Intellectual freedom: The freedom to raise one's hand

A friend draws my attention to this comment on the recent Texas science standards battle: The Darwin cult vs. people who ask questions:

"If our students do not feel the freedom to simply raise their hand and ask a question in science class, then we are no longer living in the United States of America."

Common sense, combined with the pressure of at least 14,000 constituent communications in favor of allowing students to discuss all sides of science theories, finally prevailed.

Well, good. Asking questions is fundamental to science, and allowing students to ask the questions they are really thinking about is fundamental to education.

Of course, the United States is said to be changing, and perhaps it is moving in the direction of ruling many questions unsafe to discuss. It won't be a better country for that, as Canadian experience shows.