More From Sally Kerns

[sleigh]

This is via lsanderson:

I doubt that anyone in the blogosphere missed Sally Kerns ranting about the gay conspiracy -- it was all over the place last week, with Kerns, an Oklahoma state representative, foaming at the mouth about how gays are worse than terrorists, and they're 'infiltrating' our society, how acceptance of gay people is "the death knell of our nation." It would be hilarious listening except that one has to bear in mind that the audience she's talking to didn't find any of this funny -- they agreed with her.

Pretty awful stuff, even for the far right wing.

She dropped a new idiocy on us this week. She wrote and pushed Oklahoma House Bill HB2211. This bill (the full text of which is supposed to be available here, though either the government site is getting hit hard by people looking for this, or it's the world's slowest site.). Among other things, HB 2211 would allow a student to substitute religious answers for scientific ones on a science test, with the teacher being unable to mark them as "wrong" -- in other words, religion would always trump science in the schools. No more studying needed for those nasty biology or ancient history courses -- just spout the bible back to the teacher and you get an "A".

This bill which has evidently passed out of the House Education Committee (on a strictly partisan vote: all votes against the bill were from the Democrats on the Committee) and is now on to the State Senate -- this indicates that the sum total IQ of the Oklahoma House Republicans isn't high enough to freeze water.

Comments

[casaubon.livejournal.com]

Among other things, HB 2211 would allow a student to substitute religious answers for scientific ones on a science test, with the teacher being unable to mark them as "wrong"

Just fundamentalist Christian answers presumably, or could an imaginative student just come up with any old tale if they forget the actual answer?

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

Even though it's couched as inclusive, you can bet that the only faith they're really talking about here is fundamentalist Christianity. But if I were a student, you can bet the Flying Spaghetti Monster would be making an appearance on my test papers...

[daedala.livejournal.com]

I woulda used Greek mythology. I know more than I ought to...

[sethb.livejournal.com]

If I were teaching, I'd say that the statement was not in accord with my religion and therefore it would be sinful for me to give it credit.

HB 2211

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

That's the kind of law that begs for a very public Supreme Court case.

B

Jesse

[ontology101.livejournal.com]

So our pal Sal here has a son who is hounded by many to proclaim something, anything, about his sexuality. Evidently certain segments of the GLBT community (and/or supporters) feel Sally protests too much. All he is willing to share (which in my opinion is one fact too many) is that he is voluntarily celibate.

My opinion is that Jesse has it bad enough being raised in a home that allows and encourages hate speech of any sort and now he is being asked to speak either for, or against, his mother.

His childhood was probably sucky enough. Leave him out of her mess.

A.