acroyear | off kansas goes...

Today in Kansas the creationist majority on the state BOE brought an unannounced resolution, which they passed 6-4, that created a special Board committee to hold as yet unspecified hearings “to investigate the merits of the two opposing views [evolution and presumably some form of Intelligent Design/creationism] offered by the Kansas Science Curriculum Writing Committee.”

This action bypasses the established procedures already in place (the writing committee itself and the public hearings now going on), and gives the creationists a special forum to air there views. The resolution appointed Board chair Steve Abrams as well as Board members Connie Morris and Kathy Martin to the Hearing Committee. All are creationists, and Abrams was the Board member who secretly collaborated with the creationists back in 1999 to produce those infamous standards.

In addition,

The Board also voted to link to the ID/creationists minority report (which has already been voted down by the writing committee) on the state website here for public discussion.
the Board voted to table the decision to send the writing committee’s draft out for external review. The one bid for this wasfrom McRel, a very reputable reviewer, and one which would undoubtedly give the committee’s draft high marks.
the resolution is going to set up a survey on the State Department of Education’s website to get the public views on this matter, and is going to publicize the number or respondents who support each view.
the opposing view also will include the "new definition" of science already rejected by the science curriculum writing committee.

(source: Panda's Thumb)

In other words, when there is no reasonable way you can get your agenda across through the normal channels, use secrecy, stealth, backroom deals, and flagrantly bypass or change the rules, THEN put the final measure (which you know your constituancy wants, whether its achieved legally or not) to the public for vote and support.

Is evolution really THAT dangerous? Does the same God who has given us our freedom REALLY want us to break the very laws we set up for ourselves (and in many ways, modeled after His law) just to prove our faith?

That's not the kind of God I worship.

sheesh...