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Creep of the Week: Dick DeVos

Dick DeVos

Jennifer Granholm hasn't been a perfect governor. She hasn't pleased everyone all the time and hasn't fixed all of Michigan's problems.
Thus, say Republicans, since Granholm hasn't been able to spin gold out of the straw the GOP dominated legislature has given her, Michigan should elect an ultra right-wing businessman who doesn't need to spin gold because he has enough of it himself.
That would be Dick "Amway" DeVos, who has ties to just about every right-wing pet cause known to Cro-Magnon man.
Not that DeVos believes in Cro-Magnon man. Evolution is liberal propaganda, after all. Last week he made this clear during an interview with the Associated Press when he said he supported the teaching of Intelligent Design in Michigan classrooms.
Intelligent Design, of course, is creationism in sheep's clothing. It purports that Earth was created by some nameless higher power. Last year a federal judge struck down as unconstitutional the teaching of ID as science in public schools as it is based on a religious belief. In other words, it's not science.
Needless to say, DeVos's pimping of ID has gotten some voters pretty nervous and DeVos has been backtracking ever since.
In the AP interview that got DeVos into this mess he said, "I would like to see the ideas of intelligent design — that many scientists are now suggesting is a very viable alternative theory – that that theory and others that would be considered credible would expose our students to more ideas, not less."
The only thing is, "many scientists" aren't really pushing ID. Many religious conservatives, however, are. These are the same religious conservatives who want to dismantle public schools, ban gay marriage, outlaw abortion and post the Ten Commandments in our courthouses.
These folks love DeVos. And DeVos loves them back the way a good rich Republican should: with money.
DeVos and his wife, Betsy, have poured a lot of money into the coffers of social conservative and religious organizations including the Thomas More Law Center, Michigan Family Forum, Right to Life of Michigan and the Foundation for Traditional Values in Lansing. "All this generosity," writes Brian Dickerson in a Sept. 22 Detroit Free Press column, "presumably betokens a more-than-casual interest in advancing the conservative Christian agenda espoused by these organizations."
You bet your ass it does.
And with Michigan's economy in such terrible shape the last thing we need is to sacrifice critical science education to religious ideology. And the last person we need as governor is someone who thinks we should.
It's worth noting that the State Board of Education is getting ready to approve high school science curriculum right now. The House Education Committee has asked for a delay so legislators can weigh in on the teaching of creationism and evolution. If you don't want to see ID taught in Michigan classrooms, now would be a good time to visit http://www.michigan.gov/mde and contact some Board of Education members.

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