Motus Mentis

Diligently doing its part to undermine America’s intellectual respectability and competitiveness, the Texas Board of Education is taking up an amendment this week that seeks to smuggle religious myths, such as the transparent Creationist fraud known as “Intelligent Design”, into the science classroom in the name of “academic freedom”. Were this dispute taking place only in some rustic Bible-belt backwater it might merely be pathetic, but given that the nation’s textbook publishers often conform to Texan standards, it has genuine national significance.

The debate proceeds at an impressive academic level, as usual. In this AP account we read:

Protesters and activists gathered nearby, fervently arguing their sides of the debate.

“My grandfather was not a monkey!” one woman shouted at a crowd before the meeting began.

Good “argument”! Yes, we’ve come a long way.

I suppose some might argue that if the people of Texas have decided that “science” is nothing more than whatever their old-time religion tells them it is, then they are, in principle, entitled to teach whatever vacuous and comforting poppycock they like. After all, as H.L. Mencken said: “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.”

It’s awfully sad for those poor captive children, though. Man the ramparts, I say.