Texas Media Bites on TFN’s Bait

It looks like the Texas media are already biting on the so-called “controversy” of Explore Evolution authors Meyer and Seelke being included on the state’s Science Standards Review Panel.
Yesterday News 8 Austin, a local CNN affiliate, ran a story, “Intelligent design debate brews controversy in Texas,” where in the first ten seconds of the video, the anchor introducing the story says that “one human rights organization is up in arms over the inclusion of several intelligent design scientists on the state’s curriculum review panel.”
Wow, a human rights organization… that’s impressive. I’m thinking Amnesty International must be all over this issue.
What, you say, the group the news is referring to is actually the Texas Freedom Network? Oh. That’s a bit confusing… I didn’t realize that maintaining ignorance on evolution was a human right. My mistake.
The rest of it is interesting, if a little funny. (“Move over science books, another may be on the way.” Because our bookshelves are too crowded? Should I tell Ken Miller to stop with his 17th edition of Biology?)


The story does let both sides of the issue speak, though there’s some interesting interpretation of what they actually said.

“Intelligent design is essentially an undermining of the theory of evolution and sound science in our public schools, and we’re deeply disturbed by that,” TFN’s President Kathy Miller said.
One of the three targeted by TFN, panelist Dr. Ralph Seelke is a biology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
“Simply allowing the student to look at scientific evidence for and against something, that is not by any means, by any stretch of the imagination teaching intelligent design–which I do not want,” Seelke said.
Seelke said it’s important for students to look at all theories on how life came about and not just evolution.

Immediately after Dr. Seelke said that he unequivocally does not want to teach ID in the classroom, the news reporter frames his position as something else entirely, that students should look at “all theories on how life came about and not just evolution.” Did reporter Joe Robuck even listen to Seelke when he interviewed him?