Dear Editor: Here's a suggestion that would make elections a little less painful. All candidates for public office should be required to have compulsory biology lessons. It might be an antidote, in one modest but important area, for substituting wishful thinking for actual facts.

Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin's fantasy is horrifying, but it's useful to recall that earlier this summer, South Dakota was defending a law requiring doctors to tell women that, if they get an abortion, their risk of suicide goes up. In fact, there is no causal relationship between abortion and depression. It's crucial to understand that Akin's delusion is not a solo act.

I know that some would argue that having politicians actually understand biology might lead to a slippery slope where they were required to also understand basic physics, math or even civics. But as a voter, that's a risk I'm willing to take.

Mark McFadden

Madison

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Mark McFadden: Make candidates take biology lessons