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Next entry: Vitter and Craig co-sponsor Federal Marriage Amendment Previous entry: A bit of common sense

Bobby ‘Exorcist’ Jindal ready to sign off on stealth creationism bill

McCain’s VP short-lister continues the march to turn back the hands of time—and enhance his fundnut cred—by supporting a Louisiana bill that will advance intelligent design. (Talk2Action):

The stealth-creationist SB 733, the “Louisiana Science Education Act,” which in its pre-amended version as SB 561 was entitled the “LA Academic Freedom Act,” received final passage in the Louisiana legislature on June 16, 2008, and is now (June 26) on Gov. Bobby Jindal’s desk. The governor can either sign it, allow it to become law without his signature, or veto it. Gov. Jindal, who in his June 15 appearance on Face the Nation reiterated his previously voiced support for teaching intelligent design (ID) creationism, is expected to sign the bill. At the behest of the LA Coalition for Science, e-mail petitioners from across the country and national scientific organizations have urged him to veto it. Both the New York Times and National Review columnist John Derbyshire have also publicly called for Jindal to veto the bill. Since Louisiana’s passage of SB 733 could be a bellwether for such “academic freedom” legislation, advocates for science education and church-and-state separation in other states had better start preparing now.

The bill was introduced by winger Sen. Ben Nevers (Bogalusa, LA) on behalf of an arm of Focus on the Anus called the Louisiana Family Forum (LFF):

It is probably not an exaggeration to say that the majority of Louisiana legislators support the LFF’s agenda, and that those who do not support it have had the “fear of the Lord” put into them, knowing what they will face politically in the next election if they cross the LFF. One very telling piece of evidence for this is the fact that

not a single Louisiana public official anywhere in the state, either elected or appointed, has so far been willing to speak out against SB 733 and in favor of good science education

. When Louisiana scientists and educators from public schools and universities testified against SB 733 before both the House and Senate Education Committees, they had no vocal defenders on either committee and were virtually ignored during the periods in which legislators were allowed to question the witnesses. (Three House members, one of whom was on the House Education Committee, later voted against the bill on the House floor but offered no statements or questions during the vote.)

Related:
* Bobby ‘Exorcist’ Jindal: intelligent design is legitimate science

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Posted by Pam Spaulding on 02:47 PM • (15) Comments

Sometimes it seems that these laws are designed to create a permamant underclass.  If you can’t get through evolutionary biology it is pretty unlikely you will be able to work in health care or in many of the better paying fields.

Maybe god just created some people so they could work in the fields

Comment #1: John Rove  on  06/27  at  03:05 PM

I work in education policy, and Louisiana is one of the states I monitor, so I’ve seen this coming for awhile…

And, I can say with near-certainty that Governor Exorcist won’t veto this bill, or any other bill of consequence; the Leg in LA has him by the nuts, and they know it. (Case in point, they approved a large salary increase for themselves despite its massive unpopularity with the voters, and basically let the Gov know that if he vetoed it, his entire agenda was DOA.)

Besides, he’s relatively amenable to this level of stupidity, because it plays right into the hands of the people who voted for him (and will again, after this).

Comment #2: J  on  06/27  at  03:26 PM

After Louisiana tackles this incredibly important issue, maybe they can pass a law outlawing “eye babies”...

Comment #3: MikeEss  on  06/27  at  03:34 PM

Now, now, all this bill does is direct the state board of education to provide “alternative” materials to school districts that want to take an “objective” look at the theory of evolution. I think that’s a great idea.

In fact, I think it ought to be extended. Let’s have the state board provide materials to Sunday schools in Louisiana churches that want to take alternative, objective looks at doctrines like the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection.

Comment #4: Bitter Scribe  on  06/27  at  03:36 PM

I can’t help but think that hanging out with “McCain the Dinosaur” is gonna have Bobby J rethinking his views on evolution and creationism…

Comment #5: louise  on  06/27  at  03:38 PM

Pam,

You’ve probably already heard about it, but I just wanted to suggest a book along the lines of this topic called “The Family” by Jeff Sharlet.  Sharlet talks about the current fundie movement and its origins.  Freaked me out…seriously.  I didn’t realize those bastards were so well connected (even HRC for goddess sake) until I read that book.

But then I’m a evil heathen for whom religion + power = FRIGHTENING!

Comment #6: Kristen  on  06/27  at  04:25 PM

I’ve been wondering if we’d get a thread talking about the LA “castration” law they just passed that Jindal signed/said he would sign, etc…

Comment #7: MikeEss  on  06/27  at  04:52 PM

<b>WHAT??<b> The HELL you say, MikeEss…

Anyone in particular, or just newly minted Congressional Democrats?

Comment #8: louise  on  06/27  at  05:34 PM

Dammit, forgot how to bold stuff... bleah.

Got a link to that, MikeEss- here it is:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/26/louisiana-gov-jindal-auth_n_109342.html

You canNOT imagine how many hits you get on “The Google” (to use a McCainism) by searching “jindal castration”...

Some even related to this story!!! wink

Comment #9: louise  on  06/27  at  05:40 PM

If grown legislators are afraid to challenge creationism in the classroom, what hope do young students have of questioning creationist dogma in the face of Christianist peer pressure?

Comment #10: Spike  on  06/27  at  10:12 PM

Wait till the college admissions departments start weighing in on this. As I recall, that was one of the factors that convinced Kansas voters to get their heads out of their asses. We have a young cousin who’s just starting high school in Louisiana; a sad thing.

Comment #11: paul  on  06/27  at  10:41 PM

“the Leg in LA has him by the nuts, and they know it. (Case in point, they approved a large salary increase for themselves despite its massive unpopularity with the voters, and basically let the Gov know that if he vetoed it, his entire agenda was DOA.)”

The truth is, Jindal, along with his Chief of State Timmy Teepel, are HUGE proponents of “Intelligent Design”
Jindal won’t veto this because this is exactly what he wanted (along with “vouchers”, which is the issue that he traded his balls…and his conservative creds…for in exchange for the legislative pay increases.  See Clancy, who came very late to this party: http://blogofneworleans.com/blog/2008/06/26/how-bobbys-wheels-came-off-the-prequel/ )

Don’t give PBJ any benefit of any doubt.  Sure, he screwed himself out of having any clout with the Legislature for the rest of his term (he’s only six months in!), but he’s getting his warped, backwards legislation passed.  Plus, as always, he’s looking ahead to the next job.  Heaven forbid he finish a single term he’s elected to.

I just wish some kind girl would have taken pity on him in high school and had sex with him.  His extreme conversions and exorcism seem to all spring from either desire to get laid, or desire to not be in an exclusive relationship. (See oyster’s comment about Jindal’s “Details” interview, and his link to Jezebel to see what I mean: http://righthandthief.blogspot.com/2008/06/jindal-genocide-and-gender.html  It’s toward the end.)

Please, McCain! Please choose him as your VP!!! Get him out of our Capitol!

Comment #12: saintlywife  on  06/27  at  11:42 PM

I’m more and more starting to agree that this ID stuff is basically just classism, in a very blunt and simple way.

I come from a long line of poor dirt farmers in Terrebonne Parish.  Well, that long line finally ended when my dad aced his way through the public school system and earned himself a scholarship to LSU.  He is now a doctor, and he’s raised my brothers and I firmly in the middle class.  Until my dad set up his practice, every. single. doctor. in our town, as far back as anybody can remember, was from the 2 or 3 families who’ve been pretty much running that town since before the Civil War.  We’ve been the black sheep of local “society” ever since, and it would not surprise me to know that the Society Family types actively wanted to discourage any more exceptions like us from stealing their jobs. 

Every single one of those local families who’ve owned our town for the last 150 years has at least one member somewhere in the state government.  The very sorts of people who sponsor and cosponsor bills in the state legislature, and lobby to get them passed.

Kids who go through Louisiana public high schools and get only Intelligent Design do NOT grow up to be doctors despite the odds.  Kids from wealthy families who are sent to Jesuit schools do, though, no odds necessary.

Comment #13: The Opoponax  on  06/28  at  01:43 AM

And I maintain that the people who don’t believe in evolution are the ones who have yet to experience it.

Comment #14: hbsweet, empress of ice cream  on  06/28  at  05:34 PM

After Louisiana tackles this incredibly important issue, maybe they can pass a law outlawing ”eye babies”…

Eye babies?!?!!
Ew ew ew!!

Comment #15: hbsweet, empress of ice cream  on  06/28  at  05:37 PM
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