Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle...

February 5, 2004 1:14 PM

"Evolution" Allowed to Remain in Georgia. "I made the decision to remove the word evolution from the draft of the proposed biology curriculum in an effort to avoid controversy that would prevent people from reading the substance of the document itself," [Georgia State Schools Superintendent Kathy] Cox said in a statement. "Instead, a greater controversy ensued."

A follow-up to this January 30 post.
posted by grabbingsand (17 comments total)

Gee, a controversy over one state deciding to avoid upsetting some parents who don't agree with the curriculum? Hard to have seen that one coming, eh, Kathy?
/sarcasm
posted by fenriq at 1:30 PM on February 5, 2004

On the positive side, this story gets the message out that she never agreed that removing evolution was a good idea, but was done due to public pressure.

Still, overall it's incredibly dumb that we even have these arguments in this day and age.
posted by mathowie at 1:38 PM on February 5, 2004

Fortunately, the debate has allowed me to explain the concept to my two children here in Atlanta. Now they want to know why public officials in this state have never evolved.

My favorite solution to those who don't believe in evolution? Insist that when they come in to the doctor for antibiotics, you give them medicine from the 1940s.

"Hey, viruses and bacterium don't evolve, right? So the same stuff we used 50 years ago ought to work just fine, right?"

... If only I ruled the world.
posted by darren at 1:38 PM on February 5, 2004

"Hey, viruses and bacterium don't evolve, right? So the same stuff we used 50 years ago ought to work just fine, right?"

Indeed. Don't forget about the biology of cancer cells....and even our own nonhumoral immune system works on the basis of natural selection and evolution.

Would that our creationist friends could kneel. Would that they could experience for themselves the sparkling beauty, mystery, and deep spirituality of nature as she really lays before us.
posted by fold_and_mutilate at 1:51 PM on February 5, 2004

Not that I'm a creationist, but I believe that some/many/most creationists believe in micro-evolution: which is that species do change over time, but that it's not enough, say, to create the jump to a new species. So, although bacteria have changed, "something else" can't "turn itself" into a dog.
posted by RustyBrooks at 2:19 PM on February 5, 2004

funny, i hadn't noted any evolution in gawgya for quite some time.

{ta-da-boom}
posted by quonsar at 2:30 PM on February 5, 2004

RustyBrooks: Of course, their definition of what is a species could do with some work, as they like to define a different species as being anytihng they can reasonably say didn't evolve from another. One of those calvinball discussions that goes nowhere. The easiest way to end a conversation with a creationist is just to say 'dinosaur'.
posted by Space Coyote at 2:33 PM on February 5, 2004

what year is it again?
posted by mcsweetie at 2:45 PM on February 5, 2004

Apparently it's only been a few thousand years since the carving of the Grand Canyon.
posted by homunculus at 3:44 PM on February 5, 2004

I'm glad her opinion on the subject evolved changed over time.
posted by trondant at 4:13 PM on February 5, 2004

what year is it again?

In New York, 2004. In Georgia, about 1954.
posted by alex_reno at 11:27 PM on February 5, 2004

Not that I'm a creationist, but I believe that some/many/most creationists believe in micro-evolution: which is that species do change over time, but that it's not enough, say, to create the jump to a new species. So, although bacteria have changed, "something else" can't "turn itself" into a dog.

- I find that rather amusing as well, after fighting tooth and nail to discredit this heresy, suddenly they hold up their hands and say well your kinda right. The arrogance of mankind, to think that homo sapiens and our shitty little planet is something remarkable and unique, the centre of the universe indeed.
posted by johnnyboy at 1:38 AM on February 6, 2004

"Facts, shmacts. Facts can be used to prove anything that's even remotely true."
posted by Yelling At Nothing at 2:51 AM on February 6, 2004

Does this mean that we in Georgia can stop hanging our heads in shame?
No.
posted by jpburns at 5:25 AM on February 6, 2004

Having lived in Atlanta (Georgia) for the past 15 years, I can't wait to leave *forever* next year.

Idiots *everywhere*.
posted by pooldemon at 8:23 AM on February 6, 2004

I've been in georgia for 22 years, and I have the SAT score to prove it. please take me with you!
posted by mcsweetie at 9:06 AM on February 6, 2004

On the positive side, this story gets the message out that she never agreed that removing evolution was a good idea, but was done due to public pressure.

Cox actually said that evolution is "a buzzword that causes a lot of negative reaction. People often associate it with that monkeys-to-man sort of thing."

(Saw her say it, found it in writing here.)
posted by callmejay at 9:46 AM on February 6, 2004