Monday, August 01, 2005
Pond Scum
Anya Litvak reports on "Much ado about evolution" in the Columbia Missourian. Litvak delivers a colorful portrait of a state legislative hearing on a bill to require publishers to include criticisms of evolution in Biology textbooks sold in the state sponsored by the certifiable Cynthia Davis, a Republican represenative from the St. Louis suburb of O'Fallon.
The ethics challenged Davis -- she's a serial tax scofflaw -- is famous around the state, as some of you may recall, for saying last April in support of a bill she sponsored to exempt midwife from lawsuits in botched deliveries:
Litvak, for example, points out that no textbooks are currently available that meet the requirements of the bill, even so Davis hints ominously, “It doesn’t look good for a school district to skirt state law.”
To Davis, writes Litvak, evolution means “we all come from pond scum.”
Litvak's article artfully captures the absolute lunacy of Davis and her "expert" witnesses. It also reports on the difficulty scientists face responding to this nonsense. While Davis brought witnesses from out of state, pro-science groups were not notified of the hearing until the day before. Fortunately, the bill died in committee when a majority of representatives left the room before a vote could be taken.
RSR considers this article an absolute must read. For now, we leave you with the money quote from the hearing:
“But it is far beyond me to go into science,” says Davis.
The ethics challenged Davis -- she's a serial tax scofflaw -- is famous around the state, as some of you may recall, for saying last April in support of a bill she sponsored to exempt midwife from lawsuits in botched deliveries:
“I have a friend who wanted a C-section for no reason — just because she wanted it. But then you've got other women who have gone to the hospital (to give birth), and the experience they've had after they're undressed and poked and prodded (with) tubes and tools in every opening there is, and it feels very similar to being raped.”She brings the same care for the facts to her anti-evolution bill.
Litvak, for example, points out that no textbooks are currently available that meet the requirements of the bill, even so Davis hints ominously, “It doesn’t look good for a school district to skirt state law.”
To Davis, writes Litvak, evolution means “we all come from pond scum.”
Litvak's article artfully captures the absolute lunacy of Davis and her "expert" witnesses. It also reports on the difficulty scientists face responding to this nonsense. While Davis brought witnesses from out of state, pro-science groups were not notified of the hearing until the day before. Fortunately, the bill died in committee when a majority of representatives left the room before a vote could be taken.
RSR considers this article an absolute must read. For now, we leave you with the money quote from the hearing:
“But it is far beyond me to go into science,” says Davis.
