There's a reason social conservatives have targeted teachers, and it's not just union busting. The conservative class warfare on the American middle-class is vertically integrated, unions and public education are equally under siege for the same reason: the dollars. Destroying public education funding and giving the money to a handful of rich people isn't real popular. To win that fight politically, conservatives have to stir up anger at schools and teachers. Science education is but one of many useful wedges in that broad battle, pitting a portion of the unwitting public against the very public ed which benefits them and their children, but also generates bothersome property taxes on luxury vacation homes and lavish estates.
Case in point, Florida's latest batch of teaparty legislators, who are determined to beat their peers in the race to scientific ignorance, save the rich a few bucks, or at least run up a zillion dollar legal bill for working-class Floridan taxpayers in the process:
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Steve Wise, R-Jacksonville, would change the way evolution is taught by requiring public school teachers to also present a "critical analysis of the scientific theory of evolution."
And what kind of 'critical analysis' do you suppose Sen. Wise has in mind? Take a
wild guess:
In 2009, in an interview with the Florida Times-Union, Sen. Wise identified himself as an ardent anti-evolutionist and said he intended to get "intelligent design" taught in schools.
- The purportedly liberal Gray Lady carries the message of fake controversy in climate science to shameful new heights, by elevating it to the headline:
I will repeat that the headline remains the single most important line in any news article for several reasons. First and foremost, it is in bigger font and thus much more memorable all by itself. ...
- Tired of so-called libertarians who are mere social conservatives in culture war clothing? I'm looking forward to seeing how a new progressive leaning libertarian blog, Bleeding-Heart-Libertarians, weighs in on matters of science and environmental regulation. H/T Ed Brayton