In case you missed it, Dover, Pennsylvania has become one of the hotbeds of controversy involving the teaching of intelligent design in our schools.
“Dover’s school board adopted a policy in October 2004 that requires ninth-graders to hear a prepared statement about intelligent design before learning about evolution in biology class.“
After Dover adopted this policy, eight families with children in the system sued on the grounds that the policy violated the concept of seperation of church and state. A ruling is expected by late January in the case.
In the meantime, eight of the nine board members who pushed intelligent design on the district were up for reelection yesterday. All eight are proud Republicans; all eight were ousted and replaced with Democrats.
Nothing will change in the district until the upcoming ruling on the court case, but the people of Dover have spoken, and loudly.
Another ruckus is underway in Kansas, where intelligent design is rearing its ugly head:
“A similar controversy has erupted in Kansas, where the state Board of Education on Tuesday approved science standards for public schools that cast doubt on the theory of evolution. The 6-4 vote was a victory for intelligent design advocates who helped draft the standards.“
Republicans this morning are having to face the fact that bullying the public with extremism just won’t work any more. The Kansas School Board had better take note. The American electorate is mad as hell and yesterday’s elections have put Republicans everywhere on notice: no more bullshit.