Religion
Related: About this forumHow 19-year-old activist Zack Kopplin is making life hell for Louisiana’s creationists
http://io9.com/5976112/how-19+year+old-activist-zack-kopplin-is-making-life-hell-for-louisianas-creationistsKopplin, who is studying history at Rice University, had good reason to be upset after the passing of the LSEA an insidious piece of legislation that allows teachers to bring in their own supplemental materials when discussing politically controversial topics like evolution or climate change. Soon after the act was passed, some of his teachers began to not just supplement existing texts, but to rid the classroom of established science books altogether. It was during the process to adopt a new life science textbook in 2010 that creationists barraged Louisiana's State Board of Education with complaints about the evidence-based science texts. Suddenly, it appeared that they were going to be successful in throwing out science textbooks.
A pivotal moment
"This was a pivotal moment for me," Kopplin told io9. "I had always been a shy kid and had never spoken out before I found myself speaking at a meeting of an advisory committee to the State Board of Education and urging them to adopt good science textbooks and we won." The LSEA still stood, but at least the science books could stay.
No one was more surprised of his becoming a science advocate than Kopplin himself. In fact, after writing his English paper in 2008 when he was just 16-years-old he assumed that someone else would publicly take on the law. But no one did.
Long article, worth reading. Makes my hope for humanity go a bit up.
DryRain
(237 posts)I hope we hear more from him in the years to come. Sounds like a brave leader in the fight for rationality in our world, so much needed these days.
niyad
(113,587 posts)Kalidurga
(14,177 posts)I hope this makes him think of having a career in politics if it doesn't scar him too much.
cleanhippie
(19,705 posts)In fact, that law was passed with the help of religious moderates. The blame can be laid at their feet.
skepticscott
(13,029 posts)from those on the religious left. Not to mention the great wave of outrage from those here who are constantly posting "look what religious people are doing and atheists aren't!"
muntrv
(14,505 posts)cbayer
(146,218 posts)He was blamed for Hurricane Katrina, lol!
Phillip McCleod
(1,837 posts)some are priceless crazy. some are awesome.
Jim__
(14,083 posts)I would be interested to hear any lessons he's learned about how to attack the problem. In one of the videos, (state) senator Walsworth asks if they've had ecoli evolve into humans in an experiment. Obviously, Zack is not going to reach people like Walsworth. I'd really like to hear if he has come up with any ideas about how to get past the Walsworths of the world without getting bogged down in head-butting contests.
I wonder if there are enough concerned people in Louisiana for Zack to win this politically. My guess is that he may be able to win in some cities, probably not in the more rural areas.
cbayer
(146,218 posts)In general they like straight talking people that they feel are on their side and are often less agenda driven than some other parts of the south.
I think he could really go places.
pinto
(106,886 posts)Clear and effective.