Dear Senator,

I've called and written to my Senator, Steve Ogden, several times to express my view that Dr. McLeroy, while very nice, polite and seemingly sincere (I've met and chatted with him personally),  perhaps even an appropriate representative of College Station and Byron, is simply unacceptable as  Chairman of the State Board of Education. 

I haven't arrived at this position easily or lightly.  I've explored at great length the material and information on  'fixed earth' web sites including the one by Marshall Hall that Dr. McLeroy recommends so highly. While I can see how they might meet the religious needs of some people, I don't think the doctrine that the 'earth is fixed' and that 'religion and science are locked in a death struggle' is really an appropriate orientation for the person serving as Chairman of the State Board of Education in Texas.   My confidence in my judgment increased yesterday when I read their claim that the Hubble telescope is a fraud, as are the so-called photographs of 'outer space'.

It's not necessary to place science and religion in opposition. Most people do not. I sincerely hope that most Texans do not, that most hope for an educational system that keeps the spirit of scientific discovery alive so that our children and grandchildren can become participants and not merely servants in this enterprise.  We don't need a chairman intent on leading us back to the dark ages when a doctrinal faith in the 'six days of creation' was appropriate. People didn't know better back then. Most people know better now but a few have a hard time accepting it. These few are valued for their contribution to our religious diversity but ought not be driving our educational endeavors.

Again, it isn't necessary to place science and religion in opposition to one another. e. e. cummings wrote, "one's not half of two, it's two are halves of one."  A horse has two sides and it's not just 'one side against the other'. We need to straddle both sides to ride the horse forward.

Education is too important to be sacrificed on the alter of partisan politics. Let's find a chairman, someone like Bob Craig from Lubbock, who reflects Republican ideals but has not felt it necessary to turn his back on science as a demonstration of his religious faith.  The first step in that direction will be to tell the Governor "No, we do not support your choice for chairman of the board."

Once again, I've expressed these hopes and fears to my own senator and have urged him to rise to this higher patriotism but  Senator Ogden has remained non-committal and sometimes I get scared.  Please keep an eye on him. Let your eyes be upon him and the eyes of Texas upon you.

Very Sincerely,

Ian E. Reid
12802 Modena Trail
Austin, Texas 78729
(512) 394-8994
ireid@realtime.net  (preferred)
http://blogs.realtime.net/blogs/church&state/