The old battle continues!

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Date
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The following letter was received by Woody Henry.  Lets help out!- Roy

Department of History and Government
Southeastern Lousiana University
SLU 484
Hammond, LA 70402

July 23, 1995

To:  Secretary, The Paleontological Society

     I am writing to request the assistance of the Paleontological Society
in my effort to protect the integrity of science education in the area where
I live, Livingston Parish, Louisiana.  In addition to being a resident of
Livingstone Parish, I am both an educator (an associate professor of
philosophy at nearby Southeastern Louisiana University) and a parent whose
children attend public schools.  I am sure you are aware of the efforts
currently being made by creationists, aided by the Christian Coalition, to
have creation "science" inserted into science classes all over the country.
This is precisely what is happening in Livingston Parish, which will soon be
the location of one of the most advanced scientific facilities in the world.
Our parish has been selected as the site of the Laser Interferometry
Gravitational-Wave Observatory, one of only three to be built in th world.
The other two will be in Hanford, Washington, and Italy.  The ceremony
marking the beginning of the center was recently held in one of our public
high schools, just across the street from the Livingston Parish School Board
office, where the board is now in the process of considering the adoption of
a creationist curriculum guide for our science clases.  LIGO officials plan
to make the facility available for use as an educational resource for parish
students--in a parish whose whose school board is considering a creationist
science curriculum.  The irony of this situation is overwhelming.

    I am requesting the Paleontological Society's assistance in the form of
letters to the individual members of the school board urging them to refuse
to allow our public schools to be used by the creationists, represented in
this instance by the Origins Resource Association, a creationist group based
in New Orleans which has been approaching local school boards.  A committee
of 25 K-12 teachersis presently studying an ORA curriculum guide which was
written by the members of this group and is designed to incorporate the
teaching of creationism into the biology curriculum.  Our neighboring
parish, Tangipahoa, is presently involved in litigation right now because of
its involvement with this same group of people.  I need your help;  of the
approximatley 70,000 residents of Livingston Parish, I am the only one who
has publicly spoken out on this issue.  No one has been willing to come
forward to assist me.  My hope is that a letter from you, as well as others
whose help I am requesting, will convince the school board of the mistake
they will be making to adopt creation science as part of the curriculum.
Scientists and educations must take
part in this effort if American students are to be provided with decent
science education.

     I am being assisted by Eugenie Scott and Molleen Matsumura of the
National Center for Science Education in Berkeley, CA.  They are giving me
advice on how to approach the board.  if you are willing to help in this
effort, please let me know as soon as possible.  I shall provide you with
the necessary background information relating to this issue.  I look forward
to your response and appreciate your kind consideration.

Sincerely,

Barbara Forrest, Ph.D.
Assoc. Prof. of Philosophy

Voice:    (504) 549-2111 or -2109
E-mail:   bforrest@selu.edu







-- 
Roy E. Plotnick
Geological Sciences
University of Illinois at Chicago
845 W. Taylor St.
Chicago, IL 60607

plotnick@plotnick.geol.uic.edu

phone: 312-996-2111
fax: 312-413-2279