Mike Fair is at it again. "Academic Freedom" bill introduced in SC Senate.

I guess It shouldn't surprise me with all the rash of these "Academic Freedom" bills being pushed across the country that we here in SC would see it soon. It also shouldn't surprise anyone that Mike Fair is behind it.

A BILL

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 59-29-240 SO AS TO ALLOW TEACHERS TO HELP STUDENTS UNDERSTAND, ANALYZE, CRITIQUE, AND REVIEW THE SCIENTIFIC STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THEORIES OF BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL EVOLUTION IN AN OBJECTIVE MANNER.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. The General Assembly finds:

(A) An important purpose of science education is to inform students about scientific evidence and to help students develop critical thinking skills they need in order to become intelligent, productive, and scientifically informed citizens.

(B) The teaching of biological and chemical evolution can cause controversy, and some teachers may be uncertain of administrative expectations concerning the presentation of material on these scientific topics.

(C) It is important to create an environment within public elementary and secondary schools that encourages students to explore scientific questions, learn about scientific evidence, develop critical thinking skills, and respond appropriately and respectfully to differences of opinion about controversial issues.

(D) Public school educators must be supported in finding effective ways to present controversial science curriculum and must be permitted to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review the scientific strengths and weaknesses of theories of biological and chemical evolution in an objective manner.

SECTION 2. Article 1, Chapter 29, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 59-29-240. The State Board of Education, superintendents of public school districts, and public school administrators may not prohibit a teacher in a public school of this State from helping his students understand, analyze, critique, and review the scientific strengths and weaknesses of biological and chemical evolution in an objective manner. This act does not condone the promotion of religious or nonreligious doctrine, the promotion of discrimination for or against a particular set of religious beliefs or nonreligious beliefs, or the promotion of discrimination for or against religion or nonreligion. By no later than September 1, 2008, the State Department of Education shall notify district superintendents of the provisions of this act, and each superintendent shall then disseminate to all employees within his district a copy of the provisions of this act."

SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

This is the same language used in other states where the Creationists are trying to push their religious agenda into the science curriculum of the school system. I'm not going to dwell on this but I do have a few points.

First: This is stupid

SO AS TO ALLOW TEACHERS TO HELP STUDENTS UNDERSTAND, ANALYZE, CRITIQUE, AND REVIEW THE SCIENTIFIC STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THEORIES OF BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL EVOLUTION IN AN OBJECTIVE MANNER.

Science already does this, all the time, every day, with every scientific theory. That is how science works. It is about testing, experimentation and results. The ToE has been through the ringer for nearly 150 years and it has stood up to the tests. Why is evolution singled out here? Why not the Theory of Gravity? Germ Theory? It's singled out because it's not about "Academic Freedom", it's about religion.

Second: High school biology classes are not where science is tested. Yes, it is where students learn about experiments and do tests but it is not the place where new science is sussed out. That is the realm of researchers who are vastly more experienced and schooled in the relevant subject matter. High School is where the best science of the day is disseminated as education. I'm sure there are exceptions to this where some bright student has come across something new in science, but that is not what high school education is about. The goal is to begin to give students a base that they can build on so that when they get to a University they are prepared for classes of higher learning. You don't see historical revisionists getting their play in High School history classes? "Next lesson class is on why there never was a Holocaust." It's not about Academic freedom. It's about teaching the science that is being used by actual scientists to the students. the ToE is the prevailing explanation for biodiversity in the scientific world and that is why it is taught to students.

Third: Renaming their goal to replace good evidence based science with mystical ID Creationism does not change their goal. We know that this is the goal. It has not changed. It will not change.

Fourth: Science is not a democracy. You don't go with the answer that the majority likes just because they vote on it. The theories that are accepted by the majority in science are accepted because of the science, not because of popularity. When ID Creationism can come up with the evidence, research and results that contradict the ToE then they will be taken seriously. TO date this has not happened.

Hopefully this bill will die like many of the others have.
God Damn it I'm riled up.

hat tip to Rodney. He's always on top of this stuff.