Zack Kopplin: Why I Took a Stand Against the Right Wing

Christian Anti Science Crusade. In 2008, the summer before my sophomore year in high school, my home state of Louisiana passed a creationism law. The misnamed and misguided Lousiana Science Education Act, allows creationism to sneak into public schools science classrooms, through supplemental materials that critique evidence based, but politically controversial science, like evolution. This law also promotes the denial of climate science. Defenders of this law, often claim it's only meant to teach critical thinking, and provide academic freedom to teachers, who want to challenge evolution scientifically. There is no scientific controversy over evolution, or climate science, for these teachers to discuss, though. The only reason to have this law, is to sneak non science, like creationism, into classrooms. The purpose of the law, becomes even more clear, if you listen to its legislative sponsor. Louisiana state Senator Ben Nevers said that that the Louisiana Family Forum, a powerful lobbying group for religious rights, suggested the law to him: The Family Forum believes that Scientific data, related to creationism, should be discussed when dealing with Darwin's theory. These anti science laws are not just a Louisiana problem, they are an American problem. In 2012, Tennessee passed its own creationism law, based off the model in Louisiana. Each year, dozens of states around the country, have creationism bills introduced. This year, bills have already been killed in states including Oklahoma, Colorado, Montana, and Arizona. We still have a creationism bill in Missouri to defeat this year. Next year, a whole new set of creationism bills will be introduced. I was furious, when the Louisiana Science Education Act passed. I couldn't believe that I lived in the only state in the US, that had a creationism law at that time. I should have fought it, but I was only 14, and too young. I didn't stand up and speak out. Instead, I wrote a research paper for my high school English class, on why the law should be repealed. I assumed an adult would be the one to take on the law. By my senior year of high school, I realized that no one older than me, was willing to stand up against the Louisiana Science Education Act. I had a moral responsibility to stand up against the Louisiana Science Education Act. I had a moral responsibility to stand up for science, and for what was right. I decided to launch a campaign to repeal the law.