Is Our Presidents Learning?

Our President, standing strong for the values he believes in:

President Bush said Monday he believes schools should discuss "intelligent design" alongside evolution when teaching students about the creation of life.

During a round-table interview with reporters from five Texas newspapers, Bush declined to go into detail on his personal views of the origin of life. But he said students should learn about both theories, Knight Ridder Newspapers reported.

"I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought," Bush said. "You're asking me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different ideas, the answer is yes."

Exactly, Mr. President, it's all about exposing people to different points a view. And what's more "different" in the context of science class than to teach students about a bag of ideas that is completely immune to the scientific method? I was sorry to see that this same philosophy of freedom of information did not inform the first act of this Presidency — the elimination of federal funding for groups that discuss abortion — but I'm glad he's finally seen the light.

One also has to be impressed with the President's straightforward non-talk about where he personally stands on this issue. While the vast majority of people who even suggest that unsupported non-scientific alternatives to the foundational pillar of modern biology should be given equal weight in the classroom are people who have a selective appreciation of the power of scientific explanation and human reason, Bush refuses to be painted into a corner, and instead leaves himself open to follow the issue from a disinterested distance. Is our Presidents learning? You know this one is!