floridian all I can muster is "Wow, just wow!"

Ignorance is dangerous. People are easier to manipulate and control when they are unprepared for reality.

[csziggy]

4. hat would be 4.5 Billion years if Earth's history, wouln't it?

And, yeah some of them do forbid their children from watching a lot of television because it doesn't all slavishly stick to their religion's interpretation of reality.

[dmr]

8. Thanks for the correction

D'oh! I knew better too

:)

[DaLittle Kitty]

14. AGREED! KIIIIIICK!

:think:

[tavalon]

5. I went to school at Lake Weir High School and lived in Summerfield, FL

I cannot for the life of me understand how I ended up so bright. I guess I just inherent smart genes because there was nothing in my upbringing or school career that would have prepared me to be anything but a compliant, blithering idiot or, in other words, the average Florida citizen.

[onethatcares]

6. as George Carlin once said

they want people that can cut their lawns, clean their pools, and build their developments. No critical thinkers need apply.

Just the other day, while talking to someone about the Iraq war, I mentioned the WMDs that were the reason for the invasion. He said, "ahh, hell, will you get over that?"

[madfloridian]

9. Two or our neighbors still think we found the WMDs

and made the world safer. :shrug:

[wizstars]

17. Don't you know that...

"an educated and informed citizenry is the archenemy of tyranny"?

This is why Repigs want us fat, dumb, and happy--so they can impose their tyranny on us.

[timtom]

7. Yep! We're all dumb as rocks down here.

It's kinda like Chinese astrology. Everyone born in 1957 is exactly the same!

[madfloridian]

10. Not dumb. Choosing biblical over scientific. Dumb and ignorant are different things.

People can choose to be ignorant about things. Doesn't mean they are dumb.

[madfloridian]

11. "only 22 percent of Floridians want schools to teach evolution only" Stunning!

"Ignorance troubles neither voters nor politicians. According to a recent St. Petersburg Times survey, only 22 percent of Floridians want schools to teach evolution only, while fully 50 percent prefer only intelligent design or the Bible. "In Florida we love to establish the facts by voting on them," says professor Travis."

From the Roberts link in the OP.

Stunning.

[madfloridian]

12. A little OT, but a Diane Roberts short poetic NPR clip on Key West and spring break

http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=102218542&m=102219749

It's almost like being there. ;)

[Dappleganger]

15. We teach our kids to question everything in school.

That hasn't made for the smoothest ride, but I want them more than anything to learn how to grow in adversity.

We cannot wait to leave this awful state; unfortunately it's looking more hopeless every week in more ways than one.:(

[moggie]

16. Lot of projection going on there

They see schools as teaching a "state-sponsored religion" which stifles dissent and "reprograms" students into homogeneous believers because that's what they would like to do.

[lupinella]

18. *heavy sigh*

I was born in Florida, and, sadly, still reside there.
Amazing though it seems, it is one of the biggest markets for working actors in the U.S. Go theme parks, rah!
I graduated from high school in Volusia county; after skipping a year due to credits received from private schools which I attended 'til halfway through my sophomore year.
Private Christian school. So, the credits were accepted even though I had learned at a ratio of diddly/squat while at these institutions.

As you drive through my city, you are greeted by a fundie-feast for the eyes: billboards with amusing castigations signed 'God' - no need to ask which one, billboards with scenes of fetuses in utero that tell how early their hearts beats, billboards and bumper stickers galore that advertise a religious radio station whose tag line is, 'Safe for little ears'. etc. ad nauseum. Emphasis on the nauseum.

People often feel the need to 'witness' to me - perhaps guided by god, or, more likely, my heretical bumper sticker collection on my vehicle for self-expression, literally and figuratively. As an atheist, in the third hole of the bible belt, I feel a need to stay calm and kind during these altercations.

Unless it's with anti-choice protesters, in which case I get terminal Tourette's {no ill intent toward true sufferers of Tourette's intended} and curse like a drunken grandmother. Say what you will about sailors, my grandma would make 'em blush.

I found a sticker 'Moral Atheist' that sums it up nicely. Yes, one might say I put myself in these situations, but I have as many rights as they do with their magnetic Jesus fish to show my magnetic Vampyre fish. For every 'God is my co-pilot', I counter with 'Coexist'.

Many of my dearest friends are religious and none of them deny science any more than I deny their faith.

I do however credit many years in therapy for getting me to that calm, kind place.
Well, that and my wife, who has consistently refused to allow me to buy the bumper sticker about the religion of my youth: 'The problem with Baptists is that they don't hold them under long enough.'
I know, I know... that's why I'm still in therapy.
:rant:

[mitchum]

19. "in a state of ignorance"...and ungodly humidity

[lupinella]

20. preach it!

My car's a/c is out. Driving to work involves much ice, frequently applied.

[madfloridian]

21. Oh, yeh.

So right.

Cause and effect? :evilgrin: