Energy funneled into creationism debate best served elsewhere

By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Columnist

Darrow Aiona said it best. The former Board of Education member, long-time teacher and minister told the board: "Seems to me the only time you folks have a good crowd is when you talk about sex and religion."

The board members nodded in weary agreement.

What in the world was that Thursday night meeting all about?

Creationism versus the theory of evolution? Separation of church and state?

The search for truth?

Well, you could tell from the get-go the meeting wasn't going to be about that.

Board member Denise Matsumoto started off by back-pedaling faster than an elite athlete in a spinning class. She prefaced the public testimony by trying to put distance between herself and the debate, saying the effort to include creationism alongside evolution in science classes came from "the committee" and was not simply the product of her acting alone.

Even though she introduced the measure to the regular education committee. Even though she walked the measure through the committee. Even though she was quoted discussing in detail the theory of creationism.

But it wasn't her. It was the committee.

So much for the search for truth.

On the one hand, it was really wonderful to see all those University of Hawai'i professors come down from the hill and speak so passionately about science and about learning. It was inspiring.

And it was cool to hear the Christian ministers and lay people talk just as passionately about hearing both sides, or more correctly, all sides of the debate.

The room was full of good intentions and people who really care about what is being taught in the public schools. Those good intentions spilled out of the boardroom and down the hall. All told, close to 200 people voiced their opinion by showing up to share their three minutes of testimony, faxing, mailing or e-mailing the board members.

Wouldn't it be great if all those people who weighed in so vehemently on this debate would transfer that passion into action on behalf of the public schools?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if all those fine UH professors volunteered an hour of their time to visit Pu'uhale Elementary or Nanakuli High? If all those concerned parents, concerned citizens and concerned experts took their concern and raised money for the unbearably hot auditorium at Kawananakoa Intermediate or the dirt football practice field at Kahuku?

I'm not saying that never happens. I'm sure many of the people who weighed in on the creation debate have put in serious time and effort into public schools. But it's obviously not enough, and I don't think we should so easily get derailed by a moot point like creationism being taught in science classes when there's so much else to get riled up about in our public schools.

Why don't hordes of people show up about health and safety issues on campuses? About the teachers' contract? About the Felix consent decree? About eighth-grade math scores that are among the lowest in the nation?

As Aiona finished his testimony, he remarked about the many years he had served on the Board of Education. Board member Shannon Ajifu replied, "And we're still going in circles like you did before, yeah?"

Yeah. And whose fault is that? It's great that so many people care. How about we work to care about something that's truly a problem and truly something a focused community effort can fix?

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8172.