Texas in the news again...
Offline In its neverending quest to cast science down into disrepute and into the hellfires of Sodom, the state of Texas has decided to stop teaching kids about Neil Armstrong and Apollo XI - Fark
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/09/20/one-backwards-leap-for-texas/?huh
Children shouldn't be learning about the first man to walk on the moon, after all. Not in Texas.
SEGMENT:
I keep wondering what kind of dumbosity people associated with the Texas Board of Education can come up with next, and I keep being surprised at the depths of teh stoopid. And this time it’s not creationism!
It’s NASA. According to Houston Chronicle blogger Eric Berger, there’s a proposal to remove Neil Armstrong’s name from social studies textbooks.
Yes, you read that correctly. The proposal was suggested by teachers and parents reviewing materials, because Armstrong "is not a scientist".
Wha wha whaaaa?
I could argue that technically that’s correct, since Armstrong’s an engineer, which is different than a research scientist. Still, he did do some modicum of science when he walked on the frakking Moon. I think maybe he should be given the benefit of the doubt on this one*
Plus, his foot was the first planted on another world, and maybe we’re not being too tough on students to know that. And the irony that this is Texas! They have a big city there called Houston which has some NASA ties, as in "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."
So, to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills review team, this one’s for you:
Theism is why we can't have nice things.
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I used to think the rational thought thing had a sort of gravity to it but obviously not.
Maybe move to Australia - 8 per cent of Australian adults are Jedi, according to responses in our last census.
I much prefer the idea of being surrounded by Jedi than living in 15th century America.
"Experiments are the only means of knowledge at our disposal. The rest is poetry, imagination." Max Planck
I would be scared in reality that someone started a Jedi group. In all seriousness this is not only in Australia but the UK too. This can potentially over a couple hundred years morph into a religion beyond a mere social club. If some idiot x-fellon can start Kwanza and an fans of L Ron Hubbard can start Scientology, don't underestimate si-fi geeks. There is a reason it is called science fiction.
It also wouldn't surprise me if a Harry Potter cult was started in the future.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
As far as I know there are people who take the philosophy (theology) behind the Jedi seriously. I don't think there are any of them writing books like "How to Master the Force" or claiming that since bananas are shaped like a light saber it proves that Jedi is real, yet. There might be I dunno.
Wait for a nuclear war and for someone to find one of the star wars books, and tada. The tales of the savior Lube guyballer and his trusty side kick hungsolo become real
Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
No animal shall wear clothes.
No animal shall sleep in a bed.
No animal shall drink alcohol.
No animal shall kill any other animal.
All animals are equal.
Um, I'm from Texas and I can assure you Texas has it's pros and cons like any other state. Assuming all Texans are the same way is no different then Klansmen assuming all black men are gang members.
I don't think anyone said anything about Texans...just the state as a whole. But I will say something tp Texans now that you brought it up.
Fix your board of education. That is all.
I don't know what happened, but I see the Texas board of education pushing some anti-educational thing in the news periodically. I have no idea why something supposed to oversee the teaching of children is trying SO HARD to misinform them.
Are they trying to make Texas full of people that will not contribute to society? I don't get it. Not that most of these attempts actually manage to make it through, but still the fact that someone on the board of education is TRYING, or possibly more than one person, is incredibly disturbing to me. It is like saying the local hospital's management is trying to institute a policy to have doctors infect their patients with diseases.
Theism is why we can't have nice things.