Kansas Dumps Darwin (for sure), raises alarm...

[Hugh Wilson]

Looks like I am going to have to start sticking smiley faces in my
email.  I did not mean to imply that the opposition *in Kansas* is
feeble and I have no doubt that Texas is vulnerable.  I think that
the opposition *in general* is weak compared to the anti-evolution
effort underway in the U.S.

Most U.S. academics refuse to engage the fundamentalists in open
debate.  We also tend to by-pass or ignore the creationist arguments
when presenting evolution to our students.  The Kansas episode and
associated public opinion polls indicate - to me at least - that the
creationists are advancing their agenda where it counts - in the
public mind.  The scientific community does not appear to be offering
much resistance.  While some leadership is evident, such as the NAS
effort at:

http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/evolution98/

professional societies could do more.  But, as individuals, we must
come to grips with the fact that there is a war on, in the U.S. at
least, and those on the side of Science are losing.

> The opposition was not feeble...

Hugh D. Wilson
Texas A&M University - Biology
h-wilson at tamu.edu (409-845-3354)
http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/Wilson/homepage.html