The big idea to improve Arkansas public education back in March 1981 was passage of Act 590, mandating the teaching of “Creation Science” in any public school classroom where evolutionary biology was mentioned. This offended almost everyone except a few zealots and was quickly declared unconstitutional. How did such an embarrassing travesty come to pass?
Wendell Bird of San Diego’s Institute for Creation Research helped write a draft for a state act mandating the teaching of creationism alongside evolutionary theory that ended up in the hands of State Senator James Holsted of North Little Rock, who introduced the bill into the Arkansas Senate, where it passed without hearings on March 13, 1981. The House of Representatives held no hearings either, debating the bill for only fifteen minutes before passing it by a vote of 69–18, with the support of Rep. Bill Ramsey of Prairie Grove. Governor Frank White signed it into law on March 19, 1981. After a vigorous and very expensive defense by Attorney General Steve Clark, the bogus bill was declared unconstitutional on January 5, 1982.
You'd a thunk the legislature would catch on about the constitution, but no. In 2005, Rep. Mark Martin of Prairie Grove tried the same stunt with a different name, introducing a bill to require the teaching of "Intelligent Design" in the public schools of Arkansas, although his own children do not attend the public schools. That ruse has also been discredited and declared unconstitutional.
Here we are in 2010, and they are still with us. Bill Ramsey, the former state representative from Prairie Grove who supported the Creation Science bill, is running to represent Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas campus in the legislature. He says he has some "innovative ways to address our educational concerns." I'll bet. Mark Martin, the current state representative from Prairie Grove who introduced the the Intelligent Design bill, is the Republican nominee for Secretary of State. If elected, he will certainly have some zealous ideas for the intelligent design of state legislative districts in Arkansas.
Of course, it's just a theory.
Proponents of Intelligent Design attempt to emphasize the intelligence of God so they can prove how righteous they by not trying to be God-like.
ReplyDeleteNot everyone from Prairie Grove spends Sundays charming snakes and voters. Some of us are sane and ashamed of our politicians like Ramsey, Martin, and Sonny Hudson.
ReplyDeleteAre you fucking kidding me? Ramsey voted for the creationism bill? And he wants to represent Fayetteville in the legislature. I would have to say I am against that notion.
ReplyDeleteEgads Jonahs.
ReplyDeleteWish posts such as this came with a free lifetime supply of prozac or the psychoactive substance of our choosing.
Picking poison indeed.
I have to agree with "Tigerette". There are a lot of good sane people around Prairie Grove and Lincoln, but there is also a small percentage of nut cases.
ReplyDeleteHave the churches pay taxes like every other business in the state.
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ReplyDeleteThanks for the strong heads-up about Mark Martin(R-Neptune) and the Secretary of State race.
If my fellow Razorbabies didn't know the Arkansas Board of Apportionment is composed of the Governor, the Speaker of the House, and Secretary of State.
Following the 2010 U.S. Census Ark will be reapportioned for legislative and Congressional Districts in 2011.
I'm supporting Pat O'Brien for SoS. He has been to NWA twice soliciting support. Good fellow. You won't find him favoring talking snakes or talking plants. He doesn't have much concern about whether early homo sapiens rode on dinosaurs.
On the other hand, Martin is having his own dinosaur saddle crafted. It's likely Bill Ramsey never put his away.
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ReplyDeleteOh,yes. Ramsey would, no doubt, "take up the serpent" were it necessary to win. Rumor has it that he does chat with some real snakes on occasion.
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"For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt."
Revelation 9:19
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Anyone who has suffered through allergy season knows there's no such thing as 'Intelligent Design.’
ReplyDeleteWhy do opposing candidates have to live on the fringes? Ramsey: Creation Science; Greg Leding: Legalize Gay Marriage. Wake up politicos, there are more voters in the middle.
ReplyDeleteHow is legalizing gay marriage "fringe"? Marriage changed from the Old Testament to the New, and various Christian churches have meddled with the institution for political reasons since Day One.
ReplyDeleteAnd there have been new theories of divine creation since the Bible as well. Doesn't make them any less fringe. Pushing gay marriage in Arkansas as a state representative would be a waste of time, just as it's a waste of time and resources to push intelligent design. Mark Martin is a fool. We need to turn Fayetteville green, create green jobs, protect our lifestyle in Fayetteville, promote the arts.... the list goes on. Those are the things a state representative can help do. Not gay marriage and creationism.
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