This is America, 2013, Colorado style:

8 Bayfield school candidates debate at forum

BAYFIELD – As a decisive election for Bayfield School District Board of Directors approaches, the eight candidates who are vying for three open seats explained their visions for local education in a wide-ranging forum sponsored by the La Plata County League of Women Voters on Wednesday night in Town Hall.

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Asked how evolution should be taught in schools, the candidates starkly divided along cultural lines.

Spady, who home-schools her children, said though she reads the Bible daily, she felt evolution and creationism should be taught in schools.

Hillyer, Phelps, Cox and Ross agreed.

Ross said, “Evolution is a theory and a belief. It’s never been entirely proven,” and suggested “teaching intelligent design” as an alternative, letting kids ultimately decide what they believe.

Stumpf said he thought evolution, a science-based theory, should be taught in science classes.

Smith likewise rejected creationism in classrooms, saying creationism was a religious explanation for humanity’s emergence, and therefore best taught at home.

Blatnick said, “I can’t believe this is still a question.”

So, in the field of 8 for the school board, 5 are Bible-thumping creationists.

Are we surprised?