| ... finds that some of science's conclusions are widely mistrusted, and hints at a widening partisan divide. Obviously. Lets face it, the majority of kids don't actually think through and convince themselves of everything they are thought. Partly because kids are like little fact sponges for facts that come from adult authority. And partly because they don't have to think to pass exams. The earth goes around the sun. Sure thing Mr. Teacher, I can see the sun going around the earth but I still believe what ever you say. And that's not fake, that's really how it works most of the time. I'd guess only about 15% or less actually think it through. But now in some regions, for some groups there are competing authorities and they say the earth is 6000 years old. Sure Mr. Preacher, what ever you say. Fact is, public education is a mass product, a government provided mass product/service. It's crap. More often then not we get smart kids despite public school, not because of it. What public school does reasonably well is teach you the three Rs. You want anything more? Educate yourself. Solutions: 1. Improve, and I mean really improve, public education in this union of states which covers most of a continent. 2. Do nothing. Wait for this strange modern day cult of anti-Darwinists to run its course and peter out. 3. Give them more rope to hang themselves. Radically shrink the size and role of the feds and increase the economic competition between the states. Problems: 1. Extremely difficult will take centuries. 3. Counter to the strong natural tendency of governments to grow and grow and grow. 2. Requires no effort - is most likely scenario. A humble suggestion. Stop trying to save the anto-evolutionists from themselves. Why not ignore these real life trolls? Please point out where they are doing real world damage that matters? And no, it hurts (their) kids is not something you can help with. |
The problem is that it's not just their kids that it hurts. It affects the textbooks and lesson plans of schools across the state and country (especially since Texas more or less dictates what goes into high school textbooks).
If it only hurt their children, I would still be disturbed - I don't think children should be punished for the failings of their parents - but I would be less concerned about it. But it doesn't just hurt their children. It hurts everyone's children, and undermines the innovation economy that the USA has built. Our largest export is brains and ideas - we don't manufacture all that much in the USA anymore. We should be doing what we can to protect our most important resource - our education.