Tuesday, August 01, 2006

 

Election Could Flip Kan. Evolution Stance

Washington Post: Chicago, July 31 - Evolution's defenders, working to defeat Kansas Board of Education members who oppose modern Darwinian theory, are challenging three incumbent Republican conservatives and the political heir to a fourth in Tuesday's primary.

A shift of two seats to moderate Republicans - or to Democrats - in November almost certainly would lead to a reversal of state science standards celebrated by many religious conservatives and reviled by the scientific establishment.

With turnout expected to be low, neither side is making confident predictions about the state's latest skirmish at the intersection of science, religion and politics. The board's majority shifted to the moderate side in 2000 only to swing back in 2004.

...The editor of Scientific American, John Rennie - who has described the board's conservatives as "six dimwits" - posted on a blog to urge Kansas voters to defeat board members "who have inflicted embarrassing creationist nonsense on your home's science curriculum standards...

John Rennie's blog comments ("Kansas, Undo the Damage") can be found here.

Update, August 3rd: The above article is no longer available because it's been 'overwritten' (ie the same url has been used) by "Anti-Evolution Incumbent in Kansas Wins".

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