Monday, May 06, 2013

Senators again reject repeal of Louisiana Science Education Act

The Times Picayune reports Senators again reject repeal of Louisiana Science Education Act

"A Louisiana law that opponents say leaves the backdoor open to teaching "creationism" in public schools will stay on the books after a Senate committee Wednesday effectively killed a bill that would repeal the statute."

"Sen. Elbert Guillory, D-Opelousas, said he had reservations with repealing the act after a spiritual healer correctly diagnosed a specific medical ailment he had. He said he thought repealing the act could 'lock the door on being able to view ideas from many places, concepts from many cultures.'

'Yet if I closed my mind when I saw this man -- in the dust, throwing some bones on the ground, semi-clothed -- if I had closed him off and just said, 'That's not science. I'm not going to see this doctor,' I would have shut off a very good experience for myself,' Guillory said."

As Phil Plait says "Seriously? I mean seriously, seriously? You should note this well: The repeal lost in a 3-2 vote. Senator Guillory’s vote would’ve been enough to swing the decision the other way. Instead, a half-naked guy threw bones on the ground and probably cold read Guillory, and because of that, in Louisiana it will still be perfectly legal to teach all manners of nonsense instead of giving children a real science education."

I'm pretty certain that Sen. Guillory wasn't taught about witch doctors at Virginia State University or at Rutgers, and yet he still managed to find one to cure his ailment. Just as it shouldn't be taught in law school, it shouldn't be taught in science class, what's so hard to understand about that?

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