Wustlog: Yay Kansas

Can't you keep my hand to yourself?!

Thursday, August 10

It's really disgusting to see the continual abuse and demonization of science and rational thought in America, courtesy of Bush, his administration, and his fundamentalist "base". But kudos to Kansas, whose board of education inspired Flying Spaghetti Monsterism, for actually snapping out of it and coming back to their senses!!!

From New Scientist:

Rueful creationists in the Midwest last week could have echoed Dorothy's "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore". Not the Kansas they had made, anyway.

In a state primary election on 1 August, voters ousted two school board members who opposed teaching evolution. One of them, Connie Morris, a former teacher, has described evolution as "a nice bedtime story".

Funny, I would have thought Connie's story of a miraculous 7-day creation would be the bedtime story.

Morris lost to Sally Cauble, a teacher favouring the teaching of evolution.

...and my faith in humanity was slightly restored.

The result guarantees that the state school board will swing in January 2007 from one that opposes the teaching of evolution to one on which it has majority support. "The people of Kansas are tired of being the laughing stock of not just the nation, but the world," says Janet Waugh, a pro-evolution school board member who won her primary.

Great news!

posted by issek @ 15:53

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Comments:

This isn't the first time this has happened. The creationists lost controll of the board of education, and had the ruling changed before, only to win it back in elections a few years later.

I don't think this is the last we hear of this bullshit in Kansas.

I also find it interesting that the national media never talks about any of the other states that have similar evolution-related laws on the books. I guess Kansas fits the hicksville stereotype the best.

# posted by

Leeeeeeeeeebs : Fri Aug 11, 08:17:00 AM

I think it should be pretty obvious that Kansas - populated as it is by scarecrows, tinmen and talking lions, not to mention the innumerable other fanciful creatures like witches and midgets with bad hair - is not subject to evolutionary forces. That's why it's at the forefront of the debate.

# posted by

botherate : Fri Aug 11, 12:11:00 PM

yeah leebs, at first i also found it a bit unfair for them to single out KS (being from oklahoma myself...think tom coburn), but botherate's explanation cured me of any inquisitiveness i may have had. makes perfect sense

# posted by

issek : Sun Aug 13, 12:33:00 AM

It's a little known fact that Kansas is in fact completely surrounded by a desert that turns anyone who touches it into sand, otherwise known as Oklahoma.

Return to Oz is a brilliant movie. Fairuza Balk before she went all goth, playing Dorothy at the correct age, teaches us that the pathway to Oz lies in electroshock therapy and talking chickens.

# posted by

botherate : Tue Aug 15, 12:08:00 AM