Alberta and Oklahoma: the Stupid march again

[the_archfiend]

 This was first mentioned on PZ Myers' Pharyngula, but the original link bears mentioning first:  

A controversial Alberta bill will enshrine into law the rights of parents to pull their children out of classes discussing the topics of evolution and homosexuality.

The new rules, which would require schools to notify parents in advance of "subject-matter that deals explicitly with religion, sexuality or sexual orientation," is buried in a bill that extends human rights to homosexuals. Parents can ask for their child to be excluded from the discussion.

Wonderful bit of Trojan Horse language in that bill there. Why, they could be American pols with that sort of attitude! 

PZ's response to all this is worth repeating as well:

If there's something in the real world that you don't like, such as that you evolved from other apes, or that gay people exist, or perhaps that understanding the motion of bodies requires some of that difficult math stuff, students will be allowed to close their eyes and plug their ears and pretend those uncomfortable complexities don't exist. How sweet! And then they can graduate without ever learning anything new, and go on to be ignorant voters who will no doubt continue the trend of dumbing down everything.  

But hey, if the Troops of Dumbth who live north of the border are feeling lonely, there's this piece of nonsense that the Oklahoma GOP decided to put in their latest party platform:

7. We believe that the scientific evidence supporting Intelligent Design and biblical creation should be included in the Oklahoma public school curricula, and if any evolution theory is taught, that both should receive equal funding, class time, and material. Teachers should have the freedom to cover creation science without fear of intimidation, reprimand, or lack of professional respect.

(Quote courtesy ERV)

One of these days, someone from that pitiful state is going to crack a book on the legal history of attempts to interject religion in science classes and their heads will explode - possibly on the basis of Kitzmiller v. Dover alone. And I'll be exceptionally pleased when someone else cleans up the resultant mess and realizes how wrongheaded (pun not intended) such efforts are.