Not in a science class
In her letter of May 8, Ms. Virginia Cross argues for the teaching of creationism. She mistakenly states that evolution teaches that "everything came into existence out of nothing." That is simply untrue! Evolution, as explained though the "Big Bang" theory, posits that all matter was compressed into a tiny space that exploded into a continuously evolving universe. All that matter was certainly not "nothing." Contrast this with either of the two "creation" stories wherein a supreme being created something out of a void, i.e., nothing. If Ms. Cross can't accept a theory that the universe was created from nothing, the Genesis stories should be hard for her to swallow.
It is important to note that these stories had been handed down verbally around the campfires to people who could not read or write. Like other stories, these were intended to answer the question, "From whence did we come?" How could these people comprehend that Earth is really not the center of the universe or that the stars in the sky are not located on a "vault in the firmament"?
Of course, we do not yet know what caused the Big Bang, so Ms. Cross might want to posit that her supreme being did it. But that is not the stuff of science. It is the stuff of religion and should not be disguised as science. Religion is best taught in houses of worship and/or individual homes and not in science class.
JIM HERDEN
Little Rock
On systemic racism
It seems those in the Biden administration who espouse the idea of persistent systemic racism missed something in social psychology 101: Many people try hard to do the right thing, but when constantly berated as racists, some will succumb and say to themselves, "If I am a racist, I might as well be one."
Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech changed the world and will remain far superior in terms of positive effects to left-wing dogma and critical race theory now being widely taught. If President Biden personally encountered as much functional illiteracy as we have in this country, he would relegate critical race theory and instead emphasize basic learning which would lead to progress on many fronts.
CHARLES VERMONT
Bentonville
Everyone should read
It's too bad the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is only a statewide newspaper. Everyone in America should read the letters of Julia Foster, John Roach and Neal Wheeler in Monday's letters section.
JERRY BACH
Hot Springs Village