From the Times-Picayune:
A national organization of scientists has informed Gov. Bobby Jindal it will not hold its annual convention in Louisiana as long as the recently adopted Science Education Act remains on the books.
The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology told Jindal in a recent letter that its executive committee chose Salt Lake City for its 2011 convention over New Orleans "in large part" because of the legislation.
To Gov. Jindal and the Louisiana Legislature: New Orleans thanks you. The hotel and restaurant owners thank you. I thank you. This was bound to happen.
"That's too bad," Jindal spokesman Kyle Plotkin said of the group's decision. "New Orleans is a first-class city for a convention." Plotkin said the governor did not respond to Satterlie's letter.
Too bad the governor and the legislature don't have first-class minds, or they would never have passed the stupid law. New Orleans badly needs the business, but the city must pay the price for the ignorance of the political leaders of the state.
Many scientific groups, both in Louisiana and nationally, urged the governor to veto the bill. They cast the act, sponsored by Sen. Ben Nevers, D-Bogalusa, as a back-door attempt to allow Judeo-Christian creation theology or "intelligent design" -- the concept that biological life forms are the result of an intelligent being -- to be taught as part of science class.
....
"It is the firm opinion of SICB's leadership that this law undermines the integrity of science and science education in Louisiana," Satterlie wrote.
Of course, it does. The law will likely be struck down as unconstitutional, as was the previous law passed in the 1980s, the "Creationism Act", after a long and expensive legal battle all the way to the Supreme Court.
I find the Intelligent Design stuff quite scary. It isn't good science, and I don't think it's good theology, but it seems to get taken seriously by an awful lot of people on both sides.
ReplyDeleteOften overlooked is the radically right new majority in the Louisiana legislature, which is composed largely of freshmen due to term limits. Let's see, new legislature + new governor = "Intelligent Design?" The Crapauds know that all things new are not always designed intelligently.
ReplyDeleteThe Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology has played right into Jindal's hands. He now has an excellent "how I made a principled, money-losing stand against the Godless aetheist Darwinians" card in his hand when he goes trawling around for right-wing fundamentalist between now and the 2012 Republican primaries.
ReplyDeleteNot like the meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology is a going to be a mega-convention, in any case, so this is going to cause him little if any grief on the home front.
Song, whatever anyone thinks about ID, it is not science! That's the reality. You can believe it, but you cannot ever prove its truth or untruth by scientific methods.
ReplyDelete...new legislature + new governor = "Intelligent Design?" The Crapauds know that all things new are not always designed intelligently.
Crapaud, that is good. Save it for inclusion in your forthcoming book, The Wisdom of Crapaud.
Lapin, the folks in New Orleans are angry. Rational people in the state are embarrassed at the ignorance of our political leaders, but - alas! - we seem to be outnumbered.
Hmmm. The American Society for Cell Biology which runs a "Creationism Watch" feature in its newsletter is due to go to NOLA for the annual meeting in a couple of years. 10,000 cell biologists can pump in a lot of dough. I wonder what they will do?
ReplyDeleteIT, for selfish reasons, I'd hope that the group would still consider New Orleans, because they need the business badly. Those who decide might consider that, in many ways, New Orleans is not really part of Louisiana.
ReplyDeleteI know, Mimi, and my inclination is also thatthey SHOULD still attend because New Orleans needs it and besides, having 10,000 cell biologists descend might do some good. And punishing the city for the misfortune of an imbecile governor is like punishing the US for the misfortune of Geo Bush.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, your gov is an imbecile in more ways than one, I just read he isn't sure he wants all the stimulus money!
ReplyDeleteIT, I read that. I could have a blog devoted entirely to posts on Jindal's and the legislature's imbecilities.
ReplyDeleteThis is a demoralizing news story. I quit following La. politics when I left the state years ago, but things seem to be going from bad to worse. I think now it's time for New Orleans & south La. to separate--and petition to join Canada! You could be officially bilingual, have better health care & lots of tourist dollars in the winter. And Canadians would have a warm place to go in the winter. Sounds like a winner.
ReplyDeleteGinny, the joke after Katrina, was, "France, please buy us back!"
ReplyDeleteThere is a blog devoted to Jindal. It's Jim at Jindalwatch.
I just saw Rachel Maddow's show from tonight - and I couldn't believe that Jindal would refuse stimulus money.
ReplyDeleteHow will the voters there take to this? Will this anger any voters enough to hurt the Republicans?