In tomorrow’s Tallahassee Democrat, Associate Editor and columnist Mark Hohmeister points out that the evolution education controversy returns to Florida over and over again. Mark was reviewing Going Ape, the history of the evolution education controversy in Florida authored by Brandon Haught and recently released by the University of Florida press. The history starts with William Jennings Bryan early in the 20th century and continues to the present.
Sometimes the whole thing just seems like a bad movie.
Haught reported earlier this year on the Florida Citizens for Science blog that school board candidates in rural Holmes County – all of them – insisted that Young Earth Creationism should be taught in Holmes County schools instead of evolution. I didn’t find that terribly surprising or discouraging.
But what made my shoulders sag this week was the statement by Pinellas County School Board candidate Ken Peluso that “creationism and evolution should be taught side by side”, according to Gradebook. Peluso is not a fringe candidate. He was endorsed by the Tampa Bay Times on July 31 (before his creationism comments) and the Pinellas County Teachers Association.
Peluso backtracked today (according to Gradebook). But as far as I’m concerned, the damage is done.
Maybe Peluso’s retraction will quiet the debate for now.
But if Brandon Haught has taught us nothing else, it’s that in Florida the evolution education controversy will always return.
Bridge to Tomorrow 