Texas State Board of Education member Terri Leo is totally against censorship.
Totally.
In a recent editorial entitled ""Darwin Would Not Have Supported Censorship," Leo chastised those who would "thwart critical thinking" by removing the "strength and weaknesses" language from the science standards in Texas:
Darwin himself would not have supported censorship of the scientific weaknesses of his own theory. Indeed he wrote a whole chapter in his book, On the Origin of Species, about the difficulties with his theory. Darwin said, "If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down."
I wholeheartedly agree with that Darwin would not have supported censorship. So what did Darwin say next, Ms. Leo? Don't you want your readers to know?
"If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down. But I can find out no such case."
The Origin of Species
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Darwin was clearly unable to find any complex organs that could not have evolved. And, much to the dismay of anti-evolutionists like Leo, there is absolutely no valid reason to think otherwise today. I wonder why Leo chose to leave that sentence out?
Not content with just one out-of-context quote, Leo concluded her editorial with this well-worn gem:
As Charles Darwin so aptly stated in On the Origin of Species, "A fair result can be obtained only by fully stating and balancing the facts and arguments on both sides of each question."
Aw man, here we go again.
The actual sentence should read like this:
"A fair result can only be obtained by stating and balancing the facts and arguments on both sides of each question; but that cannot possibly be here done."
The Origin of Species
Introduction
Introduction
If you read this sentence in its original context, you will recognize that Darwin was addressing his scientific peers, acknowledging that they would have objections with some of his ideas. Darwin knew that these challenges could not possibly be addressed in the limited space of a 500-page book. He was assuring them that their objections would be readily meet in the scientific arena. That's how REAL science works.
And those objections have been countered with scientific evidence over and over again in the 150 years since The Origin was originally published. Ms. Leo apparently wants us all to ignore that inconvenient fact.
Isn't it interesting how someone who claims to be against "censorship" in the science classroom is willing to "censor" Darwin's own words when they do not support her agenda?
I keep looking for an honest argument from the anti-evolutionists on the Texas State Board of Education. You know, one that doesn't involve extensive quote-mining, or hypocrisy, or contradictory rhetoric, or outright lying.
Sadly, I can find out no such case.
posted by Jeremy Mohn
