All four Republican lieutenant governor hopefuls have embraced the teaching of creationism in public schools.
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Sen. Dan Patrick, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples said in the first televised debate of the campaign Thursday night that they favor teaching that there are flaws in the theory that humans evolved from lower life forms.
Late last month, state Board of Education members adopted new high school science books that include full coverage of evolution without the disclaimers sought by social conservatives and other critics of Charles Darwin’s theory.
While none of the lieutenant governor candidates mentioned the board’s decision, three — Patrick, Patterson and Staples — blasted teaching only evolution as a form of “political correctness.” They linked it to what they described as a broader moral decline.
“The breakup of the family in this country has started when we took God out of the classroom,” said Patrick, a radio talk show host.
“As a Christian, certainly creationism should be taught,” said Staples, a former state legislator.
Dewhurst, who is seeking a fourth term, agreed.
“It’s a fair discussion to expose students to both sides and let them make the decision with the advice and counsel of their parents,” he said.
Patterson said the country has gone too far in deleting religious instruction from government institutions such as schools. A 1987 U.S. Supreme Court ruling banned teaching of creationism in science classes.
“We need to go back to those things that made this country great,” he said.
So to be clear each one of these idiots supports the idea of teaching superstitious children's stories alongside science in a school classroom.
There is NO evidence to support Creationism, and NO reputable scientist who would advocate that it be taught, and yet because of the ignorance of their constituents, one of these anti-intellectual dipshits will be nominated for the position of Lt. Governor while espousing this nonsense.
Now do you see why Wendy Davis needs to be the next governor of Texas?
I would be running out of adjectives if I were to call these candidates what I think of them. Yes, to Ms. Wendy Davis!
ReplyDeleteI'm from Austin and I absolutely support Wendy Davis, but unfortunately it's unlikely that she will be our next Governor. I have two single daughters in their late 20's and I worry about their future in Texas. Luckily they were educated before the crazy school board took control. We, in Austin, live in a nice progressive bubble. I just wish the rest of the state was the the same.
ReplyDeletetheydon't call it "the Bible Belt for nothin'! brains are not to be found below the belt, just nuts and assholes.
ReplyDeleteLiars.
ReplyDelete“The breakup of the family in this country has started when we took God out of the classroom,”
Lie. An obvious, stupid statement.
“It’s a fair discussion to expose students to both sides and let them make the decision with the advice and counsel of their parents,”
Lie. There ARE no "two sides" to the SCIENCE.
“We need to go back to those things that made this country great,”
Religion NEVER made this country great. That's a LIE.
Further - religion has NEVER made a country great.
"There ARE no "two sides" to the SCIENCE."
DeleteYes. This.
ROFL. They are such cowardly pander bears.
ReplyDeleteIf you are wondering who the real Christians - the Family Values Party - are in our Government: they're the ones who took food stamps away from families and veterans just before Thanksgiving...
ReplyDeleteand now they're kicking millions of desperate people off of unemployment insurance just before Christmas.
Notice how they no longer include the 'compassionate' part of 'compassionate conservative' when they refer to themselves?
DeleteThey're not even pretending anymore.
Someone tell them that their kids can learn all about Genesis..at home and in Sunday School. Then yammer away at them and the real facts they are taught in public schools. Seriously. When I started school, the principal would come on the intercom and read Bible verses and then a prayer...every day. When I was in 3rd grade, that stopped. And guess what, GOP? The world did not come to an end. Formerly good students were still good students. We had no crazy NRA parents who let their kids bring their guns to school. Yes, the country has had a decline, caused by the GOP de-funding public schools at every opportunity, taking teachers' pensions and health care away, and making sure intelligent folks go into engineering instead of teaching if they want to have a family and not live in a shack. God...is this the best you have, Texas?
ReplyDeleteGoddamn morons,all.
ReplyDelete