TonkaFocus signed Amicus Brief in Georgia
Local newspapers published a letter in October 2005 from Deephaven resident Mr. James L. Tucker, who wonders why TonkaFocus signed an amicus brief in Cobb County, Georgia in June 2005. We’re happy to explain, and to correct substantial inaccuracies in Mr. Tucker’s letter.
Amicus Brief
TonkaFocus has been investigating the Intelligent Design vs. Evolution debate since April 2005 when Minnetonka School Board member Dave Eaton wrote in the Star Tribune advocating the inclusion of ID in our science curriculum. Mr. Eaton's letter is reprinted on the web site of the Center for Science and Culture at the Discovery Institute. (To read more about this, see the Evolution vs. Intelligent Design pages here.)
We wanted to be more informed on the issues of our district and we believed others would be interested as well. Educators and scientists around our state and around the country are deeply concerned about the efforts of Mr. Eaton and others to insert creationist controversy into the quality science education Americans value and expect. As Mr. Tucker points out, Intelligent Design is an issue for local school boards – they have the power to decide what will be included or excluded in their own public schools’ curriculum.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that citizens concerned about science education are consulting scientists and educators who’ve faced similar threats, and supporting each other’s efforts to maintain sound science curriculum. TonkaFocus is in good company – the National Science Teachers Association, the National Association of Biology Teachers, the National Academy of Sciences and 55 other scientific organizations signed an amicus brief for Cobb County, Georgia, too!
http://ncseweb.org/selman/Selman_FAQ.html for information on the case in Cobb County, Georgia
http://scit.us/cobb/citizen-amicus.pdf to see a copy of the amicus brief
Go here to see Mr. Tucker’s letter from the October 21, 2005 Chanhassen Villager
Prominent scientist is misquoted
Mr. Tucker misquotes Dr. Gene Myers (PhD, computer science; current research: computational molecular biology), who mapped the human genome at Celera Genomics in 2001, as being in favor of teaching Intelligent Design. You can read the entire 2001 San Francisco Chronicle article here, with Dr. Myers’ full quotes in the context of the interview with a reporter, where he does indeed express his amazement and wonder at the genome.
Mr. Tucker writes: "Those theories [intelligent design] are the direct result of awesome knowledge gained from the “science” of biochemistry (not from religion or philosophy). Inquiring minds (students, teachers and administrators alike) should be more than curious as to why Gene Myers (University of Colorado Ph.D. and former vice president at Celera Genomics/mapped the human genome) has stated as to the architecture of DNA, “The system is extremely complex. It’s like it was designed.” He went on to say, “There is a huge intelligence there. I don’t see that as being unscientific. Others may, not me.”
Mr. Tucker is mistaken about Dr. Gene Myers being a proponent of Intelligent Design. Since Dr. Myers’ work depends on intimate knowledge of the intricacies of evolutionary biology, it seemed unlikely he meant that teaching evolution should be weakened by introducing ID into science classrooms. TonkaFocus asked Dr. Myers to clarify this quote by asking him – Are you a supporter of ID? His response: “I am not. I am being taken out of context and upset about this. Abate [SF Chronicle reporter] interviewed me shortly after we had completed the genome and for a moment I waxed poetic about the complexity of what was there and the elegance of the ‘design’. Evolution is very real – it is directly observable in the time frames of mutating bacteria, e.g. the acquisition of antibiotic resistance.” (e-mail to TonkaFocus, 10-21-05)
Dr. Myers was expressing his personal belief about the complexities of life, as many, many scientists do. It does not mean that Dr. Myers, or any scientist, relies on a belief in an intelligent designer to conduct their work.
Education, Indoctrination, Religion?
Mr. Tucker concludes his letter: "To deny our children scientific information that challenges existing theories is a shameful exercise in indoctrination."
Indoctrination? There are no major research institutions using Intelligent Design to advance science for the benefit of humankind; young researchers are not flocking to ID to make a name for themselves in science; ID is not taught at mainstream universities.
It’s important to know that although the Discovery Institute and Mr. Eaton do not define ID as creationism, scientists and educators do. The argument over Intelligent Design is not an educational or scientific argument; it’s a legal one, as evidenced by the current trial in Dover, Pennsylvania. Update: On December 20, 2005, Judge John E. Jones III ruled that "The evidence at trial demonstrates that ID is nothing less than the progeny of creationism," It's important to note that creationism, in any form, has never won a U.S. Court case.
Finally, Mr. Tucker refers to 2005 school board candidates who support the views of TonkaFocus. Which candidates does he mean? All six of our 2005 Minnetonka school board candidates agree with at least one of TonkaFocus’ positions on issues covered on this web site.
All six candidates are calling for open communication and community dialogue. We agree. That’s the point of TonkaFocus.
Do you have information - complementary or contradictory - which you feel belongs on this page? Please contact TonkaFocus at info@tonkafocus.org.