Latest Challenges to the Teaching of Evolution

People who were blacklisted were not the victims of any part of the constitution. You're reacting now in an hysterical manner. How is the constitution responsible for that? How is any form of government organization responsible for the effects of political fear and cowardice? You're making one snotty remark after the other about reverence, and 18th century document and authoritarian regimes, and yet you seem to think that you are justified in ascribing to the constitution an omnibus power which has somehow failed. Do you really think it is reasonable to expect the document to have prevented a witch hunt such as McCarthy ran? Do you allege that there is anything in the agglomeration of laws and precedents in your country which would prevent that from happening there?

I have no problem at all accepting that idiots elsewhere in the world who don't know the language and purpose of the document indulge some silly fantasies about "reverence." It's no problem of mine that people indulge flights of fancy based on ignorance--in fact, history shows that it's just what one can expect.

You haven't criticized the constitution in "measured tones." Your ctiticisms are pastiche of half truths and outright lies. You have deomonstrated again and again that you don't know anything about the document, nor understand how its provisions are intended to work. Don't flatter yourself that i'm upset--i find your ignorant and pompous pronouncements hilarious.

I've not said a word about the Queen, other than to ask if you still open Parliament with a throne speech. I understand quite well that your Prime Minister, chosen as party leader by party insiders, and elected by the voters in a single riding, is the executive power, and chosen far less democratically than is the case with a President chosen in the Electoral College.

Come back when you have actually learned something about the government here, and how it operates, and maybe we'll have something to talk about.

Setanta do you think that it is true, that we are an occupied nation?

I don't watch your video spam, and i certainly don't intend to indulge some antisemitic drivel you've dredged up. Do me a favor and don't address any remarks to me.

RL do you know who David Duke even is??


Cheeech

So he's got some David Duke video up there? Jesus Kee-rist, that boy is stupid.

Sure no problem as you seem to know it all anyway, I am sure there is nothing of value that I could share with you anyway.

farmerman I do realize that he is far out there but is every single thing that he says wrong?

Former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan? Yeah . . . far out there would be a modest description of his racist credentials. One needn't "know everything" to see how his opinion might be biased.

Very intellectual of you, when you do not even know what was shared.

I agree and I do not share all of his ideas but I do question some of them.

You ask me if i think we are "an occupied nation," a prominent antisemitic code phrase, and then offer a video touting the evils of zionism. As so many have pointed out down through the years, you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing.

It appears to me that you completely lack perspective and a sense of proportion.

Why do you say they are evil? why cant it be just the way it is? Some people may think that it is reality. It seems that David thinks that it is wrong and if what he is saying is true then I might find some truth to that but I do not hold the Jews that are involved completely accountable because I would think that some of the blame should rest on us for allowing it to happen.

Jesus, you're dense. It's the antisemite hysterics who see zionism as evil. I personally think that zionism as practiced today is a very bad thing, but i didn't say it's evil. I was pointing out that that is the burden of the propaganda you seem to uncritically swallow whole.

Your boy David Duke is a professional racist--it has literally been his career all of his adult life. He does not have a PhD, and doesn't deserve to be described as "Dr." Duke. He was vilified as an undergraduate at Tulane University for his parties on Hitler's birthday, and for wearing a nazi uniform on campus.

You get judged by the company you keep, you know, whether or not you think that is fair. Before, i just considered you young and dumb--no i wonder if you aren't in fact, an antisemitic racist. Whether you are or not, i don't intend to waste my time on the videos with which you constantly spam this board.

You admire this guy, reasoning logic?

I'm sorry for my hysteria, I'm sure your Constitution is not at all anachronistic. Do you issue a lot of Letters of Marque? Maybe someone should tell those guys in Guantanamo Bay about Habeas Corpus not being suspended, or Bills of Attainder not being passed. Keeping the indiginous population outside of the protection of the law is really progressive and up to date. I'm sure you can accomplish a lot when you have to be reelected every two years.

we learned from the masters Iz. Please dont do a Pharisee schtick on this thread.

We can close this if you want. I really didn't mean to be so controversial, but when I'm challenged I have to respond. I'm sorry if I upset anyone H20Man excepted.

Going back to the topic, how relevant is evolution to science education anyway? I learnt about evolution in History, and we have Religious Education cl;asses over here as well. As far as I'm aware evolution is not even part of the Biology syllabus, focusing on how plants and animals actually function. In fact the only subject where evolution is an issue is your subject Geology. By and large that's taught as part of Geography, and it's only really looked at in its own right when people get to university.

Evolution is the keystone to biology and to life on earth. And it may be the single most informative scientific discovery ever made. Several times now, when scientists from various disciplines are polled about the most valuable scientific discovery in human history, Evolution tops the list.

I don't know where you went to school, but it seems from your question that they really didn't do a very good job of introducing you to the ubiquitous value of evolutionary theory.

You went to school when? in the llate 1800's. Genetics and evolution provide the framework of modern biology. ALL aspects of biology from ecology to medicine spends heavy time in becoming well versed in the mechanics of nat selection and hybrid development.
Not exposing the students to the overall framework of biology turns them into a bunch of science stamp collectors.
Geology (specifically paleo) is merely a tool in the understanding of the role that time and environment play the development of life on the planet.
The kids need to be trained at some point and weve chosen to introduce evolution in the high school curriulum. This is thought out well enough so that insertion of biblical creationism or flying spaghetti monsters doesnt serve any purpose in the curriculum. Theres too much to absorb that makes sense, so to **** up the kids minds (not all kids are AP level potentials) is just plain stupid of us. Just because a very small minority of religious Fundamentalists wish to exert their mind control , needs to be stopped since its a waste of resources in our ed process. (It annualy extracts the equivalent of about 20000 research grants on disease mechanisms from the biological science economy)[this was computed several years ago by the NCSE ,an organization dedicated to keeping Creationism out of the biology programs in HS biology}.

What a snide son of a bitch you are. You're the one who's gotten all hysterical about our constitution. I've not at any point behaved as if i revered it, nor said anything to suggest that i've ever expected anyone else to revere it. You're the one with the unhealthy obsession here.

So tell, Mr. Smar-mouth ************, are bills attainder legal in England? Do the English ever "render" prisoners elsewhere to avoid habeas corpus? Had anyone here ever said that our constitution is a perfect shield against all government corruption? I was never really all that impressed with your rhetorical skills, but now i've lost all respect for your honesty and probity.

You're the one here who is attempting to suggest that this consitituion should be perfect, and sneering because it isn't. You sure have a big chip on your shoulder. Did the big mean Americans frighten you when you were just a wee Izzy?