2009 March 1 Newsletter: Zogby Poll Part 1

March 1, 2009 NEW ZOGBY Poll shows overwhelming support for teaching both "strengths and weaknesses" of evolution.

In This Issue

Science - New Poll Shows Darwinism Fading Fast

Citizen Involvement - How YOU can help! [& Gettysburg Address]

"A fair result can be obtained only by fully stating and balancing the facts on both sides of each question..." - Charles Darwin in Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life

http://www.strengthsandweaknesses.org/teachbothsides.htm

Terri Leo wrote last week and mentioned the new scientifically conducted Zogby poll recently released. Today we fill in some details on that poll, which interestingly, has gotten nearly zero reporting in the newspapers, even though they widely reported on the completely bogus campaign that the most liberal lobbying group in Texas promoted in January (and called it a poll).

While polling certainly does not determine truth, it is instructive that after nearly FIFTY YEARS of Darwinist indoctrination, common sense triumphs over the neo-Darwinian non-sense. Information does not randomly appear out of a typewriter, computer, or DNA molecules, and Americans intuitively know this.

It continues to be important to write to the Board. In light of the Zogby poll below, you might politely inquire of the eight who voted with the Darwinists just who they think they are representing? After all, in our representative form of government, they are supposed to represent you, and it is abundantly clear they are not doing so.

Please continue writing the State Board of Education, encouraging them to reinstate "strengths and weaknesses" language. You may easily email the entire Board, right now, from your normal email program by using teachboth@strengthsandweaknesses.org. Your email will be immediately forwarded to their email in-boxes. The Darwinists are screaming to the press--please help us push back by writing directly to the board members often.

Thank you!

TBSE volunteers
+++

Teach Both Sides! (petition--goes straight to the Board as well)

SCIENCE: Is neo-Darwinism "surviving" the struggle for survival?

Ed. note: A couple of days before Lincoln's 200th birthday, a new, scientifically conducted poll was released that probed what Americans really think about the teaching of evolution in schools. Below are some highlights of that poll by Zogby International, one of the most prestigious and accurate of all polling organizations. More details will be available soon and on the TBSE website here.

Darwin Would Be With The VAST MAJORITY in Wanting "Strengths and Weaknesses" Taught!

Highlight 1: All demographic groups support strengths and weaknesses language by what would be called "historic landslide" margins if it were an election.
Zogby-All

According to the poll, Democrats(82%) and liberals (86%) are even more likely than Republicans (73%) and conservatives (72%) to support the academic freedom of teachers and students to discuss the "strengths and weaknesses of evolution."[1]

Highlight 2: Support for teaching evidence against evolution is increasing, not declining.

The poll also shows a dramatic 9-point increase over 2006 in the percentage of likely voters who agree that "Biology teachers should teach Darwin's theory of evolution, but also the scientific evidence against it." Support for that position has jumped to 78%, up from 69% in 2006. The percentage of likely voters who favor teaching only the evidence for evolution suffered a corresponding decline of 7 points, from 21% in 2006 to just over 14% this year.[2]

Highlight 3: Young Adults are FAR less likely than any other age group to favor teaching evolution as unquestioned fact.

When asked if they agreed with the statement that biology teachers should teach "only Darwin's theory of evolution and the scientific evidence that supports it"-the position typically advocated by pro-Darwin activists and academic partisans-0% agreed among those in the 18-24 year-old age bracket![3]

Highlight 4: Non-religious people overwhelmingly support teaching both sides.

Individuals identifying with no Christian or Jewish denomination favor the freedom to discuss evolution's "strengths and weaknesses" by nearly 82%.[4]

Highlight 5: College graduates support teaching both sides MORE than those without college degrees.

College graduates (84%) support the freedom to discuss evolution's "strengths and weaknesses" more than those without a college degree.[5]

Highlight 6: Voters of all political persuasions, includi Zogby-Dems-Libs-College ng Democrats, Liberals, and Republicans, support teaching strengths and weaknesses by landslide margins.

Democrats (82%) support giving teachers and students the freedom to discuss Darwinism's "strengths and weaknesses" even more overwhelmingly than Republicans (73%). Self-identified liberals (86%) favor the freedom to discuss evolution's "strengths and weaknesses" more than conservatives (72%).[6]

Highlight 7: Overwhelming majority agrees with Darwin's own words regarding teaching both sides.

QUESTION: Charles Darwin wrote that when considering the evidence for his theory of evolution, "...a fair result can be obtained only by fully stating and balancing the facts and arguments on both sides of each question." Do you strongly agree, somewhat Zogby.Darwin.Both agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with Darwin's statement?

Strongly agree 45%
Somewhat agree 31%
Total Agree 76%
Somewhat disagree 6%
Strongly disagree 12%
Total Disagree 19%
Not sure 5%

Three-quarters (76%) say they agree with Darwin's statement, while about a fifth (19%) say they disagree. [7]

In light of this report, it seems reasonable to ask who the eight "teach-evolution-only-and-as-fact" members of the SBOE are representing and why they have voted to censor the discussion of "strengths and weaknesses" from the classroom. Perhaps you should write them and ask them. Replies may prove interesting.[8]

[1] Report on 2009 Zogby Poll about Evolution and Academic Freedom, Center for Science & Culture, Seattle, Washington.
[2-7] ibid. TEKS3A-StrengthsandWeaknesses
[8] SBOE members voting with the Darwinists, ACLU, and secular humanists to censor weaknesses from the TEKS standards were Rick Agosto (San Antonio), Lawrence Allen (Houston), Mary Helen Berlanga (Corpus Christi-McAllen-Brownsville), Bob Craig (Midland-Odessa-Lubbock-Amarillo), Pat Hardy (Ft Worth, Weatherford), Mavis Knight (Dallas), Tincy Miller (Dallas), and Rene Nunez (El Paso),

+++

teachboth@strengthsandweaknesses.org

Please email the State Board weekly and help wherever you can.

CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT-How YOU Can Help!

Your Assistance Is Still Needed on Three Fronts!

First, please write a politely worded letter of support to the State Board of Education encouraging them to keep or even strengthen the "scientific strengths and weaknesses" language that has served Texas well for TWENTY YEARS without a single legal challenge. You might also point out one or two of your favorite weaknesses of evolution theories. SBOE Email: teachboth@strengthsandweaknesses.org and sboesupport@tea.state.tx.us. Other contact information is located here.

Second, please take a minute and sign our "Teach Both Strengths AND WEAKNESSES of Evolution Petition" here. It will only take 30 seconds and will help counter the Darwinist dogma that, "No one questions evolution." Note that we are now sending these responses directly to the board automatically as they are received. A steady stream of "Teach the Weaknesses" messages will help keep them focused on the truth.
(http://www.strengthsandweaknesses.org/teachbothsides.htm).

Third, mark March 25, 2009 on your calendar. This is the day public testimony will be taken before the full State Board of Education in Austin. It is especially important that you consider testifying if you are a teacher or have Ph.D. credentials. For more information, see:
http://www.strengthsandweaknesses.org/Contact.Texas.State.Board.of.Education.htm.

Thank You!

(Gettysburg Address courtesy Library of Congress - from Lincoln Memorial)

Important!	If you were forwarded this note from a friend and do NOT wish to receive them, please let the friend know. If you click SafeUnsubscibe below you will unsubscribe your friend! Please do not do that!
Copyright 2009 TBSE. All Rights Reserved. Permission is expressly granted to forward in its entirety to whomever you wish!