Speak Out

Re "New building approved for Oxford High" (News story, March 4):

It is outright embarrassing to me to read that Oxford High School is expanding yet again, while in so many issues of The Star I read that Anniston High School is having trouble putting books in its library and placing a few computers in the school.

What is wrong with this picture? Do we not value the kids in both schools equally? Everyone always wants us to vote for more tax funding for schools, but how about equal distribution of our Alabama tax dollars so that all schools in all counties are funded to the best quality standards we can achieve, not just the schools in pricey neighborhoods?

This embarrassment allows us to be rated as one of the worst states for education, which keeps businesses from moving into Alabama as well as adding to our overall dropout rate.

Why would a kid from Anniston High think they are just as important as a kid from Oxford High? Isn't public education about equal education and opportunity?

Cindy Martin
Heflin

Evolution is a fact

The controversy over the teaching of creationism vs. the scientific theory of evolution shows the lack of understanding about evolution. Evolution isn't an "atheist religion." A majority of Americans believe evolution is true, but only about 10 percent of society considers themselves atheist.

Evolution doesn't assume God doesn't exist; it doesn't deal with God at all, pro or con. Evolution is a set of statements based on evidence in the fossil record, on the geological strata, on morphology, and rates of genetic mutations over time that are fairly constant along with other evidence.

Evolution isn't "just a theory." It is different than a layman's definition of theory. A scientific theory is not a guess or even a hypothesis. Continental drift is a theory. The existence, structure and dynamics of atoms is a scientific theory. Relativity is a theory. Virtually no person, let alone a scientist, doubts these things are facts. A scientific theory is a set of principles that describes observed phenomena. A theory is a model that describes facts.

Evolution has happened, that is a fact. How it happens, the model, is the theory. If evolution isn't true, why do some species of fish that reside in caves with complete darkness have skin that covers useless eyes? Evolution shows these eyes are vestigial organs that aren't necessary.

Colleen Kronquist
Anniston