Florida and Antievolution

Posted 29 August 2005 by Wesley R. Elsberry

↗ The current version of this post is on the live site: https://pandasthumb.org/archives/2005/08/florida-and-ant.html

My native state hasn’t had headlines go nationwide over antievolution lately. But there are indications that Florida may be one of the next big targets of the antievolution advocates.

Ron Matus at the St. Petersburg Times wrote about this in today’s paper:

Ron Matus wrote:

Nationally, it’s a raging debate. President Bush weighed in this month. Time magazine devoted its cover story to the subject two weeks ago.

But in Florida, the teaching of intelligent design - the newest, faith-based counterpoint to Darwin’s theory of evolution - is not an issue.

At least, not yet.

Some observers expect the other shoe to drop next year, when Florida education officials revisit state science standards as part of a routine review of what should be taught in Florida schools.

Update: Ex-Minnesota antievolutionist Cheri Pierson Yecke has been appointed Florida’s K-12 Chancellor for education. It looks like the antievolution forces have been at work already in Florida.

(Continue reading… on The Austringer)

8 Comments

spencer · 29 August 2005

Hah - Ron Matus was my editor when I was a junior staff writer for my college fishwrapper.

Nice to see he's hit the big time (by which I mean being quoted on Panda's Thumb, of course).

steve · 29 August 2005

I grew up in north Florida. I am amazed that by now they haven't thrown away all the biology textbooks, and replaced them with gideon bibles or something by Behe.

steve · 29 August 2005

People erroneously think of Florida as nothing but elderly people and hispanics on beaches. Not in the north. On a scale where the best state in the country, California, is a 100, and the worst state, South Carolina, is a 0, north Florida's probably around 25.

mww · 29 August 2005

Just moved to St. Pete from Kansas.

Left the land of OZ to make more 'Money' *wink*.

Sad to miss out on the second installment of K-States 'origins' presentations,(ummm, after a short search, it appears elvis has left the building, but read about it here ).

I toyed with the idea of letting the fundies go unchallenged in my home state just to provide my kids with the chance at less competition when it came to find a college, but now it's time to enlist. Any 'citizens for science' type groups in the state?

Wesley R. Elsberry · 29 August 2005

"mww",

Please send me an email. Florida Citizens for Science is in its nascent moments.

'Rev Dr' Lenny Flank · 30 August 2005

Please send me an email. Florida Citizens for Science is in its nascent moments.

Hey, count me in, too. I live in St Pete.

NDT · 30 August 2005

People erroneously think of Florida as nothing but elderly people and hispanics on beaches. Not in the north. On a scale where the best state in the country, California, is a 100...
— steve

Right off the bat your scale is flawed!

'Rev Dr' Lenny Flank · 30 August 2005

Florida Citizens for Science is in its nascent moments.

It's unofficial motto --- "No more Flori-duhhhhh !" Remember, Floridians, your vote counts !!!! (I think.) :> Q. What do you call a Floridian with two brain cells? A. Pregnant. Q. What do a Floridian and a bottle of beer have in common? A. They're both empty from the neck up. Q. What is the most difficult part of a Floridian's life? A. Third grade.