on Jun 30th, 2008The bloggers are watching Louisiana . . .
Gov. Jindal’s signing of SB 733 has attracted quite a bit of attention in the blogosphere. Here are excerpts from several nationally known blogs.
- Daily Kos, June 29, 2008: “They Can Never Take Away Our FREEDOM!!!”
The Louisiana legislature should be more wary than most of the Dover trap: It was there, way back in 1987, that the Supreme Court decided an earlier version of creationism was indeed a sham. But that didn’t keep Governor Bobby Jindal from signing SB 733, the mis-named Louisiana Science Education Act, last week. While the bill purports to encourage critical thinking and open discussion of various scientific topics, it perpetuates the same sham by singling out evolution (along with global warming and cloning) as topics deserving special criticism.This, in and of itself, undermines the claim to secular purpose. Evolution is no more scientifically controversial than gravity, and Governor Jindal surely knows that — he graduated from Brown University with honors in biology. . . . [Read more.]
- Bad Astronomy, June 27, 2008, “Louisiana, Well that’s it then.”
. . . many other states are at risk (Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan, and on and on). Never flag, never tire, and never assume you’re safe. Keep fighting, people. Because I guarantee this victory for the bad guys in Louisiana will embolden them. Keep fighting. [Read more.]
- Pharyngula, June 27, 2008, “The Bill from Bogalusa”
One bizarre item in that story is that the reporter contacted the Discovery Institute, who quickly disavowed any association with the bill, saying that they did not “directly” support it and that they certainly wouldn’t support any attempt to insert religion into the schools. Like everything that comes out of the DI, they are lying reflexively. Barbara Forrest has an excellent overview of the context and history of the bill — the bill has the DI’s frantic, fervid paws all over it. [Read more.]
- Huffington Post, June 27, 2008, “Joining GOP’s Bold March Backwards, Bobby Jindal and Louisiana Democrats Pass ‘Stealth Creationism’ Education Bill”
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has just given a green light for a new, national “Stealth Creationism” initiative by signing into Louisiana state law a “stealth” Creationism bill, SB 733. [Read more.]