Kansas DOESN'T Dump Darwin

[Gregory Zolnerowich]

    And here in Kansas, a publisher already is deleting portions of a
textbook dealing with evolution, the geologic age of the earth, and the
inland sea that used to cover Kansas, a software company is no longer
considering moving to Kansas, and letters from high school students appear
in the newspaper saying that evolution is just a theory.

   What that ruling actually did was open up individual school districts to
a piecemeal attack by creationists.  We may not see the sad effect
tomorrow, or next year, but we will see it.

   Greg Z.





>    As a Kansas evolutionary biologist, I think this story has been a little
>overblown.  Stereotyping an entire state with phrases like "Kansas dumps
>Darwin" seems to me both inaccurate and counterproductive.
>     In a way, I think that after things have quieted down and the Kansas
>jokes die back down, that this episode (although embarrassing to Kansans)
>will have long-term benefits for the teaching of evolutionary theory (just
>as the Scopes Trial did).
>     There will be some quarrelling in some school districts, especially in
>more conservative parts of the state, but even if some biology teachers back
>off from evolution somewhat in their teaching, I don't think that is going
>to intellectually cripple their students in any major way in a world of open
>communication.  Even if this is not reversed right away, big deal.  The
>state tests wouldn't have questions on the "Big Bang" or macroevolution for
>a few years.  There are far more important issues in our children's lives
>and educations that are far more important that this.   Not that we
>shouldn't be concerned, but this has been blown all out of proportion,
>especially by those outside of our state (in my opinion).  In fact, it
>wouldn't surprise me if this actually causes an increase in attention to
>teaching evolution in many Kansas schools.
>                    --------Ken Kinman
>
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________________________
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Dr. Gregory Zolnerowich              gzolnero at oz.oznet.ksu.edu
Dept. of Entomology                    phone 785-532-3799
Waters Hall
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506
USA
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