Miss USA Contestants Are Asked If Evolution Should Be Taught In Schools

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Run time: 14:48 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay7srP7lOlE   Posted on YouTube: June 20, 2011 By YouTube Member: djarm67 Views on YouTube: 26315   Posted on DU: June 23, 2011 By DU Member: Amerigo Vespucci Views on DU: 4098

 

June 22, 2011 06:00 PM
Weep For The Future: Miss USA Contestants Are Asked If Evolution Should Be Taught In Schools

By Nicole Belle

Weep For The Future: Miss USA Contestants Are Asked If Evolution Should Be Taught In Schools

I've said before, I'm okay with whatever faith one chooses. Whatever brings comfort. as long as it's not forced upon others is a personal choice. But I do draw the line at the evolution vs. creationism/Intelligent Design debate. There are not equally valid sides to this argument. The use of the word "theory" when applied to scientific matters does not mean the same as the lay definition of the term, and I think that confuses those who are weak-minded.

The way that the majority of these women express their view that there are multiple and equally scientifically valid arguments truly shows the success of the religious right to muddy the waters and dumb down the populace by introducing skepticism over scientific theory.

I weep for the future.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. Every time I hear the Miss American contestants open their mouths, I get SCARED.

This is where our country is today intellectually, and it terrifies the hell out of me.

[swilton]

24. Unfortunately I was of that ilk -

but that was 40+ years ago - thankfully I've changed.

What is scarey is the intellectual social regression of this country since the 1960's - Vietnam didn't happen; Three Mile Island didn't happen - Watergate didn't happen - etc., etc.

What is observable also is how patriarchal religion has become - the more fundamentalist the more sexist representation of women. The three that I thought had the minimum clue of what was going on (South Dakota, Vermont, Washington) were the pearls among the swine - like prostitutes selling their values down the drain in the service of corporate interpretations of superficial beauty.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

33. I couldn't agree with you more! Authoritarian, sexist, racist, hate-filled.

Authoritarian, sexist, racist, hate-filled, with no conscience, in which corporations have the real vote, and all things are dressed up in that fake, symbol-ridden patriotism fundamentalists and right wing extremists love so much.

[wtmusic]

2. "Good to present our students with both sides of the story..."

:banghead:

But there are so many bullshit fairy-tale sides...how do we choose?

[AlbertCat]

5. both sides of the story..."

The side supported by a theory that has been so correct in it's predictions as to be positively prophetic?

Or the side made up by goatherds in the late stone age?

It's a tough choice....

[Enthusiast]

14. Well said...nt

[tclambert]

18. As long as they include the Cherokee creation story and give it equal weight to Genesis.

The Earth was all water. A water beetle dove to the bottom and brought up mud that expanded into all we know as the Earth. And the animals hung the Earth from the sky by four ropes.

You think that's silly? Genesis has a talking snake in it.

[stockholmer]

31. lol @ 'goatherds in the late stone age' n/t

[swilton]

23. By that logic we should be giving equal voice

to the flat earth theory as well!

[Enrique]

3. next question, should we burn witches?

"i don't know, that's a tough one, we should leave it to the government"

[Enthusiast]

16. There are right wing religious

extremists in this country that would burn 'heretics', gays and anyone they suspect of being a member of a minority religion. They do not have foggiest notion of the meaning or intentions of our founding fathers. These young ladies are a product of the influence of these people.

[tclambert]

19. One would think a witch would curse anyone who tried to burn her.

Better to just back away slowly and let them mind their own business.

[Vinnie From Indy]

4. I weep for America!

[AlbertCat]

6. I weep for America!

Well, to play devil's advocate, we really don't know what she thinks. She is giving the answer she thinks will please everybody, including the judges.

She also does not represent America accurately.


But I too weep for America because there are way too many who actually believe Evolution is not real, and even MORE who will pretend to, just to fit in.
It does make the US look like a bunch of fools. And that we are.

[Marblehead]

7. cosmetics have

quite a bit of lead in them.

[tomm2thumbs]

8. some of them are walking-talking trainwrecks... can't stare, but can't look away either

MissUsed is what pageant some of these young ladies belong in...

[Moostache]

9. It is abundantly clear that "beauty" and "intelligence" do NOT have a causal relationship!

ARGGRGGHHHRGGRHHHHH!!!

Teh Stoopid....IT BURNS!
I choose to picture those girls as modern day Dorian Grays - their portraits becoming uglier and uglier as the statements flow out of their empty heads.

[RufusTFirefly]

10. Some of these women become ugly as soon as they open their mouths

Historically, these contestants have never been the sharpest knives in the drawer (sorry if I offended someone), but even so, the erosion of science and reason in this country is truly alarming.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

11. Stephen Gould wrote of evolution as an imperfect fact...

"...facts and theories are different things, not rungs in a hierarchy of increasing certainty. Facts are the world's data. Theories are structures of ideas that explain and interpret facts. Facts don't go away when scientists debate rival theories to explain them. Einstein's theory of gravitation replaced Newton's in this century, but apples didn't suspend themselves in midair, pending the outcome. And humans evolved from ape-like ancestors whether they did so by Darwin's proposed mechanism or by some other yet to be discovered."
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/evolution-fact.html

By the same thought process, religious beliefs are NOT theories.

[xocet]

12. Miss Vermont (from time index 13:00) brought in some empirical evidence of evolution. Good for her.

n/t

[AmericaIsGreat]

13. Pretty horrifying but the winner, Alyssa from CA

Gave one of the best answers, identified herself as a science geek, and answered a question about medical marijuana intelligently too.

[Enthusiast]

15. The thing is, they don't

even suspect their own ignorance in the least. They actually believe they are giving well thought out intelligent responses. And that alone is frightening.

[neoralme]

29. That is the most frightening of all. What was always a hidden text

with the contestants of these pageants...beauty(?)...is not so hidden anymore. I wish I had not watched even the small portion of that video that I watched.

[gristy]

17. predictable, yet still a shock

:(

[Ex Lurker]

20. I'm willing to bet several of those women are saying what they know the

audience wants to hear. One of the smartest women I know competed on the pageant circuit in a southern state. She attended an Ivy League school, and in the summer would go home and play the ditzy southern belle role for the judges. Don't ask me why, but that was her thing.

[JJW]

21. Video best viewed with audio off.

I don't blame them for the nonsense. Some probably fear for their life, if they give the wrong answer. Christians being a vengeful, sinful, and bloody group. No one expects the Inquisition.

A better question would be, what type and quantity weapons should one be allowed to carry to school.

[neoralme]

27. Absolutely. I half-expected one of them to start yodeling. We are

doomed.

[amyrose2712]

22. That was just painful. nt

[spedtr90]

25. Should we teach that the earth is round...

or should we teach "both sides" because you, pretty lady, believe it is flat. I'm guessing you haven't gone into space and actually seen it for yourself, so who really knows?


They do not even have a basic understanding of what science is.

[neoralme]

26. A terrifying video having nothing to do with the subject matter. Is this

our young womanhood? They could all get jobs selling costume jewelry on cable. How far down we have come? We should really concentrate on important stuff, like legalizing marijuana...

[dotymed]

28. Aren't they talking about Science being taught in School?

One of them said "I took evolution in College."
Am i missing something besides really dumb girls?
Isn't evolution taught in all public schools anymore?

[DFW]

30. I know brains and beauty ARE compatible

My wife and daughters are proof, even if there is a WHOLE lot of evidence here being presented to the contrary!!!!!!!!!

[KansDem]

32. Okay, time to pull out an old classic...

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTc1NjgyNzk5OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTY0OTUyMQ@@._V1._SY317_CR10,0,214,317_.jpg

IMDB

One of the best satires in American cinema!

[proud2BlibKansan]

34. Science is such a huge thing!

:rofl:

I watched this a week ago and I am still rofl over that reply.

[JonLP24]

35. Actually surprised

so many answered it favor. I know most answered yes for both sides and understand the criticism for that. I think they probably answered that way to please as many people with that response or they genuinely felt both sides should be told in school which is fine. I disagree with that myself, I don't have a problem with religious beliefs being taught in religious specific classes but evolution is a topic that should be in a science class probably biology.

Responses by Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, and Mississippi had me shaking my head. Probably others but I tried to make this post while watching the video so I have to reload it to watch it to the end.