I would like to say that I very much agree with Susan Jacoby in that I believe that teaching evolution in biology classrooms is vitally important.  As an English teacher, I think the analogy would be for me to teach English without discussing nouns and verbs.  Furthermore, the analogy for teaching intelligent design creationism instead of evolution would be me teaching the Wookie language instead of English.  I was originally going to say Klingon, but despite the fact that Klingon is not naturally occurring, it is at least a real language that can be used to communicate. 

That said, I do think it is important when throwing around words like “cowardice” to remember that teachers are ordinary people.  Ordinary people with families, mortgages, and other financial obligations.  It is easy to point at them and say that they have to take a stand regarding the education of our children, but we have to remember that this situation is very real to them.  I do think that biology teachers should stand up for their discipline and I am sure that many do, but I think it is also important for the community that these teachers serve to stand up and support them as well.

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Actually, I think a better analogy is that trying to teach biology while denying evolution is like trying to teach computer engineering while denying electricity.  It just makes no sense whatsoever.

When I read about the efforts of this teenager, especially his direct challenge to Michelle Bachmann, I feel a sense of relief that our country hasnt gone completely insane.  We all need to speak up as he has done.

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How is it the responsibility of teachers to risk their jobs, standing in the community, and risk harrassment?  This is just further evidence that we need to emulate the countries who outperform us by having national standards.  Teachers should not have to choose what to teach based on community standards.  Science teachers who then refuse to teach settled science should be dismissed.

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