A repugican state legislator in Missouri, which is still vying for
the title of “new Alabama” along with Arizona and Tennessee, wants to
force college kids in the state to learn about “the destiny” of the
universe, galaxies and the human race. Rick Brattin – who calls himself
“a huge science buff” — also wants to force the redefinition, in law,
of the phrase “scientific theory.”
Why stop there? Why not just redefine the word “lie” to mean “truth”
and cut out the middle man? After all, that is what all of this is
about. Creationism doesn’t pass the smell test of science so the
Republican party will either destroy science, deny science,
or simply redefine science by legislative fiat. Once again we see the
brute force brutality of the Republican party, willing to legislation
anything and everything so long as it advances their hateful, backward,
neanderthal agenda.
From the same state and political party that brought you “legitimate rape,” we now have the legitimate rape of science, Missouri repugican style:
HB 291, the “Missouri Standard Science Act,” redefines a few things
you thought you already knew about science. For example, a “hypothesis”
is redefined as something that reflects a “minority of scientific
opinion and is “philosophically unpopular.” A scientific theory is “an
inferred explanation…whose components are data, logic and faith-based
philosophy.” And “destiny” is not something that $5 fortune tellers
believe in; Instead, it’s “the events and processes that define the
future of the universe, galaxies, stars, our solar system, earth, plant
life, animal life, and the human race.”The bill requires that Missouri
elementary and secondary schools—and even introductory science classes
in public universities—give equal textbook space to both evolution and
intelligent design (any other “theories of origin” are allowed to be
taught as well, so pick your favorite creation myth—I’m partial to the
Russian raven spirit.) “I can’t imagine any mainstream textbook
publisher would comply with this,” Meikle says. “The material doesn’t
exist.”
I guess it’s time to stop sending your kids to state colleges in
Missouri. If the repugican cabal thinks college is meant to be their
own personal Soviet-style indoctrination camp, then kids can spend their
money in states that have already joined the 21st century.
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