Thoughts in a Haystack

Jeremy Mohn at stand up for REAL science has a link to audio of the confirmation hearings for Don McLeroy, the creationist chair of the Texas State Board of Education, for another term. The Texas Freedom Network live-blogged the event and there sounds to be some interesting moments.

The TFN also notes some ominous signs for McLeroy (good signs, of course, for science education in the Lone Star State). Jeremy discovers another, all the while placing it in correct ... and funny ... context:

[T]he Discovery Institute just sent out an ominous email to its supporters claiming that the "Darwin lobby" is trying to "expel" McLeroy because he "took a stand for academic freedom" and showed "support for critical thinking on evolution." I guess the political process in Texas is just as bad as "Big Science."

Let me see if I have this right...

Apparently, showing "support for critical thinking on evolution" involves quote mining evolutionists, plagiarising from Creationist sources, redefining science to include supernatural explanations, lying about your past statements, crafting incomprehensible amendments, admittedly not reading the authoritative sources from which you quote, and consistently misunderstanding evolutionary theory.

Do I have that right?

Not that we should get our hopes up or expect that, even if they are fulfilled, it will make much of a difference but any sign that the grown ups in the state government are beginning to consider the damage all this anti-science hoopla is doing to the truly important business of the state will be welcomed.
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