Discovery Institute starts ad campaign weeks before elections
6:16 p.m. Friday, July 7, 2006
Topeka — The Discovery Institute announced they will launch a public awareness campaign called “Stand up for Science, Stand up for Kansas.” The Institute aimed the campaign at rallying support for new Kansas Science Standards.
The campaign will include radio ads, an online petition and meetings with community groups and churches.
The Seattle-based Discovery Institute said their only goal is to spread the truth. The Institute said the timing of their new public information campaign has nothing to do with the upcoming State Board of Education elections.
“We are not involved in the election. Period,” Dr. John West, Kansas Discovery Institute, said. “We are involved in public education about issues.”
But Jack Krebs, with Kansas Citizens for Science said he isn’t buying that stance.
“I can’t even believe they said that,” Krebs said. “I mean, there’s nothing wrong with pointing to the obvious fact that we have major elections coming up in three weeks, and that science standards have been one of the issues that the state board has been in the hot seat about.”
In fact, Krebs said he thinks the Discovery Institute designed the campaign specifically to sway voters.
“I’m just certain that they have been aware that they were going to roll this out at about this time,” Krebs said. “Because it’s the next two or three weeks that you really catch the public’s attention about these issues.”
Discovery Institute claimed the timing is a coincidence and that they are only responding to other groups.
“What we’re trying to do is a counter campaign of misinformation by groups like Kansas Citizens for Science,” West said.
But Kansas Citizens for Science said they are the group who spreads the truth, and clears up misinformation.
“We’re the ones point that out, and then they point to us and say we’re misrepresenting them,” Krebs said.
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