Rick Santorum on Creationism Laws

This just in:

Baton Rouge, LA -- (March 27, 2012) -- At Senator Santorum's March 23rd rally in Pineville Louisiana, student activist, Zack Kopplin, had the chance to question the Senator about creationism laws. Kopplin, who has led the effort to repeal Louisiana's creationism law, the misnamed and misguided Louisiana Science Education Act, asked Santorum about the Louisiana Science Education Act and Santorum's proposed amendment to the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act, which served as a model for Louisiana's law.

Kopplin asked, "In Louisiana we have a creationism law that's based off a 2002 creationism amendment you proposed to the No Child Left Behind Act... Can you spend about two seconds explaining why you think this is a good idea?"

Stantorum responded, "states have a right to do what they want with education curriculum."

First, Santorum didn't take issue with the nature of Louisiana's law or his amendment as being "creationist" laws.

Second, Santorum's attempt to justify teaching creationism as a state's right is wrong. There is no justification for teaching unconstitutional non-science in public school science classes. Students will not get the education they need to succeed and get the science and technology jobs of the 21st century. Ironically, Santorum's own legislation would have been a federal mandate. So while it's clearly convenient for him to cite state's rights in favor of Louisiana's creationism law, the fact that his own amendment would have been a federal mandate undercuts that argument and shows his real priority is the teaching of creationism.

When interviewed about the rally, Kopplin said,

"This defense of teaching creationism seems to be the Republican base's party line. When Michele Bachmann was asked about the Louisiana Science Education Act last spring, and her own 2006 effort to pass a creationism law in Minnesota, she gave an equally ill-informed answer about state's rights. Governor Perry, last fall, said that creationism was taught in Texas schools.

Governor Romney appears likely to win the Republican Primary and it is important to know what his views on creationism are. Will he stick to what he said in 2008 and defend the teaching of evolution, or will he shake up the etch-a-sketch and toe the line to the Republican base?"

To contact Zack Kopplin, email repealcreationism@gmail.com.

Thank you to Jason Berry and NOSHA for their help making this video possible.

More here at Repeal Creaionism Dot Com.