My single pet peeve

I am normally very centrist or neutral over many issues. But at my very core I am an educator, and my heart literally breaks at the sight of ignorance being actively spread by ignorant people. Also at my very core, I love this great country. Christ himself said that more is expected from those who receive more blessings. Because I believe this country to be especially blessed, I expect more from her citizens. I expect the citizens of this country to be less ignorant and more educated.

So imagine my distress to witness campaigns actively teaching Americans to reject mainstream scientific principles, like biological evolution. The perpetrators are influencing school boards, publishing and selling textbooks, and building million-dollar museums -- all to hawk their own version of "science". Ironically, these very same people are probably benefiting from genetic science -- it's only the cornerstone of evolution, hello! The achievements of genetics have armed us with abilities we now take for granted, such as creating vaccines to fight disease and gene therapy for cancer and other illnesses. These same people would also probably trust DNA testing that confirms the guilt or innocence of a convict, the identity of a corpse, or the paternity of a child. And then they turn around and reject DNA tests that routinely give proof of the evolution of species. But that's the point: they are ignorant.And yet they are crafty enough to use our greatest vulnerability: our religiosity. As a Christian, I am especially offended by this. They make us believe that their campaign is a religious one, but it is NOT. They try to portray science as a "threat" to our religion, but a great majority of scientists are members of mainstream religions, and many great religious writers are also prominent scientists. I myself recite the Nicene Creed every Sunday, from memory, from the heart. No, this is a POLITICAL agenda, and they are the threat. It's about ignorant people who are USING our religious sentiments to actively force their own narrow views and opinions upon others. And, because of the poor state of science education in our public schools, many Americans are easily duped into embracing quackery -- especially our children! (How in God's name can any decent parent allow this death sentence upon their future?!)

So what do we do? As an educator, I know what I must do, and my work will probably never be done. College students, as students of higher education, I say have a moral responsibility to champion the achievements of centuries of learning and discovery, achievements that are now helping them to improve the quality of their life and the lives of others. As parents, I say we are bound to provide our children the kind of education that will help them succeed in the real world. As Americans, I say we have a civic duty to SPEAK OUT against anything that threatens our pursuit of happiness, and that includes ignorance.

Want to learn more?
Read "The Making of the Fittest" by Sean Carroll: http://www.amazon.com/Making-Fittest-Ultimate-Forensic-Evolution/dp/0393061639
Read American Physical Society News articles: http://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200604/backpage.cfm
http://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200707/creationmuseum.cfm
http://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200707/study.cfm