Monday, September 26, 2005

Good Grief

As part of a larger article at MSNBC on the Pennsylvania "intelligent design" law, I saw this:
The history of evolution litigation dates back to the famous 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, in which Tennessee biology teacher John T. Scopes was fined $100 for violating a state law that forbade teaching evolution. The Tennessee Supreme Court reversed his conviction on the narrow ground that only a jury trial could impose a fine exceeding $50, and the law was repealed in 1967.

In 1968, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned an Arkansas state law banning the teaching of evolution. And in 1987, it ruled that states may not require public schools to balance evolution lessons by teaching creationism.

What the? ILLEGAL to teach evolution until the late 1960's? Another proud moment in history. Good grief.

Of course, in 1967 there will still sixteen states with laws prohibiting mixed race marriages. And the Supreme Court had to finally declare those laws in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Alabama Senate didn't finally repeal their law until 1999, thirty-two years after the Supreme Court ruled it illegal.

Sometimes our country is very cool. Sometimes it's downright embarrassing.

Full article here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9492208/.

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