Science's review of the US election
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Pirate modeI do want to mention one thing that pissed me off, though.
Science: Should "intelligent design" or other scientific critiques of evolutionary theory be taught in public schools?
BUSH: The federal government has no control over local curricula, and it is not the federal government's role to tell states and local boards of education what they should teach in the classroom. Of course, scientific critiques of any theory should be a normal part of the science curriculum.
KERRY: I believe that ideology should not trump science in the context of educating our children. Still, public school curriculum is a matter subject to local control. Communities must decide which sound, scientific theories are appropriate for the classroom.
First, it's a bad question. It implies that Intelligent Design creationism is legitimately scientific, and that there is any question about whether scientific criticisms should be excised from the curriculum (the answer to both, obviously, is no). The question should be, "Should the religious ideas with no scientific evidence in their support be taught in public school science classrooms?" That, at least, is a more accurate portrayal of what groups like the Discovery Institute are trying to do.
And look at those answers! You could switch them around and there is no clue who is saying what. "Leave it up to local communities..." Bah. One of the things we have to do on a larger scale is set standards and set general criteria for what schools ought to do. It's particularly bizarre for that arch-hypocrite Bush to make excuses about leaving it up to local school boards when he's been pushing standards with the NCLB. Is this how we're supposed to acquire 100% compliance with the NCLB standards? By teaching kids useless, idiotic drivel so that they can easily meet a very low bar?
And Kerry...Kerry disappoints me. I dearly wish he'd be more fierce when confronted with questions like this. He should have sharply stated that Intelligent Design creationism has absolutely no place in the classroom. Is he afraid he'll alienate the swing wingnuts or something?
I'm surprised Science phrased the question that way (I wonder who the author was?), but it's possible that Bush and/or Kerry don't actually know much of anything about Intelligent Design. In that case, their answers make perfect sense....if you're into political waffle-talk.