Not elder law: regular blog reader questions turtle link to Kansas School Board science standards

A regular reader of Elder Law Prof Blog has very politely requested (via email) that I do not use this blog “as a a stage to make disparaging remarks directed to those persons who don’t share your world view” .  The writer objected to my link from the story on Harriet the turtle (who was actually handled by Charles Darwin) to the Kansas School Board’s recent mandate that science teachers in Kansas must include the theory of “intelligent design” in its high school science curriculum.  Mindful as I am that this blog is supposed to be about elder law, I’d like to post my response to this reader:

Thank you for your comments.  I know better than to argue religion withanyone.  It is my blog, however, and I have used it from the very firstday as a vehicle to express my world view on everything from poverty togreed to the cost of the war in Iraq.  At any rate, as you may or may not know, Ihave lived most of my life in Kansas, and I care very much about whatits children (including my son, who is in high school there) must learnin school.  As I am sure you know, the Kansas School Board is led by afundamentalist Christian who has no experience either as an educator ora scientist.  “Intelligent design” is a belief system with as muchlegitimacy as any other belief system grounded in “faith”. It is not ascience.  The imposition on science teachers of educational standardsthat are based on a particular religious viewpoint will likely costKansas some of its best educators; in addition, newly graduatingteachers are indicating their intention to leave the state rather thanteach as a legitimate “science” an idea that is creationism masked in adifferent name.  I have no problem with teaching “intelligent design”(or the creation myths of deism, theism, Hinduism, the ancient Greeks,or Scott Adams) in a religion or philiosophy class.  I do object torequiring science teachers to do so in science classes.

I believe the efforts of those who consider themselves to be religiouspersons are better directed towards ending hunger and poverty, assuringadequate health care for all, and preventing discrimination againstpersons who are different in some way from themselves.  This is whatJesus imagined for his followers and taught that they should do; Irather doubt he cared at all about the content of high school scienceclasses.  Imagine what could be accomplished if the energy that hasbeen spent on getting intelligent design theory into the classroom hadbeen instead directed towards assuring that impoverished children havean adequate breakfast.

And with that, I’ll go back to blogging on pension crises around the world, the coming national implosion in health care financing, and the scary rise in elder abuse and exploitation being reported from as far away as Japan, China, and India.