In the races for the two open seats on the Texas board of education, the merely conservative wackjobs beat the freakishily flaming conservative wackjobs, staving off a creationist working majority. This is progress. I probably shouldn’t call it a victory, though — it just means the fight for rationality will be slightly less difficult.
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!
Texas: our Anbar province of reason.
Everybody!!!!
The stars at night, are big and bright…
Oh, and looking at the returns, Pat Hardy won in Ellis, Parker, and Tarrant counties, but lost in Johnson. Guess which one of those four counties gave Huckabee a majority.
Don’t you think it’s sad to be forced to be happy for THIS?
I wan’t to cryyyyyy!!!!!!!
Excellent news!
Now if we can keep the state legislators’ fingers off our newly adopted science standards here in FL there may be a chance for reason to take hold.
Well, one can dream…
Deep Shitehole County, Planet Texas?
That article is really poorly written.
I heeded the call – I gave up my chance to help decide between Clinton and Obama, and voted in the GOP Primary for incumbent Patricia “Pat” Hardy to thwart Barney Maddox. Somebody owes me a beer at least. I’m thinking maybe a dinner with PZ, the Trophy Wife, and Skatje as well. With calamari.
Maddox had articles published by the Institute for Creation Research (which is now based in Dallas, TX, at the corner of Royal Lane and Luna Road – just remember that they’re Royal Lunatics) and by the double-wide Creation Evidence(s) Museum near Glen Rose, Texas, run by self-proclaimed “Dr.” Carl Baugh of Paluxy “mantrack” infamy.
Read the tripe of Maddox to see the disaster we narrowly averted:
http://www.icr.org/article/3466/
http://www.ricter.com/wordline/AR_Gst_Lect.htm
We still need to get rid of the 7 others like Maddox who do have seats on the 15-member Texas State Board of Education.
Scientia et Fermentum
Dr. Barney Maddox holds a B.S. in biology from Texas Christian University
’nuff said.
*wipes sweat off brow*
well, at least THAT zombie didn’t make it through the fence.
the problem, of course, is that there are thousands of others, even in Texas, who are far more qualified for the position than this zombie was.
They don’t want to run.
Hey PZ, have you seen this?
McCain’s a lot more wacky than he’s made out, though.
He thinks mercury vaccines cause autism, along with all of the more traditional Republican repudiations of science.
some idiot in florida has brought a bill that will allow teachers to circumvent the new science standards.
here’s the full story:
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_education_edblog/2008/03/will-we-be-hear.html
In Texas, the win margins are thrifty.
The race is between IQs of seventy and fifty.
One side declares, schools should have prayers.
The other agrees, but answers our pleas:
No teaching of biblical pairs.
Um, sorry about the McCain bit there, wrong thread.
Ichthic said:
“The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity” – W.B Yeats
Some things just don’t change I guess.
Wow–ICR HQ is at Luna and Royal? That’s maybe five minutes from where I work in Irving. I should go jeer at them on a lunch break sometime.
Urologist/Creationist? WTF is it with these MDs who are creationists? Do they still possess a license to practice? How can you not believe in evolution and still practice medicine? “Hell no, you don’t need a flu shot, you had the flu 5 years ago…”
Hooboy. Good point, there, and I’ll see your Yeats and raise you a Plato: “The penalty that good men pay for not being interested in politics is to be governed by men worse than themselves.”
Don’t forget the judge in the Dover case was a conservative Republican and a theist; luckily he respected the Constitution and did his duty.
Crosspost from Greg Laden’s Blog:
A creationist urologist?
I guess he thinks that the prostate gland is an example of God’s perfect design.
After all, it encircles the urethra so that any enlargement shuts off the urinary stream. It almost universally starts enlarging early in middle age. It turns cancerous at an astonishing rate.
God must be a urologist.
JJR said:
SOB! But he threw Jeebus out of our schools (oops – the intelligent designer, the intelligent designer, someday we’ll figure out a way not to give the game away)
Kseniya said:
Its rather down the intellectual scale a little from Plato, however I rather like the below Terry Pratchett from “Guards! Guards!”:
Oh thank gawd.
Wait. That didn’t come out right. I mean, HOORAY.
Most of the people who are qualified would be justifiably wary of running for election in Texas in the current political climate. You have ZERO chances of winning if you’re not willing to hop on the pulpit and beat your chest about what a great Christian you are, anytime, anyplace. The louder the better. If you’re the least grudging about admitting faith, you’re finished before you get started. And that’s even before taking into account the threats you will most likely receive from some of the flock of religious “lambs.”
The threats? Eh, part of living in Texas as a liberal; they’re usually not serious. But my problem is that I won’t lie enough to pretend to be a Christian just to get votes. I just can’t do it. Which means I’d be a shitty politician, anyway. At least in Texas. If you can’t lie and lie BIG and BOLDLY and without remorse, even stupidly, you’re not cut out for Texas politics.
Monday night, we who really do live deep in the heart of Texas had a clear, cool night without the moon visible. My son and I drove out past Utopia (misnamed town–but the area around it…!) for some stargazing. As a joke, the kid and I burst into that stanza of “Deep in the Heart of Texas” at the sight of how big and bright and numerous the stars looked out there. Just a beautiful night for looking at the sky, and well worth the 200+ mile round trip. So the song isn’t a total lie. For now.
“The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity” – W.B Yeats
that’s the perfect quote for the topic.
I often wonder if this very phenomenon dooms representative republics to inevitable mediocrity, at best.
When I was young, I used to try and hash this out with several of my profs. The only answers we ever came up with that made sense revolved around generating more interest in government to begin with. Like instead of providing monetary incentives for joining the military, why not provide incentives for participating in civil government (IOW, spend two years in civil service, get money for college, etc)?
*shrug*
representative
republicsdemocraciesnot enough coffee.
I guess he thinks that the prostate gland is an example of God’s perfect design.
Spend some time massaging it. God will appear.
(advice my straight girlfriends–and their boyfriends–have always seemed grateful for)
Not only that, the state Constitution effectively bars atheists from holding office:
Emphasis mine.
Article 1, Section 4 – Religious Tests.
Lilly: That Pratchett fellah, he’s a fountain of pearls!
Pat Hardy seems like quite a character. I did some reading up on her, and the interesting thing is it seems like she actually is a creationist. She’s a devout conservative Baptist and she’s said something to the effect that she doesn’t believe all nature’s animals could have arisen without the guidance of a creator (sorry, I can’t find the exact quote or the link again).
However, she firmly believes that science classes should stick to teaching science. Back in 2003 she shot down the DI when they tried to water down textbook language about evolution under the argument that the “strengths and weaknesses” of all scientific theories should be taught – her response was that logically this should be applied to every scientific theory, and if every oddball challenge to mainstream scientific thought were included, “we’d need a crane to carry the books to the schools.”
http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/news/2003/TX/682_textbooks_approved_in_texas_11_7_2003.asp
Personally, I find it rather encouraging when I run across an outspoken conservative Christian who nonetheless appreciates the difference between faith and science.
Thanks to coverage at Pharyngula. Your blog is now a player in Texas politics, P.Z.
A couple of observations:
1. Maddox got his degree in biology at TCU, but you can be blessedly certain he didn’t learn about creationism in biology classes there. As with every major Christian affiliated university in the U.S., the science department teaches evolution. You see, they have this code of ethics from their affiliated churches that requires them to be honest and not mislead students.
2. TCU is affiliated, loosely now, with the Disciples of Christ. Disciples have a statement from their general assembly which supports the teaching of science in science classes. Were Maddox a Disciple (and he may be, I don’t know), he’d be going against the official policy of his sect to advocate creationism in science classes. At TCU, as I understand it, one doesn’t get creationism even at the divinity school.
3. Yeah, things are bad in Texas. Still, when people speak up, when people stand up for what is right, sometimes voters and policy makers do the right thing, sometimes even for the right reasons. Miracle? Call it a miracle of reason. Jefferson and Madison were more right than wrong about people, but remember that both of them noted the need for an educated voting populace to make the thing work.
In the end, that’s what we’re fighting to protect, an educated voting populace. Stupid is always easier in the moment, so the struggle goes on forever.