Biology professor John Richard Schrock reports in a commentary on today’s Opinion page that one of the speakers at the State Board of Education’s evolution hearings last year claimed that Kansas had the only state science standards based on nature. As Schrock notes, that’s absolutely not true. Yet it is a line that is being repeated by socially conservative State BOE candidates and their backers in an attempt to make the board’s actions seem reasonable.
For example, Republican incumbent Ken Willard of Hutchinson (in photo) told The Eagle editorial board that “Kansas had the most restrictive definition of science of any state in the union.” And he claimed that all the State BOE did in removing the phrase “based on natural phenomena” was make our definition of science reflect the other states.
Baloney. This radical redefining of science was a big reason why the State Board’s own science standards committee and so many national experts and science groups object so strongly to the new standards.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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25 Comments
Calling the electoral spin by the ultra-conservatives “baloney” is much too kind. The ultimate goal of these zealots is to destroy public elementary and high school education in Kansas. Their chosen Commissioner was previously supported largely by the two richest men in Kansas, Charles and David Koch, billionaires who are determined not to pay their fair share of taxes. To that end Willard and Chairman Abrams in particular have supported Connie Morris, a colleague caught red-handed overbilling for thousands of dollars in illegimate travel costs. They have allowed an untaxed Seattle organization to shape their campaigns. They advocate challenging Supreme Court decisions that displease them. They’ve pretended they’re not trying to insert religion into the curriculum, and conversely try to support religious schools with taxpayer dollars. At the same time they’ve been targeting countless congregations alleging that they, and only they, are worthy of votes because they’re supposedly “Christians,” as opposed to their opponents whose faith they thoroughly disparage. They’ve met illegally with Phill Kline in an effort to circumvent established law. Their muddying of the waters with carefully parsed statements about their “science” standards is a diversion. They are no less theocrats than are those Middle Eastern mullahs who promote anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism from Turkey to Pakistan.
We will see if they are kept in today. I suspect they will.
FS…Well, I’m not a Connie Morris fan by any means, but after reading your media spin, at least I can recognize “baloney” when I see it.You mix in a few facts with statements like “The ultimate goal of these zealots is to destroy public elementary and high school education in Kansas.” and “They are no less theocrats than are those Middle Eastern mullahs who promote anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism from Turkey to Pakistan.”
RIGHT! These folks ran for School Board because they hate Kansas kids and they are out to destroy Kansas schools. You appear to be either be paranoid or writing script for one of the opposing candidates…
It’s based on nature, human nature, believe what ever you want to believe.
Frank Smith, YOU ARE MY HERO!!!!!
In case you dont know Frank, he is the one who BUSTED the oh so holy connie morris for double billing the tax payers, violating her boards OWN RULES about travel vouchers, filing FALSE travel reimbursement documents, taking her hubby along at taxpayer expense, and basically taking a junket to Miami to visit her daughter under the guise of attending a “charter school” conference.
heheh. Except she HAD NO CHARTER SCHOOLS in her district…
…and FRANK has proven, without a doubt, that she did all those things. Just ask him!
So sam, when did lying, cheating, blatent thieving and theft by deception become christian values?
Frank, some of the more holy here forget the little verse that “the TRUTH shall set you free”.
Of course, in connie’s case, I am sure someone real soon will say I took that verse out of context…
KFG..”So sam, when did lying, cheating, blatent thieving and theft by deception become christian values?”
Last time I checked, they were not.
By the way.. I did not say there was no truth in Frank’s post.. my point was he tainted it with grandstanding, making silly remarks like the 2 I quoted.
Sam, sorry to be crosswise with you again, but these:
“The ultimate goal of these zealots is to destroy public elementary and high school education in Kansas.” and “They are no less theocrats than are those Middle Eastern mullahs who promote anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism from Turkey to Pakistan.”
are at the HEART of the TRUTH of Frank’s post.
Sincerely sam, I am sorry that these theist jerks are soiling your religion and shaming your god. If all christians were like you, we wouldnt be able to make these jokes.
Be mad at THEM sam, not us for noticing how they have hijacked your god.
Really sam, I meant the above. It makes it hard for us non-christians too when they pull their theist grandstanding tricks. Then, when we meet REAL christians like you or DD or some others, we have to wonder if it is worth our time to see if they are a loving christian or a toxic christian.
Seems to me that the ration in kansas is like 10 to 1 toxic to loving.
So.. for us.. ya gotta wonder if it is worth picking through all that fly crap to find one or two specks of real pepper. Or, would it be better to just sweep it all away and dismiss it as fly crap.
Once again, THEY (chritianist, theocracy loving, evangelicals in politics) created this situation, not us.
Be mad at them for doing it, not us for noticing it.
sorry, should be ratio not ration…
…must …have …more …coffee
(whistle here)
paul… oh paul… here proll, proll, proll, here paul….
and where is lrb today?
Dont these republican hacks know the early bird catches the worm?
heheh. the GOP WORM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Attention walmart shoppers. Missing conservatives alert.
Calling lauren bandler. Calling paul rossel. Please come to the security desk. Your republican keepers are worried.
Calling lauren bandler, calling paul rossel….
Oh, I forgot. It is primary election day, and they probably have some voting machines that need tampering today…
LOL KFG.. you are too funny… “voting machines that need tampering today”. That was a good shot!
“Seems to me that the ration in kansas is like 10 to 1 toxic to loving.”
I can see how you think that because of what goes on around here, but let me encourage you just a bit if I can. I TRULY BELIEVE that there are far more loving Christians around than you think. I know many in many different churches that would never knowingly harm someone else. Unfortunately, it is always the squeaky wheel that everyone hears. The political folks are naturally more vocal and more aggressive. That is unfortunate because the “other” people are your normal common folks that don’t whine, don’t make waves, and therefore don’t make a difference. But they are there… and as you can see from another thread where 1000 people walked out…. when it comes down to right and wrong….. 80% chose your side.
There is hope!
Hope for you in kansas, sam, but not for us.
Unfortunately in kansas, more than 70 percent DONT choose love, but choose hate instead.
I dont see that changing anytime soon.
When the kansas constitution is rid of hate, give me a call about that hope thing.
hee hee hee. Still laughing.
Sam, did you happen to notice that, um, the congregants who stayed were in MINNESOTA!!! A BLUE state?
I dont think you will see any of terry joe and fred’s people in kansas disagreeing with their ayatollahs and republican masters anytime soon.
Even if live boys, dead girls, or hammered kittens are found…
KFG, your 10:1 ratio is wrong. Do the math: 100/30 ~= 3.3 to one.
P.S. How’s biz?
Oh wait, that’s wrong. I screwed up the math. My bad.
It’s more like 2:1.
Good to see you Rage.
Well, I was gonna say biz was fine, but clearly I have some difficulty with accounting. heheh. We had our grand opening last weekend.
On the Friday menu this week, salmon tacos, homemade tamales and my special salsa fresca and queso among other things.
Saturday night is shrimp and bow tie pasta in alfredo sauce, grilled kc strips, and sunday is smothered pork chops day.*
Like they say on hee haw, “yummm, yum!”
*some cholesteral lowering medication may be required :)
Oh, and ps. out here? It was more like 80/20. 4:1?
ok KFG – you’ve manage to make a bunch of stuff that now I’m craving and it’s too far to drive with the baby due really soon. (I’m not gonna risk being an hour or so away from a hospital when I go in labor – I like my pain meds)
DANGIT!!!!!!!!
4:1? Yeppers. And I guess 70/30 is actually ~= 2.3:1. Not encouraging in either case.
Thought I suppose if it was that strong out there, maybe Wichita was a progressive community than we think.
I’d say save me a table, but it’ll be a while. . . :(
P.S. Accounting ain’t exactly my forte. I find it excruiatingly boring!
Yes, Rage, it is kinda like balancing the check book. It sucks.
KFG, That menu sounds too good to be true. Did you every eat in that restaurant that was in Bunker Hill (or, Hunker Bill as some of my friends would say?) in the 80’s? It was great! You may provide the challenge to that memory. Me and the spouse are headed your way when it is a bit cooler! Take care.
Oh, and KFG, I am ethical, and most of the time moral, I am not necessarily Christian — though I value those folks’ morality and ethics. I wish the Republican party would do the same.
DD…Are you talking about the Bear House out on I-70 or the restaurant that was in the old hotel in “town”? I think it was just called “The Bunker Hill Cafe” or something like that! Great food…. and it was the last place I ever ate with my grandma before she died…. sweet memories!!
What is the point of everyone pretending that they care about science? I hope some of you have the sense to know that this whole argument has NOTHING to do with science, but it instead is just a fight between Christians and atheists.
If this country cared about science, things would be a lot different here…*practical applied science* would have already solved the fuel problem and would have done many other things. But instead, most people are really concerned about temporary pleasures, their egos, and the promotion of their political ideals. Even our children know that prancing about whore-like like Britney Spears or being a controversial football player is more important to so-called adults than science or any form of education.
So cut the “I care for knowledge and education” nonsense and try being honest.