Barbara Forrest on the Louisiana Family Forum's activities - Published in the Baton Rouge Advocate - May 29, 2001

Dear Editor:

Since Rep. Sharon Weston-Broome's resolution blaming evolution for racism has suffered a well deserved defeat, some perspective on this episode is in order to expose its true nature. Any doubt that the motivation was religion ("Broome said her criticism of Darwin stems from concerns over race, not religion," The Advocate, 5/9/01), was erased by Rep. Broome herself: "I think that our children should have an opportunity for critical thinking in the classroom. When they can't think about what God taught, we have cut off that opportunity" (Shreveport Times, 5/9/01). Moreover, at her April 17 meeting, the booklet Where Did the Races Come From? by Answers in Genesis-one of the worst creationist organizations in America (www.answersingenesis.org)-was available to attendees. HCR 74 was clearly a creationist attack on evolution-disguised as a denunciation of racism in order to make people of good will reluctant to oppose it. Creationists for years have blamed Darwin for racism; this tactic is not new. (See the Institute for Creation Research's "Evolution and Modern Racism," at www.icr.org/pubs/imp/imp-007.htm.) However, creationists have not made it a primary tactic-until Rep. Broome did so. Given the hard-won but positive progress in race relations in our state (Rep. Broome's election to the legislature is a prominent example), her use of this sensitive subject to attack evolution is reprehensible.

Equally troubling, however, is Rep. Broome's alliance with Darrell White and the Louisiana Family Forum, the Louisiana branch of Focus on the Family, a right-wing religious organization run by James Dobson. Her intent to seek an evolution disclaimer for textbooks was the first public evidence of this association. But there is more: White wrote three pro-disclaimer letters to The Advocate on Aug. 29, 1998; Aug. 29, 1999; and Feb. 26, 2000. He testified for Rep. Broome's resolution before the House Education Committee on May 1. And the April 25, 2001, issue of LFF's "Family Facts" (www.lafamilyforum.org/publications.cfm) announces the availability of a "Forum Note concerning Darwin's racist tendencies."

LFF's "God-Affirming Opportunities in Public Schools" (Forum Notes,1:4) includes among these opportunities the "Balanced Treatment of Science" (code for creationism), along with its "Bible as History and Literature High School Elective," which produced a Florida lawsuit (partly because it sneaks creationism in through the back door) and which Massac County, Illinois, rejected because of constitutional problems (www.pfaw.org). The LFF "Publications" page contains an "Evolution Addendum for Public Schools" by creationist Charles H. Voss, Jr., incorporating creationism into the use of the public school textbook Biology: The Dynamics of Life.

This alliance may signal a coming wave of creationist activity in Louisiana. People who want to preserve church/state separation and to protect the public schools from the White/Weston-Broome agenda would do well to pay attention.

Back to Essays & Editorials

Home
Calendar
News
Who's Who
Congrats/Thanks
Essays & Editorials
Photos
Links
Library