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Back science in Florida

Category: Creationism
Posted on: February 3, 2008 4:00 PM, by PZ Myers

Do the intelligent citizens of Florida a favor and sign the petition urging better standards for education. More pressure!

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Comments

Posted by: James | February 3, 2008 4:30 PM

PZ,

I'm spreading the word - I signed and some of my friends did too. We're pushing 600!

Would you believe I'm fighting with a closet creationist on the bulletin board where I made my appeal? Same tired arguments, but he's fiesty. I'm doing my best to advocate for our side, I hope I can live up to your standards.

Posted by: inkadu | February 3, 2008 4:43 PM

I'm doing my best to advocate for our side, I hope I can live up to your standards.

Stating the obvious is a "standard"? Heh.

Send us a link! I'm sure some of us would like to listen / chime in.

Posted by: Ric | February 3, 2008 4:45 PM

What if you don't live in Florida?

Posted by: Ozymandias | February 3, 2008 5:11 PM

You don't have to live in Florida. You have to specify which state you come from, but can sign even if it's not Florida.

Posted by: Ric | February 3, 2008 5:43 PM

Okay, I signed.

Posted by: Karen | February 3, 2008 5:57 PM

Thanks for the linkage, PZ!

Posted by: Cephus | February 3, 2008 6:32 PM

I signed as well. Can't we come up with one of these for Texas? They need as much help, perhaps more.

Posted by: charlie | February 3, 2008 6:57 PM

No, I don't think so, you see I really like the idea of a train wreck in Florida. On the ole' Supreme Court Express no less. If you take a longer view you will see what I mean.

Posted by: DeafScribe | February 3, 2008 7:01 PM

I live in Florida, I grew up with Florida public education, and I signed.

Overall, public ed in FL has been dismal for decades. I learned a great deal more by reading on my own than I ever did in school, and I shudder to think where I'd be now had I not ever been bitten by the reading bug.

We can't know now whether battling forces opposed to comprehensive science education will be a long uphill climb or if we'll reach a tipping point sooner than expected.

Either way, we have to keep pushing, keep persuading, keep speaking out when the topic comes up in casual conversation.

#10

Posted by: James | February 3, 2008 7:26 PM

inkadu wrote:

I'm doing my best to advocate for our side, I hope I can live up to your standards.
Stating the obvious is a "standard"? Heh.
Send us a link! I'm sure some of us would like to listen / chime in.

Thanks! I put the ball back in his court, we'll see if he's rational or real IDiot. One my friends, a physician (an orthopedic surgeon, I think) has very eloquently and powerfully joined my side. Once the smoke clears I'll link it. I need the sparring practice.

#11

Posted by: Jonathan Smith | February 3, 2008 8:23 PM

Thank you for all those that have signed,we plan to present the petition to the Florida Board of Education before they
meet on the 19th of February.
We are over 700 now,lets keep it going.
Jonathan Smith:Florida Citizens for Science.

#12

Posted by: James | February 3, 2008 9:18 PM

Jonathan,

Keep fighting the good fight - the petition messages have been inspiring, too! I am going to hit one more web community, which has lots of Floridians!

#13

Posted by: Anonymous Coward | February 3, 2008 10:18 PM

What if you don't live in the US?

#14

Posted by: BobC | February 3, 2008 11:32 PM

I live in Florida and I signed the petition yesterday.

Look at what a Highlands County School Board member said recently. How do these hicks get on school boards?

"I wasn't at the meeting when all this occurred so I'm not privy to all the discussion," Wally Randall said Friday. "The controversy as I understand it was teaching evolution as a fact rather than as a theory."

Have they found the missing link? he asked. Is that why they are jumping from a theory to a fact?

"Once they find that missing link it will be OK with me if they teach it as a fact," Randall said. "But, as long as they still have missing links then it's still a theory.

http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2008/feb/03/school-board-consider-evolution-resolution/#comments

#15

Posted by: James | February 4, 2008 3:11 AM

"Evolution is a theory, not a fact!"

I swear, this creationist canard will never get old. Way to feed off the public's ignorance, IDiots. *sigh*