Arkansas Teachers Are FORBIDDEN To Use The "E-Word"

[kpete]

The missing link
Scientist discovers that evolution is missing from Arkansas classrooms.

............. Teachers at his facility are forbidden to use the “e-word” (evolution)
with the kids. They are permitted to use the word “adaptation” but only to refer to a current characteristic of an organism, not as a product of evolutionary change via natural selection. They cannot even use the term “natural selection.” Bob feared that not being able to use evolutionary terms and ideas to answer his students’ questions would lead to reinforcement of their misconceptions.

But Bob’s personal issue was more specific, and the prohibition more insidious. In his words, “I am instructed NOT to use hard numbers when telling kids how old rocks are. I am supposed to say that these rocks are VERY VERY OLD ... but I am NOT to say that these rocks are thought to be about 300 million years old.”


http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=e7a0f0e1-ecfd-4fc8-bca4-b9997c912a91

[EFerrari]

1. Do we no longer have LAW in this country?

:nuke:

[walldude]

7. Hell it's not even a matter of law but of COMMON SENSE!

I mean gimme a break, let's just throw out all the scientific evidence for a story from the bible, that has NOT A SHRED OF EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT IT. You wanna teach this stuff in philosophy, or religious studies, or mythology be my guest. Other than that they need to GET THEIR DAMN RELIGION OUT OF MY SCIENCE!

[EFerrari]

8. Yes. Get their damn literature out of my effen science class.

I couldn't agree more.

It disrespects both science AND religion -- which shows you where their friggin priorities are.

[valerief]

2. I predict a new list of 7 dirty words you can't say on TV to

replace the old Carlin list.

Word 1: Evolution
Word 2: (any number over the age the Bible says the Earth is, whatever that is)

[MissMarple]

4. Humanism, Multiculturalism, Diversity, Liberalism, Deism, Secularism.

Support for the secular principles of the Constitution will be an evil, hateful thing.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mediaman007]

5. Sam Walton started his business in Arkansas for a reason.

Along with Walton, Tyson and Hunt Trucking are headquartered in Arkansas. Each of those entrepreneurs came to Arkansas from Ohio. No doubt they saw that Arkansas was open for opportunity. The people in Arkansas must have thought these guys were geniuses.


Edited to remove a double negative, not that Arkansas would notice

[SPKrazy]

13. As An Arkansan, I Resent Your Attitude

Arkansas citizens are not all inbred hicks, or Bush lovers, or crazy RW fundies.

There are lots of fundies. Probably some inbred hicks (although it seems most come from eastern Oklahoma, but that's another story)

But if you've noticed, Arkansas is a blue state now!

Bush's poll numbers way low.

2 Dem Senators

Only 1 Rep congressman, rest are Dems, and Vic Snyder is verrrry liberal! (check him out)

[lukasahero]

19. I wonder if any Oklahomans would resent your attitude?

Just askin'... :shrug:

[AbbyR]

25. Excuse me

I live in Arkansas, moved here from Virginia over 20 years ago. This is a wonderful state with many great folks. Lots of us are VERY progressive, too.
Sure, we have our share of idiots, and I don't care where you live, you have your share, too.

I get SO tired of people bashing Arkansas and the south.

[hiley]

28. Quite Frankly

Stereotypes are for hate.
You should go to a corner & think about what you wrote.

[Horse with no Name]

41. You forgot Bill Dillard

of Dillards Department Store fame. He is from Little Rock.

[SPKrazy]

12. Please, One School Does Not The South Make

And I'm sure we can find some examples of asinine school situations in the "north"

put away the broad brush please

[donco6]

17. You need to read the article, but it's not only AR.

We struggle with this here in Colorado, but not to this extent. And this is not an article about one school, but about several institutes that help with science education in multiple school districts in AR.

Bottom line: This problem is getting WORSE, not BETTER, anywhere I've ever been.

[eppur_se_muova]

6. A very well-written, thoughtful, and thoroughly depressing article.

I won't be doing any business with anybody in Arkansas, ever. I guess that's easy enough to do, since I avoid Wal-Mart like the Plague.

A real shame, because I had just submitted a job application to an Arkansas university -- one of two I see advertising in my field. If they can't tolerate hearing "Nothing in biology makes sense except in light of evolution" several times a day, they won't want me working there.

[Chomskyite]

36. All or nothing thinking

Good luck finding some food that isn't transported some place by JB Hunt.

[Craig3410]

9. Wee, time to bash Arkansas some more!

We gave you Bill Clinton, you ungrateful pricks!

:P

Seriously, quit with the bashing; how would you like it if I said your state was full of inbred hicks.

Face it, there's absurd RW FReepers everywhere; don't blame us smart ones.

[Swamp Rat]

10. Future ditch diggers, McDonald's and Wal-Mart employees of Amerika.

If and when I am able to adopt children from Brasil, they will have much less competition for high-paying jobs in the future. They will be bi-lingual from the very beginning, and will be given a thorough liberal arts education. :)

[knitter4democracy]

20. One of my step-brothers is a ditch digger.

It's a good life--he's his own boss, he's got good equipment, he makes his own hours, and he makes good pay for his family. I'm just sayin' . . . ;)

[Swamp Rat]

24. Good point

For every generalisation there is a true example of the opposite. ;)

[TygrBright]

37. Hey, he's not in New Mexico, is he...?

....cause I need a good ditch digger. Once I save up the cash to pay one, that is. They don't come cheap, y'know.

enquiringly,
Bright

[knitter4democracy]

44. Nope. Michigan.

Sorry. I don't think he'd move his equipment down there, either. It's really heavy, and he often runs into weight restrictions.

It is expensive. It's hard work, the equipment is really pricey, and it takes a good bit of knowledge to know where to lay the drain tile. He's good at it, but I don't know if he knows anyone down there.

[TygrBright]

45. Dang... oh, well.

I wouldn't expect him to, and I think that local conditions require some familiarity with and/or experience with them in order to do a good job.

It IS a skilled job, and given how high the stakes are here, I wouldn't want it done by anyone but a pro. I'll keep looking around locally...

disappointedly,
Bright

[SPKrazy]

11. This Is One Unidentified School

while that is one school too many, and I'd like to know where that is to raise some hell about it, all the schools I know of in Arkansas aren't under any such restrictions.

Got to be an administrator who is a fundie, or under the impression that complaining parents to the school board will register.

One problem with school boards is that they are elected officials.

In a small area (rural) this can often mean you get people with High School or less education sitting on a school board. (This happened locally in a small school district that unsuccessfully tried to ban Harry Potter from the school library)

[opihimoimoi]

14. I just love it...The Incredible Fanatical Right...they are so out of it

and don't even know it...such is Mega Ignorance....

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

15. Jimmy Carter's words on the subject when the same thing happened in GA:

Carter slams Georgia's 'evolution' proposal

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) --Former President Jimmy Carter said Friday he was embarrassed by the Georgia Department of Education proposal to eliminate the word "evolution" from the state's curriculum.

"As a Christian, a trained engineer and scientist, and a professor at Emory University, I am embarrassed by Superintendent Kathy Cox's attempt to censor and distort the education of Georgia's students," Carter said in a written statement.

...

But Carter said dropping the word would leave Georgia's high school graduates "with a serious handicap as they enter college or private life where freedom of speech will be permitted."

...

"There is no need to teach that stars can fall out of the sky and land on a flat Earth in order to defend our religious faith."



Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/01/30/georgia.evolution/index.html

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

16. The political planners in China must laugh long, and hard, every time they

read an article about something like this in the U.S.

They probably subtract another 5 or ten years off the time required for them to surpass us as leading world power with each article.

[E-Z-B]

18. Sometimes I wonder if we're not living in a Bizzaro World today

[tandot]

21. I apologize to my fellow DUers in Arkansas, but can you please

move to a more advanced State so we can put a huge wall around those un-intelligently designed States?

I moved from OK to CA in 2004. We have a few ignorant idiots here in N CA, too. But nothing close to what I've seen in OK.

[tuvor]

22. They are not men.

[DUHandle]

26. I don't think you can say

Devo, either.

[AbbyR]

23. I know that's not true in our school district

I live in Arkansas and just called the curriculum supervisor, who is a friend of mine. Not true.

edited for typo

[hunter]

27. Then they are not teaching Biology.

Maybe next they can forbid teaching multipication and division in math classes.

Then they can forbid reading altogether.

If students can't read, they may not realize how full of shit their political, religious, and business leaders are.

Watch television and be good little worker drone consumers. Big brother is taking care of you.

[young_at_heart]

29. Bush has really made MAJOR changes in our society

His "faith-based" crap is catching on all over the place, but especially in fundamentalist areas where science is ignored.

[Speck Tater]

30. Welcome to the Dark Ages, part two.

Whenever religion gets the upper hand over reason civilization goes into decline. It's happened before, and it looks like it happening again. Time to stash away those important books in safe places before the hoards of book burners gets to them and they are lost to future generations. In a few hundred years, when freedom again emerges and they stop burning heretics at the stake; when the next age of englightenment arrives, and the Baptist Inquisition is pushed back, scholars of the future will discover your cache of books and be very grateful to you.

[NoPasaran]

31. I don't mean to South-bash

But I have always believed that if the Confederate States had managed to win their independence, they would not be a nuclear power today.

[melissinha]

32. That's IT!

The war on reason and science is ridiculous, I've had it with making everything that is inconvenient to the GOP is relegated to tabboo....

I've HAD it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :nuke:

[xiamiam]

33. i thought you meant E for elect...nt

[Strong Atheist]

34. The theocracy is coming... nt.

[progressoid]

35. And our country takes another two steps backward.

[Warren DeMontague]

38. Gimme a D! Gimme a U! Gimme an H! Gimme another H! Gimme another H!!

What's that spell?

...C'mon, what's that spell?

No, really... you mean you don't know what that spells?

[undeterred]

39. eschatology is the new e-word

they'll be teaching this very technical stuff instead
:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Lisa]

40. gee, it's going to be hard teaching the "American R-thing" in US history!

I mean, I wouldn't want to confuse the kids by going on about the "R-*-ary War" fought against the British back in 1776!

[TheBaldyMan]

42. I predict the scientific theory are the fundies going to object to next ..

General Relativity, according to scripture the heavens are eternal and immutable, reletivity states that space-time is variable. Your GPS wouldn't work if you didn't take relativity into account but that has never stopped these bigots before.

[NMMNG]

43. Teacher forbidden from discussing facts in school

Thanks to the ever increasing power of religious bullying backed by the American Government. :eyes: