Hello. My name is Maggie and I'm fighting for truth, not belief.

"The fact of evolution is as well established as anything in science (as secure as the revolution of the earth around the sun), though absolute certainty has no place in our lexicon." Stephen Jay Gould - 'Darwinism Defined: The Difference Between Fact and Theory'

Lots of Creationists, the arch-nemesis of science in general and evolution in particular, like to go on about how evolution is "only" a theory. Well, as Mr. Gould (a man I regard as one of the brightest humans of our lifetime) explains above, this is how proper science is done. Everything is a theory. It allows for the furtherance of science, not the immediate closing and stagnation of dogma once you've reached something you like. Electricity? Thermodynamics? Theories both. But no one can deny that plugging their refrigerator into that electric socket results in their food being cooled (assuming, of course, that your fridge is in working order).

Gould has also remarked that just because a mob of parents wants to take something out of the schools doesn't mean they're qualified to make such a judgement; If a thousand parents say no to teaching evolution* in the schools, all they're doing is weakening their children's education for the theory of evolution has stood the test of real science. Science is not "pick and choose". And there's a great big world out there waiting to tell your child he or she is wrong when they discount evolution. As to those who argue that they are merely protecting their children, raising them as they think is best, should also cover the othe risde to that coin. They're dictating how every child in that system is taught. If their beliefs are at odd with science, they need to address that in their home, not in our nation's educational system. They are not qualified, no matter how large in large numbers, to make a judgement on the correctness of a scientific principal (unless the lot of them are qualified scientists, of course). But, people are very good at deluding themselves to avoid facing something that challenges their beliefs or intelligence or way of life. Very good at it. The world is 10,000 years old, dinosaurs were all docile herbivores (how else could they have peacefully ridden Noah's ark?) who lived with humans (humans who had an amazing ability to keep their bones out of the fossil record which contains the dinosaurs), it goes on and on. That the proponents of this rubbish call themselves "scientists" galls me to no end.

There have been many attempts to have evolution removed from US** schools and textbooks. Few in modern times have succeeded except in rural pockets where religious influence will not be denied. But the story that got me started on this is not about removing evolution from the curriculum. No, it's even sillier. They don't want to remove evolution, they merely want to remove the word. They are proposing to cut down some of the hostility from the religious side by calling evolution something else. I imagine many will think this passive-aggressive tactic sounds perfectly acceptable, but I ain't one of them. Dodging the issue like some pervert uncle that isn't discussed at the dining table or in front of company, is not going to help anyone. Evolution needs no watering down, even in name.

The Story

And now, so help me, I have to, for possibly the first time in my life, agree with something Bobby Franklin said; "It's stupid. It's like teaching gravity without using the word gravity." Amen, you close-minded little zealot.

** - This really is an American phenomenon. There are Creationists elsewhere in the world, but they're generally given as much credit as Scientologists and Moonies. Even the Pope says the [Catholic] Church has no beef with evolution and that it's pretty clear the earth is millions of years old, despite what one might believe the Bible says.