I was thinking of posting this in the American Politics thread, but it seems like a separate topic.
As many of us will probably be aware, the Creationists have suffered a few set backs over the past few decades, and reality-based curriculums have taken hold in science classrooms throughout the developed world. Undaunted, the Creationists repackaged their fairy tales as "Intelligent Design" theory, and tried to get it back into the science classrooms. When this failed, they redoubled their efforts, and set to on writing legislation replete with obfuscating language about "academic freedom", which they fed to pliable politicians (who they've kept on a steady diet of massive campaign support), and they've now succeeded in two of the bible belt states - Louisiana and Tennessee - with a third poised to crumble into the anti-intellectual abyss any minute.
So, after having suffered abject failures in their attempts to make a legitimate case, and subsequently having tried to suborn the legal system, the Creationists seem to have found their stride in manipulating the political system.
The question is how far can they go? Can they get out of the flyover states? Can their cancerous growth metastasize into pockets of ignorance (like Southern Alberta and rural New Brunswick) in Canada? Is their long term plan to breed an army of ignorant voters with which to take over the world?
I was thinking of posting this in the American Politics thread, but it seems like a separate topic.
As many of us will probably be aware, the Creationists have suffered a few set backs over the past few decades, and reality-based curriculums have taken hold in science classrooms throughout the developed world. Undaunted, the Creationists repackaged their fairy tales as "Intelligent Design" theory, and tried to get it back into the science classrooms. When this failed, they redoubled their efforts, and set to on writing legislation replete with obfuscating language about "academic freedom", which they fed to pliable politicians (who they've kept on a steady diet of massive campaign support), and they've now succeeded in two of the bible belt states - Louisiana and Tennessee - with a third poised to crumble into the anti-intellectual abyss any minute.
So, after having suffered abject failures in their attempts to make a legitimate case, and subsequently having tried to suborn the legal system, the Creationists seem to have found their stride in manipulating the political system.
The question is how far can they go? Can they get out of the flyover states? Can their cancerous growth metastasize into pockets of ignorance (like Southern Alberta and rural New Brunswick) in Canada? Is their long term plan to breed an army of ignorant voters with which to take over the world?
bryanc, I can only speak for NL, since I know our educational system. We now have a system that is not controlled by various religious denominations, which is what we had when NL joined Canadian confederation on April 1, 1949. I don't see this sort of curriculum happening here.
However, when I taught grade six in Waycross, Georgia, which is considered to be the "buckle of the bible belt" (look on a map and you will see why), I was told not to teach evolution, not to discuss communism, and should let my students pray out loud just before they ate lunch each day in the school. I let them pray, but I did teach them about evolution and I did discuss communism and capitalism.
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What did Southern Alberta ever do to you, bryanc, that you would refer to 'pockets of ignorance'?
Are you referring to the Hutterite colonies (they're all over, not just in the south) or the high population of Mormons in certain areas in the south? Or perhaps the Treaty 7 Indian bands who populate the area?
(I know you don't mean Caroline, because that's north of Calgary ...)
A little clarification please - that's a pretty broad swipe otherwise.
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The topic would have been fine without the unnecessary characterizations of 'rural NB & Southern Alberta', thank you very much. Perhaps if you knew people from the South (USA that is), which I do, and also knew people from South Alberta (which I do, also), you would know that your comparisons are completely off base. The Southern USA is WAY worse already.
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I recall touring with a black artist once across all of canada. One morning, we went into a really busy loud truckstop at around 6am to get breakfast. A couple of us white guys went in first and ordered some food, but when our black friend walked in, the whole place went completely silent. It was the craziest thing, I have ever experienced. And I have toured the south US, for years...
My friend looked at me, and said, perhaps this will be to go.
Southern Alberta. Now, not all of southern Alberta is like this, but many of us who travel, know southern alberta well. And many have written popular songs about it.
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No need to get overly upset about it. Merely a personal anecdote demonstrating how people may have particular impressions of the region.
It exists in many parts of the country.
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The rules and regs of this forum state that my posts are authored by me and are my own views. This may not be true. If you see links in my posts to items for sale etc., they are not my links, nor my views. I do not wish to be held responsible for anything that occurs as a result of clicking these links inserted without my permission, So if you click any of these links, do so at your own risk.
I recall touring with a black artist once across all of canada. One morning, we went into a really busy loud truckstop at around 6am to get breakfast. A couple of us white guys went in first and ordered some food, but when our black friend walked in, the whole place went completely silent. It was the craziest thing, I have ever experienced. And I have toured the south US, for years...
My friend looked at me, and said, perhaps this will be to go.
Southern Alberta. Now, not all of southern Alberta is like this, but many of us who travel, know southern alberta well. And many have written popular songs about it.
Oh, for heaven's sake, they probably had never seen a black person up close and were just curious, so stopped talking to take a look.
If it was a typical truck stop, most of them were farmers (talkin' about the weather "Did you get any of that rain that came through yesterday?" "Nope" or "Got some on the north quarter.") or truckers. In any case, most of 'em would be the first ones to stop and help you if you were broken down on the side of the road.
And you base your opinion of an ENTIRE REGION on your perceptions of what people were thinking in one particular truckstop at 6 am one morning umpteen years ago. And broadcast that opinion on a forum as FACT?
Talk about pockets of ignorance ...
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"Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Oh, for heaven's sake, they probably had never seen a black person up close and were just curious, so stopped talking to take a look.
If it was a typical truck stop, most of them were farmers (talkin' about the weather "Did you get any of that rain that came through yesterday?" "Nope" or "Got some on the north quarter.") or truckers. In any case, most of 'em would be the first ones to stop and help you if you were broken down on the side of the road.
And you base your opinion of an ENTIRE REGION on your perceptions of what people were thinking in one particular truckstop at 6 am one morning umpteen years ago. And broadcast that opinion on a forum as FACT?
Talk about pockets of ignorance ...
Now MLeh. I thought you were pushing for more abilities to express opinions without the resulting chaos that regularly occurs.
In case I wasn't more clear before, I don't see these incidents as painting the "ENTIRE REGION" as racist. Truthfully, but our appearances before our black friend came in, he was rather normal looking. We were far, from normal looking. Trust me.
I was just saying, how people can get such an impression of southern alberta. I think the impression isn't fully justified (I actually have family all over Alberta, -including- southern alberta, even they tell stories... ).
It's a personal anecdote, and certainly not definitely the only impression. I know there are many, many gold hearted people there, just as there are everywhere.
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The rules and regs of this forum state that my posts are authored by me and are my own views. This may not be true. If you see links in my posts to items for sale etc., they are not my links, nor my views. I do not wish to be held responsible for anything that occurs as a result of clicking these links inserted without my permission, So if you click any of these links, do so at your own risk.
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