Re: [Phys-l] Conservative/Liberal science?

["John Clement" <clement@hal-pc.org>]

Did they also criticize Limbaugh when he aired the song?  They of course
want Republicans to avoid the racist label, but Limbaugh is not an
"official" Republican spokesman.  Criticizing him is not politically wise,
even when he makes ridiculous false statements.

But have they criticized Republicans who support teaching their version of
religion in schools ala ID or Creationism?  I think the answer is no because
they so dearly want the votes of the Fundamentalists.  Did they come out in
support of the Conservative Supreme Court 6-3 decision against the Sante Fe,
TX school that had majority mandated prayer at school games?  Bush publicly
came out on the side of the religious right and cast this as being
"voluntary" despite the fact that it was an elected student who led the
prayer over the speaker system, thus shutting out minority points of view.

Did they come out in support of the conservative Supreme Court which by a
large margin has consistently struck down school board mandates of teaching
ID or Creationism?  It is very clear that they are at minimum tolerating and
most probably buying into anti-science rhetoric.  Freiler v. Tangipahoa
Parish Board of Education was a 6-3 decision striking down a school board
anti-evolutionist disclaimer.  This makes it a fairly firm precedent, which
is not likely to be overturned.  But what did the conservatives in the
Republican party say about it?  How many Republicans opposed this ruling as
Bush did?  Did any at all support it?  Can you find 10 or 5, or even 1 who
supported it in the Republican party?  Those who did support it were
probably cowed into silence by the thought that it might cost them the next
election.

But the Supreme Court will continue to rule against state involvement in
interjecting religion into school instruction.  This is practically
guaranteed now because the Fundamentalists are generally Protestants and the
court is all Catholic or Jewish.  While there are some Catholics and Jews
who adhere to a fundamentalist point of view the American Reformed Judaism
and Catholic churches officially support scientific points of view.  Also
both religious groups are acutely aware of how they were discriminated
against even during the middle of the last century.

So the school systems are probably fairly secured from overt pressure, but
not from covert pressure.  However I think it is very likely that there will
be an anti-science witch hunt in the Congress in the next two years, not
unlike the McCarthy ant-communist witch hunt.  I probably have a more
personal view of this because I had grandparents in the entertainment
industry who knew many of the people who were blackballed, but they
fortunately went under the radar, even though they were founding members of
the Screen Actors Guild, and were active organizers.  So I heard all of the
stories how the producers of a show would leave town with the proceeds and
the actors were stranded.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX

> he Wiki.  page does report some prominent Republicans did condemn it.
>
>
> Well there's hope then.
>
>
> RNC  Chairman Mike Duncan said in a statement reported Saturday afternoon
> by  Politico. 'I am shocked and appalled that anyone would think this is
> appropriate, as it clearly does not move us in the right direction.'
> [13][14]
>
> Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich commented that "This  is so
> inappropriate that it should disqualify any Republican National  Committee
> candidate who would use it."[7] The chairs of the Republican state
> committees in
> North Dakota and Florida  concurred.[15]