Should Evolution be Taught in High School?? Pageant contestant answers...

[liveonearth]

This video is a composite of answers to this question by candidates for the Miss USA Crown. The vast majority don't believe in evolution, but most seem to think that both evolution and creationism should be taught in school. The California girl that got the crown is a science nerd! Yeay!! Miss Kentucky (~5:30ish) represents the south painfully well.

Comments

[vonheston.livejournal.com]

You are incorrect. I suggest reading the introductory chapters to "Biology" by Campbell, the standard 101-102 Biology textbook for a full explanation of why it is incorrect to say that an understanding of evolution is necessary to fully comprehend and benefit from said subjects (in terms of critical thinking skills gained), outside of skills which can be gained via simple memorization. I can't see why else we would need teach these skills to students, after all, outside of the development of such skills. But I take it from your comments that you are a not a huge fan of liberal arts curriculum? Seeing as you seem to think it would be ok to make these courses electives, a position which would only be reached by someone who misunderstanding the rationale behind teaching these courses in the first place. (again, it's about the thinking skills gained) You can't divorce an understanding of any of those things you've listed from evolution without doing away with the most useful aspects of learning said things, from a lay perspective.

Your perspective on the ignorant being allowed to remain ignorant vs. parent's rights is similarly distressing, and I say that as a religious studies/jewish studies student with a degree in social science. You must not be familiar with the outcomes of such a position on 'conservative' communities. (which just so happens to be one of my focuses of study) All I can say is, don't drink the "public school = brainwashing" koolaid so quickly. This is the battle cry of those who would rather their children remain ignorant than run the risk of disobeying family/cultural tradition. Oh boohoo that this might be inconvenient for the parents; since when is the convenience of someone good reason to control the mind of another?

Below you ask whose children these are and what gives us (or the state) to right to make this decision, and I will tell you what gives us this right: they are American citizens, and the government has the duty to protect the civil rights of its citizens. Children are not the property of their parents; you don't own your kids, they are autonomous human beings and they have a right to a quality education. It is child abuse to deny specific children full and meaningful education on par with that or their peers just because they are members of a conservative religious or cultural group. This is a huge problems in the Jewish communities, with the yeshiva system, and as a consequence there are myriad of serious social issues with plague the religious Jewish community, and cost the societies which host them a boatload of money.

[ford-prefect42.livejournal.com]

Whatevs. done with this debate.

Disagree withg absolutely everything you said on moral, ethical, civil rights, and scientific grounds, but don't care to debate this further.

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

Thank you for chiming in! !!!