Valentine Pontifex

The creationists were defeated by one vote in Oklahoma: the disclaimer failed.

Alix Nenuphar

I regret that I am not that familiar with the American political process.... Is this sort of thing a regular occurence? How much discretion do the legislatures of the various states have over science education? Can an issue like this be 're-raised'?

If this is a recurring problem - I fear for the American educational system.

Valentine Pontifex

The states have 100% control over science education as per the Tenth Amendment to the United States Consitution though in practice the federal government offers money to states that agree to certain conditions and thus gains influence via the purse. Almost everything about pre-college public education is controlled by the states and the local school districts that the states establish.

As often as the Constitution and laws of the state in question allow.

It has been a recurring problem since before my grandparents were born.

In Oklahoma the disclaimer was first required by the Textbook Committee in 1999. That requirement was struck down by the state attorney general on the grounds that 1) the Textbook Committee lack (state) constitutional power to make the requirement and 2) the committee had violated Oklahoma's Open Meetings Act. Latter on a bill to give that power to the Textbook Committee the power, but it failed. Moving up to 2003. At the start of the legislative session a bill was introduced in the State House that would require the antievolution disclaimer. That bill died in committee because it refused to consider it and thus it died by rule. Recently the same text was made into an amendment attached to a preexisting Senate bill. The bill with the new amendment was voted down but rules allowed it to get reconsidered. That vote happened today and the Senate bill with the amendment lost by a vote in the Oklahoma State Senate. Unless creationists manage to somehow get the provision attached to some other piece of legislation that is education related then it is dead until the next legislative session (i.e. next year).

Harpy

How come that so many state senators are ignorant bozos?

I've watched "O Brother where art thou" and I thought it was a comedy, but now I am wondering if it wasn't a gritty documentary on life in the American mid west.

I wonder if Kent Hovind ran for public office whether he would get in.

KC

Well, he did testify as an expert in evolution before the Arkansas Legislature about a proposed bill in 2001:

Hovind the Expert
(see 'Mr Hovind Goes to Arkansas')

Even more surreal was the language of the bill, which included verbatim quotes from a Jack Chick comic book.

KC

Alix Nenuphar

Who is Jack Chick?

S2Focus

A quick visit to www.chick.com will tell you more than you ever wanted to know...

This chick masterpiece is a perennial favorite...

Coragyps

Jack Chick is a homophobic, anti-Catholic, antisemitic, antediluvian asswipe who holds forth here. Particularly relevant to this forum is the tract "Big Daddy?" once found only in bus-station bathrooms and such, but now, through the miracle of the internet, available in your home. Look through his "titles available" page.

Arikay

so, does everyone else have their brain tell them that "chick" should be pronounced closer to sh*t than chick?

johngalt

http://www.chick.com/articles/testimonies/

I went to that Chick site, and here is a link to all the people that have read tracts and been saved by believing in God and Jesus. My favorite one is this one:
Heathen background? Give me a break.
This ones pretty comical too. Check the link out and enjoy!