Creationism may seem ridiculous to Daily News readers (Earth is only 6,000 years old? Really?), but a majority of Americans believe Creationism's claims, as poll after poll shows. And no wonder. Our evolution isn't taught (or is only mentioned half-heartedly) in a majority of American public schools.
A 2007 survey of high school biology teachers (http://www.natcenscied.org/) says "A majority either avoid human evolution altogether or devote only one or two class periods to the topic." And no wonder, since 62% of our biology teachers told the pollsters they're either Creationists themselves or advocate "Intelligent Design" (Creationism's masked twin). Even teachers who accept evolution often don't teach it, succumbing to relentless harassment by Fundamentalist students and parents.
Creationists have largely quit trying to enact their anti-science worldview in state legislatures or even local school boards. Instead they work in the dark, where the national media doesn't look. Besides bullying individual teachers they've also cowed all major textbook publishers and state textbook selection committees, which work without public oversight. Consequently everything "controversial"like evolution gets soft-pedaled or deleted from texts and tests. So our government fails in its duty to protect Fundamentalists' kids from being brainwashed. And the resulting glossy textbooks are such inoffensive pap that they turn off most other kids to science.
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