Louisiana boycotts science; scientists boycott Louisiana

[n2doc]

Category: Creationism • Politics
Posted on: February 14, 2009 2:02 PM, by PZ Myers

ne of my favorite meetings is the annual Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology meetings. One of my favorite cities to visit is New Orleans, Louisiana. The two pleasures will not be coinciding at any time in the near future because of the ineptitude and inanity of Louisiana's legislature and governor, Bobby Jindal. Here's the press release from the LA Science Coalition:

National Scientific Society to Boycott Louisiana over LA Science Education Act

The first tangible results of the Louisiana legislature's passage and Gov. Bobby Jindal's signing of the 2008 Louisiana Science Education Act have materialized, and these results are negative both for the state's economy and national reputation. The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, a national scientific society with more than 2300 members, has put Gov. Bobby Jindal on notice that the society will not hold its annual meetings in Louisiana as long as the LA Science Education Act is on the books. In a February 5, 2009,letter to the governor that is posted on the SICB website under the headline, "No Thanks, New Orleans," SICB Executive Committee President Richard Satterlie tells Jindal that "The SICB executive committee voted to hold its 2011 meeting in Salt Lake City because of legislation SB 561, which you signed into law in June 2008. It is the firm opinion of SICB's leadership that this law undermines the integrity of science and science education in Louisiana."

Pointing out that SICB had joined with the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) in urging Jindal to veto the legislation last year, Satterlie goes on to say that "The SICB leadership could not support New Orleans as our meeting venue because of the official position of the state in weakening science education and specifically attacking evolution in science curricula." Salt Lake City was chosen as the site of the 2011 meeting in light of the fact that "Utah, in contrast, passed a resolution that states that evolution is central to any science curriculum."

Noting that SICB's recent 2009 meeting in Boston attracted "over 1850 scientists and graduate students to the city for five days," Satterlie pointedly tells Jindal that "As you might imagine, a professional meeting with nearly 2000 participants can contribute to the economic engine of any community." The implication of SICB's decision for both New Orleans, which is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, and the entire state of Louisiana is clear. With Gov. Jindal threatening draconian budget cuts to the state's universities, the loss of such a significant scientific convention will only add to the state's deepening fiscal crisis.

more:
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/02/louisiana_boycotts_science_sci.php

[T Wolf]

1. The next step should be to disallow all HS credits in science for all students in Louisiana.

Those kids certainly are not learning science.

[rudy23]

2. Some people are so quick to punish ALL of Louisiana, or whichever flyover state

for the misdeeds of their governor. It really explains a lot about the Democrats' near silence on Katrina & N.O.'s recovery.

How would you like to be branded as a Bush supporter, just because you're American? Why punish students for what the other adult voters in the state voted for?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. We shouldn't enable bad schools.

If students don't have proper science prerequisites, they're unfit for college.

[Random_Australian]

8. It's not a punishment. If you don't learn a subject, you don't get credit for learning that subject.

That's all there is to it.

[msongs]

3. Louisiana repubs & fundies prefer diapers and prostitutes to science nt

[walkaway]

4. Isn't Jindal the "New Hope" of the republican party?

Is he going to really run as president after promoting the "Flintstone" theory of a 10,000 year old Earth where dinosaurs and cavemen cavorted together?

How is this going to go down with independents? Why to republicans keep playing to their base? Those losers aren't going anywhere but you need more that 30% of the country to win. Keep up the good work Bobby...the rest of the country is fascinated by you and the wacko's that vote for you.

[vinylsolution]

6. New hopeless, more like....

.... With lunatics like him and Palin center stage in the run-up to 2012, it looks like an easy double-term for Obama.

[FiveGoodMen]

7. I don't know. Lunatics have done very well (for themselves) in the past!

[Orsino]

9. And SICB is choosing *Salt Lake City* as a haven of free thought?

Be ashamed, NOLA.