Good Schools, Richard Dawkins, Darwin and Evolution--Correspondence--a future teacher begins to think right

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"...every group that wishes to see conflicting interests resolved reasonably, or is wise about the conditions under which it enjoys its own freedom, must be profoundly concerned with the state of freedom of speech and assembly, freedom of inquiry and teaching, freedom of press and other forms of communication, freedom of cultural opportunity and development. For in large measure intelligent moral choice depends upon them."
--Sidney Hook (1902-1988), disciple of John Dewey, and champion of pragmatism and democracy

Correspondence

--A future teacher begins to think right

The following is a letter from "Tracy," who says she is an English major (I would assume preparing for a future in the field of education). She writes this email in response to my "Darwin and Racism" piece:

Mike--

My question is, if we advocate the removal of Darwinism from our school, what are we advocating? I have a problem with pushing Christian origin theories in public schools. Obviously, there will need to be someone else's theories to put in its place.

I hope it isn't the "God created the universe" theory.

--Tracy

I replied to her email in this fashion:

Tracy--

Thanks for your thoughtful comments!

I agree, it is a sticky issue. If it were not, it would have been resolved years ago.

I would respond to your question something like this: The king has just been told he has no clothes on. I suggest we find the best, opaque, suitable garment available.

Tracy, the real issue is this: Presently, we are living a lie, and a very harmful, racist lie. If we continue with bad science, and blatant racism, simply because we want to discourage an opposing notion, we are doing a great disservice to our children, and to the nation as a whole. It is wrong thinking.

I suggest honesty, and real science. The truth exists. Start with Stuart Kauffman's "The "Origins of Order." By all means, avoid Dawkins. ignorant works on Darwin altogether. Look for truth, avoid make-believe.

...And remember, just because in physics we do not yet have a unified theory does not give us liberty to make one up. The same is true with regard to the history of mankind. Just because we do not yet have all the answers, we are not at liberty to buy into Darwin's fairy tale. Teachers do not like a vacuum, but sometimes we must live with what we know. It is a little like living within a budget -- it is not necessarily fun, but it is fundamentally necessary.

--Mike Carrier

Tracy then responded with this:

Mike--

You're right -- it is ok to advocate for the removal of something harmful and for the addition of a properly-researched "something" without having to specify what that something is.

I'm just a chicken English major, with little science background, hating to speak out against something without advocating something specific to replace it.

Not knowing WHAT to advocate makes me feel uneasy. I guess I'll just throw caution to the wind, do some research, and work from there. Thanks for the heads-up.

--Tracy

Tracy is on her way to right thinking. I hope she maintains her desire to do the right thing for her future students. If she does, and if she works hard, she will be a great teacher, and an asset to her profession.

Would you like to see related letters and my comments?

--Mike Carrier (MA, NYU--Graduate School of Arts and Science)

This site features a frank presentation of issues facing parents, taxpayers and schools in reforming schools in the twenty-first century. Good Schools promotes good schools, and explains what is necessary to achieve good schools. We are convinced that good schools can be obtained only with sound curriculum, which does not include the teaching of Darwin's theory of origin, or Darwin's theory of evolution. We believe that local school boards need to be empowered, and the influence of teachers' unions ought to be limited to labor-related issues. Teachers' unions should have no say in curriculum.

We are convinced that the teachings of Darwin, particularly Darwin's teachings on evolution, and Darwin's theories on origins, ought not be taught as fact. Darwin and Darwin's theories are not generally accepted by contemporary physicists and cosmologists, and, therefore, Darwin and Darwin's theories ought not be accepted whole-cloth by our schools of education, and ought not be presented as fact in public schools.

Because Richard Dawkins has set himself up as the number one defender of Darwin and Darwin's theory of evolution, we will go to some length explaining Dawkins' Darwin defenses, and we will do our best to explode Dawkins' Darwin defenses.

We seek to show from Darwin's own hand that Darwin, and Darwin's theory of evolution, are racist at the core. Darwin was a racist, Darwin's theory of evolution is racist, and Darwin's theory of origins is racist.

We further seek to show that Darwin's theory of evolution is not scientific. We show that racism, more than science, was behind Darwin and Darwin's theory of evolution, and Darwin's theory of origins.

Some of the terms commonly used on this site are: Darwin, Dawkins, schools, public schools, education, gun control, teachers, John Dewey, Littleton, racist, racism , school choice, African American, Sidney Hook, evolution, and Mike Carrier.

Bottom line--good schools require work. Good schools do not just happen. We need good schools, if we are to have a good nation.