[Update: Brandon Haught from the Florida Citizens for Science just sent me a note: this bill introduced in Florida is not new, but was submitted a few weeks ago. The FCS issued a release condemning it and they also have an analysis of it online. According to Brandon, what’s is that the Florida Academy of Sciences officially condemned the bill. Sorry for any confusion.]
[Update 2 (March 28, 2009): The bill is as good as dead. Brandon, again, has the details, and some mild ruler-on-knuckles for me and PZ. :)]
So while we wait to see just how big of fools the Texas State Board of Education wants to make themselves look (the verdict so far: pretty big), it turns out Florida is busily trepanning themselves as well.
No, this is not a repeat from 2008, 2007, 2006, or even 1216, as much as it sounds like the Dark Ages. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=4216 If you’re scratching your head, wondering how on (the 4.55 billion year old) Earth anyone can possibly want to teach creationism in the schools, then I suggest you read the comments on any of my previous few posts on this topic. There you will see people saying things like, “It’s only a theory!” (no, it’s a theory and a fact), and “Science is faith-based too!” (no, it’s not), and “You hate Christians” (no, I don’t, and I don’t even hate creationists, just what they’re doing), and really lots of other blatant lies and ridiculous accusations that are trivially easy to prove wrong… like every creationist claim, come to think of it.
Look, creationists: if you personally want to believe that the Earth is 6000 years old, despite a veritable mountain of evidence against it and nothing at all to support it, then you have that right. But when you want to vote your fantasy into legislation or into the schoolbooks, that’s wrong. And no matter how much you shout and bloviate and spread your manure, you’ll still be wrong. That’s how reality really works.
