Evolution Controversy in the Deep South (USA)

[Robert A Gastaldo <gastara@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

After returning home to Alabama from this year's GSA in New Orleans, I 
was confronted with a decision made by the Alabama State Board of 
Education concerning the adoption of new Biology textbooks for the next 
six years.  Controversy had arisen in the committee earlier this Fall 
when they considered these books for adoption because of the inclusion of 
the 'E-word'.  Yesterday the State Board of Education decided to adopt a 
"Disclaimer" that will be placed in the front of EVERY Biology textbook 
that is used within the State.  It will tell students that "no idea of 
the origin of life can be proven fact."  The text of the disclaimer follows:

  This textbook discusses evolution, a controversial theory some scientists 
present as a scientific explanation for the origin of living things, such 
as plants, animals and humans.
  No one was present when life first appeared on earth.  Therefore, any 
statement about life's origins should be considered as theory, not fact.
  The word "evolution" may refer to many types of change.  Evolution 
describes changes that occur within a species.  (White moths, for 
example, may "evolve" into gray moths).   This process is microevolution, 
which can be observed and described as fact.  Evolution may also refere 
to the change of one living thing to another, such as reptiles into 
birds.  This process, called macroevolution, has never been observed and 
should be considered a theory.  Evolution also refers to the unproven 
belief that random, undirected forces produced a world of living things.
  There are many unanswered questions about the origin of life which are 
not mentioned in your textbook including:
  * Why did the major groups of animals suddenly appear in the fossil 
record (known as the "Cambrian Explosion")?
  * Why have no new major groups of living things appeard in the fossil 
record for a long time?
  * Why do major groups of plants and animals have no transitional forms 
in the fossil record?
  * How did you and all living things come to possess such a complete and 
complex set of "instructions" for building a living body?
  _Study hard and keep an open mind_. Someday, you may contribute to the 
theories of how living things appeared on earth.

In the Montgomery Advertiser's article it goes on to say (and this was 
shown on the television news last evening leaving me very disconcerted) 
that the Govenor [Hon. Fob James] "was taught some evolution theory as a 
boy, but he believes that God created humans.  'They say (evolution) was 
just a notion, and no more than a theory,' he said.  'And if one wanted 
to  know something about the origin of life you might want to look at 
Genesis and you can get the whole story, period.'  The govenor's remarks 
prompted sustained applause [at the Board meeting].  He went on to 
demonstrate a picture display of evolution he remembered from a school 
book.  The govenor lumbered across the front of the auditorium bent at 
the waist and dragging his arms to mimic a monkey, gradually standing 
upright as he moved across the room [this was shown on the news].  As he 
was leaving the meeting, Gov. James said there was no question in his 
mind about the origin of human life.  'I think people came from God - 
Adam and Eve.  Everybody ought to know that.'"

There are many points to note about this resurgence of creationist push
into public education (too many for this posting).  It is self-evident
that those behind the development and adoption of the disclaimer don't
understand science.  I don't think that anyone wouldn't agree with the
concept that evolution is a theory in the strictest sense, because there
is no absolute predictability to raise this theory above this hierarchical
level.  But, I know for a fact that the teachers here do not understand
this relationship - that a theory is a hypothesis proven time and time
again by data. The multiple testing and validation of a hypothesis allows
us to raise it to a theory.  There is a big misconception in the lay
population that the word theory equates to hypothesis. Those in favor of
the disclaimer can't use the phrase "the hypothesis of evolution"  because
the scientific community has adopted it at the level of theory.  In this
sense, the poorly worded disclaimer above has mixed the issues and if the
teachers can understand this hierarchical relationship and teach this to
the students, then the students will understand that the concepts of
evolution are valid and repeatable.  Yes, we can't predict the way in
which the evolutionary scheme will move next, but we know that there will
be change and there is demonstrable change in the fossil record.

The second point appears to be related to the way in which evolution is 
acceptable.  It's alright if you discuss microevolutionary processes, but 
once we move to the larger scale changes, it's not alright.  It's almost 
as if the State Board of Education wants the students to learn some of 
the evidence for biotic change (maybe so they can score well on the 
standardized tests that everyone must take to enter college), but question 
other parts of the concept that conflict with religous beliefs. 

The remarks and actions of the govenor have brought the South full-circle 
to the Scopes Trial in the 1920's.  Unfortunately, this is how evolution 
is understood by the average person.  "We didn't evolve from no monkey" 
is the stance of the religous right and as this group lobbies,
influences politicians (who themselves are ignorant of science [recall 
that the government estimates that only 5% of the US population are 
scientifically literate]) and elects representatives who believe the same 
as they (a litmus test), this can only deteriorate the scientific 
education of our forthcoming generations.  This comes at a time when we 
need more educated people to deal with an ever-increasing complex world.

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Robert A. Gastaldo
Alumni Professor of Geology
Auburn University, AL 36849

"It was a time when everyone was chasing the bluebird of education.  
Those who did not get into the Aviation Institute took their documents to 
the Veterinary Institute.  Those who were refused at the 
Chemical-Technical Institutes became paleontologists."
                                                       A. Solzhenitsyn
                                                       The First Circle
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