Stevens letter: Science standards

Idaho Statesman reports the Idaho Legislature voted to ban the study of climate change in Idaho schools. They say they want more “balance” in science studies. Nonsense. They banned it because it contradicts their 14th century beliefs of how the world is put together, and they are scared stiff of anything contradicting Rush Limbaugh.

Test for the Legislature: 1) Is the Earth flat? 2) Does the sun revolve around the Earth? 3) Did vaccinations for polio, and a still-developing cure for cancer, and many other diseases (saving millions) magically appear? 4) Have rates of female death in childbirth dropped dramatically because a wandering leprechaun attended the birth? Correct answers ... all no. Who answered these questions when “everybody knew” the “right” answer was “yes?”

Science has given us all this knowledge through very hard work and, yes, many failures.. Let’s give these gifts to our children and grandchildren in their publicly paid for education. Thank God for folks like Ward, Deatherage, Makela, Smitchger, Richmond, Pierce, Taylor, Coberly, Elliott and many like them.

You and/or your children vaccinated against polio? Thank science. How did we send someone to the moon? Thank science.

Legislature — get your heads out of the sand, if you can.

This story was originally published March 10, 2017 at 7:48 PM with the headline "Stevens letter: Science standards."