Science integrity is a National Defense issue

I don't know how to put it more bluntly than this, but the creationist/global warming-denialist knuckleheads making up the core of the GOP these days and passing crap like the so-called "Louisiana Science Education Law" (sic) are a present danger to the United States.

http://richarddawkins.net/article,2706,Analysis-of-SB-733-LA-Science-Education-Act,Lousiana-Coalition-for-Science


This warplane was NOT designed by people who disregard science, folks:


Maj. Micah Fesler, a 433rd Weapons Squadron pilot, flies an F-22A “Raptor” from a Lockheed-Martin factory in Georgia to Nellis AFB, Jan. 9. This Raptor is the first to be delivered to the 57th Wing from Lockheed-Martin, and is scheduled to be used by the U.S. Air Force Weapons School for training of PhD-level instructor pilots. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Phil Landram)



This is the kind of weapon designed by people who have no use for science and believe the world was created 6,000 years ago:

An artillery shell rigged as an IED in Iraq. Photo taken from globalsecurity.org site

Zero Tolerance For Common Sense

Every year we're treated to stories of school systems run by people with advanced degrees have no common sense and less moral backbone and therefore they feel obliged to give some poor kid an awful day that they will remember for the rest of their lives just so the educators can follow some rule.

The latest one from South Carolina:
http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/607283.html

Some kid uses a broken pencil sharpener and the teacher decides the little blade is a "weapon" and makes a federal case about it.

You know, how about some common sense and a little damn love for the poor child here. Evidently this was not a trouble-making child and there's no question that it was simply a kid using a broken pencil sharpener, Now the child is going to be suspended for two days. A teacher with some common sense and real concern for their student (as opposed to being primarily concerned about No. 1 and getting in trouble for not following the rule strictly enough) would have simply pocketed the blade and sent it home with the child at the end of the day, perhaps with a little not to mom and dad asking that they replace the broken tool. I have no doubt that every day, across America in thousands of classrooms most teachers are exercising just that level of common sense and love for their charges dealing with similar cases that don't make the news.