NPR did a story yesterday on the Steven Williams lawsuit. That story said that there were in fact multiple complaints to the principal by multiple parents. The story interviewed several parents who said that Mr. Williams talked about Jesus constantly, during math lessons or science lessons or, as one put it, "a hundred times a day". They also interviewed several other teachers from the school, according to the reporter, and not one of them took Williams' side in the dispute. It also pointed out that the 5th grade textbook that he uses in his 5th grade class contains a full copy of the Declaration of Independence, putting the lie to the ADF's claim that the Declaration was "banned in the classroom".
Particularly fascinating was this quote from Steve Williams, who when asked if he had an agenda replied, "My agenda is to give my students an accurate representation of history." One might wonder about the veracity of that statement given the numerous false quotations and false documents found in his handouts.
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ADF...Liars? I repeat myself.
Really, if I wasn't already a Christian, these RR types, especially the Christian lawyers (oxymoron alert!!!) would convince me that religion was nothing but a political tool of the mendacious.
I have a personal relaionship with Christ, but I don't have a mental illness that compels me to shove it down the throat of the uninterested. If people aren't interested in your beliefs because they like what they see as its effect on your life, you've got nothing to share. These RR types don't get it. They want to be Caesar!
Mark my words: The culture wars will lead to the demise of public education in large parts of the United States. It will happen slowly. But it will happen. And it is happening. It will be things like the antics of this Williams character, the wackiness from the Texas school board control over content of textbooks, and the antics of what appears to be likely coming from the Kansas state school board again, that will kill public education. In past decades, when fundamentalist Christians ran for school boards in large parts of the country, they would do so surrepticiously, hiding the fact that they were fundamentalist Christians and their agenda--until after they were elected. Now, in large parts of the country, they are running openly, getting elected, and openly pushing their agenda.
As far as I'm concerned, the demise of public education, because of the culture wars, can't come too soon. Our taxes will be reduced considerably. We don't have any children. We are in our mid-50's. And we can arrange to--I'll put it--minimize our US tax payments. Why should we care what Americans want to do? Other than from an intellectual standpoint, these discussions are largely meaningless.
Those of you with children who you want educated--as opposed to proselytized to--should be well advised to consider arranging for it yourself.
BTW, Ed, there was a story today in the NYTimes that indicated that you and your fellows at Panda's Thumb are going to have bit of work cut out for you on the evolution front. Take a look at Christian Conservatives Turn to Statehouses http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/13/national/13states.html Europe has its problems, but I do believe that you might want to consider learning a Fremdsprache.
BTW, some of the above is sarcasm. Some, but not as much as one might believe.