Advice | Community | State Reports | Videos | Photos | Blogs
Join | Login
 
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Earth Matters Lifestyle Technology Business Transportation Home Food Family
  • Green News Roundup
  • Our Bloggers
  • MNN TV
  • Community
  • State Reports
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Climate Change
  • Wilderness & Resources
  • Energy
  • Politics
  • Translating Uncle Sam
  • Cars
  • Planes, trains, bikes
  • Shipping
  • Green Office
  • Finance
  • Green Jobs
  • Building, Products, Supplies
  • Research & Innovations
  • Computers
  • Gadgets & Electronics
  • Cooking & Recipes
  • Farms & Gardens
  • Markets & Groceries
  • Dining Out
  • Beer
  • Wine & Spirits
  • Building & Remodeling
  • Interior & Design
  • Gardening & Landscaping
  • Household Products
  • Recycling
  • Beauty & Fashion
  • Books
  • Ecollywood
  • Health & Well-being
  • My Green Day
  • Travel
  • Pets & Animals
  • Baby
  • Education & Activities
  • Holiday
MNN.COM > MNN BLOGGERS > Karl Burkart's Blog

Karl Burkart

Teacher suspended for article on gay animals

High school teacher assigns scientific article on homosexuality in the animal kingdom and is suspended. People ... science might be inconvenient but it is true.
Wed, Nov 04 2009 at 9:20 PM EST
Read more: ANIMAL RESEARCH, CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, SCIENCE

Image: Toby Turner
Science illiteracy, it seems, has worked its way up to the administrative level at one public high school in Illinois. 
 
Dan Delong, a teacher at Southwestern High School, offered an optional reading assignment last week for his students — an article written by well-known science blogger Jonah Lehrer entitled the "The Gay Animal Kingdom" published in Seed Magazine.
 
The article discusses the challenges facing Darwin's theory of sexual selection, as more and more research is documenting the prevalence of homosexuality in over 450 vertebrate species. In some cases, like male big horn sheep, homosexuality is the norm.
 
The teacher was suspended without pay.
 
This is one more example of the growing epidemic of scientific illiteracy in U.S. public schools. The topics of evolution and climate change have also faced similar challenges. In some cases, especially in the rural South, teachers are literally afraid of teaching "science as truth" for fear of parental retribution.
 
Religion belongs in church, not in school, but somehow it has crept its way in, taking advantage of the giant fissures left in the cracking edifice of an underfunded public education system.
 
The only way to fix it is public outcry and fortunately for Dan Delong, that is exactly what happened. The school administrators were bombarded by e-mails from the scientific community and parents concerned that the school's otherwise great academic standing would be threatened by such medieval administrative policies. 
 
Dan just got his job back. In this case, science won out. But be forewarned ... science illiteracy is on the rise in the U.S.
 
So in the event you are faced with someone who doesn't "believe" in science, just remind them that the big difference between science and religion is that one requires peer-reviewed empirical evidence. The other does not.
 
If they don't know what the word "empirical" means just point them to this YouTube video:
 

 

Also on MNN: We're Deer. We're Queer. Get Used to it.

  • Comments (12)
  • Link
  • EMAIL
  • Bookmark and Share
  • RSS
  • Stumble Stumble
  • Tweet Tweet
CLOSE link:
The opinions expressed by MNN Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of MNN.com. While we have reviewed their content to make sure it complies with our Terms and Conditions, MNN is not responsible for the accuracy of any of their information.
« Previous
Space age solar technology lands on Earth
   Next »
DiCaprio Foundation announces interweb strategy

Comments(12)

  • ALL COMMENTS
  • READERS' SELECTIONS
  • POST A COMMENT
Sort by:
Posted By pacific_waters - Tue, Dec 29 2009 at 4:44 PM EST

teacher suspended

I couldn't care less if someone wants to have sex with another of their gender but let's be careful how we construe "facts". Animals engage in misplaced mating behaviour but that hardly can be construed as the sex act. Somehow I doubt you'll find many animals engaged in anal sex or oral sex.

  • reply
Posted By Carl Caster - Wed, Dec 30 2009 at 3:19 PM EST

fruit bats engage in oral sex

Sorry, pacific-waters, fruit bats do oral sex for the fun of it, see http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33587754/ns/technology_and_science-science/

  • reply
Posted By T4C - Tue, Dec 29 2009 at 1:43 PM EST

DO WHAT THOU WILT SHALL BE THE WHOLE OF THE LAW.

Just to simplify the logic applied here:
-Some squirrels are homosexual.
-Squirrels are wild animals.
-Wild animals live in nature/natural conditions.
-It's natural for humans to be homosexual.

That's an awfully specious argument to make on the grounds of "science". Lions, baboons and kangaroos are among those animals that eat their young...does that mean it's perfectly fine for humans to do the same? Should we run our families the way wild hyenas run their.... More

  • reply
Posted By Zacqary Adam Green - Tue, Dec 29 2009 at 5:26 PM EST

We actually are glorified apes.

Yeah, it's true. We just happen to talk and not be fuzzy.

I know it's hard to accept. It was for me too. Just give it time.

  • reply
Posted By Lee451 - Mon, Dec 28 2009 at 9:51 PM EST

Yet Again

The Homo anti-Christian agenda is once again trying to make excuses for it's aberant behaviour. Some animals practice homosexuality; that does not make it right or natural. Most animals practice incest; there are groups begging for the "right" to sodomize their children. Will this be the next practice the more deviant members of society want to legitimize?

The author of the article failed to produce any proof that male big horn sheep are predominately homosexual. Could this "fact" be.... More

  • reply
Posted By NWOwatch - Mon, Dec 28 2009 at 2:12 PM EST

WOW... pack those lies in

Anyone who cannot see the Gay agenda promoted at every level by eugeniscist sterility feminist nazis loving Mainstream media are in cloud cuckoo land. Biological and social engineering is everywhere and affects the whole biosphere, including animals. Darwinian evolution is also easily disproven bunk and science will be proven the domain of the quacks. Religion has crept into schools... yes, but under the guise of scientific 'experts' who are in reality the new high priests, idiot teachers, an.... More

  • reply
Posted By Happy - Tue, Feb 09 2010 at 12:41 PM EST

Who is lying?

Who exactly is the liar here? Who are the deluded ones? The Stanford professor whose peer-reviewed fact-based research is the underlying subject of this article or the so-called "faithful" who expect the world to accept the Bible's collection of bronze-age fables as facts?

The enlightenment we are all gaining here is the societal realization that it is in fact Christianity that is morally deviant and unnatural. Homosexuality is not only natural, its promotion may be our best hope.... More

  • reply
Posted By  ******* - Mon, Dec 28 2009 at 1:00 PM EST

teacher suspended for article on gay animals

Out in Nature: Homosexual Behaviour in the Animal Kingdom (2001)

Beginning with a critique of science, citations from the bible, and Darwinian Theory, this film debunks previously held ideas about homosexuals by examining homosexuality in the animal kingdom. From fruit flies to dolphins, amazing footage from around the globe captures homosexuality in its natural state.

  • reply
Posted By CWO - Wed, Nov 18 2009 at 1:35 PM EST

good article but a subtle point:

It is terrible and completely unjustified what happened to the teacher but I must object to the classification of the article assigned. A blogger is not necessarily a peer-reviewed scientist, a blog is definitely not a peer reviewed article, and a scientific magazine is completely different from a peer-review journal. Please do not give credit where it is not due.

  • reply
Posted By  ******* - Mon, Dec 28 2009 at 1:04 PM EST

good article but asubtle point

really , what makes a "peer" review , you mean like those religio assholes paid by the system to keep their male homosexual little all boys world going !!!???

thats kind , or have you not yet fathomed out that the "peer" review are corrupted by the scientis to maintain the illiterate status quo and their mumbo jumbo little fairy tale man and women religionincs !!!

pathetic

  • reply
Posted By Amazing - Wed, Dec 30 2009 at 11:00 AM EST

Quality Work

Best post reply ever. I have not fathomed out peer review either.

  • reply
Posted By Atheist - Tue, Nov 10 2009 at 7:57 PM EST

Religion failing it's way to power, like it always has

Nothing new here, just the hammer that religion is allowed to carry around.

To hell with equality, human rights, secular government, etc

This old book says I can act like a damn fool and no one can say anything about it! But don't you dare take any of this fabulous stuff science has give us away from me because I'm also selfish!

Now watch me hit this drive...

  • reply

Add your comment

You can't fool Mother Nature
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

ADVERTISEMENT

About Karl Burkart

Internet entrepreneur blogs about the latest in green media and technology.

Karl's RSS Karl's profile

FROM OUR SPONSOR

Premiere Global: Better for your business, better for the planet
Work Together. Apart. Green Tips for Your Car
Green Tips for Your Home Green Tips for Your Office

Mother Nature. Delivered.

MNN's weekly newsletter sent straight to your inbox.
Follow us on Twitter Fan us on Facebook

Karl's BLOGROLL

EcoGeekFast Company
MongabayPhysorg Tech
Red Green and BlueTrendHunter Eco
TreehuggerGetting Hot in Here
Triple PunditWeb Ecoist

KARL'S RECENT POSTS

THE LATEST IN GREEN TECHNOLOGY
  • There are '6 Americas' when it comes to global warming
  • A tale of two climate polls, part 2
  • A tale of two climate polls
  • Read Karl's Blog
+ add this to my site


Quick Links

  • Earth Matters
  • Transportation
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Food
  • Home
  • Lifestyle
  • Family

 

  • Advice
  • Community
  • State Reports
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Blogs

MNN Tools

  • Join MNN
  • Newsletters
  • RSS
  • Eco-glossary
  • Widgets
  • MNN Contests
  • MNN Lists
  • MNN Mobile

All About MNN

  • About us
  • Advisory Board
  • Press
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy
  • Terms of service
  • Contact us

 

Copyright © 2010 MNN Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Website by GLICK INTERACTIVE | Powered by COLOCUBE
 
SPONSORS