Saturday, May 14, 2005
Hearing Roundup -- Sour Grapes Edition
The 23 intelligent design “theorists” who came to Kansas last week at taxpayer expense expected to be sipping Champagne this week, instead they’re tasting sour grapes as this piece by Knight Ridder’s John Klepper notes:
“Calvert said Irigonegaray's only weapon was "an attorney's rhetoric," designed to make evolution opponents look like ‘ignoramuses.’ In the end, he said, he couldn't even shake his opponent's hand.
"’I don't think this strategy deserves a handshake,’ Calvert said.”
Syndicated columnist Ellen Goodman takes note of the up is down logic of the intelligent design proponents who insist against all evidence that all they want to do is “teach the controversy.”
“It's the height of irony to hear the same partisans who intimidate science teachers positioning themselves as the defenders of fair and open debate. Open-minded? Listen to the words of committee member Harris: "Our overall goal is to remove the bias against religion that is in our schools. This is a scientific controversy that has powerful religious implications." Science that doesn't teach his religious beliefs is biased against his religious beliefs.”
Associated Press reporter John Hanna looks (free subscription required) into his crystal ball and sees this:
“Voters in Kansas should expect to hear plenty about evolution next year. Five State Board of Education members face re-election in 2006, and a debate the board expects to have this summer on science standards is likely to be the biggest issue.”
Pedro Irigonegaray finally got a chance to present the pro-science argument last Thursday. According to this report by Scott Rothschild of the Lawrence (Kansas) Journal World, the board didn’t like what they heard.
“Board member Martin, of Clay Center, her eyes filling with tears, said, ‘This board has been accused of being close-minded. I guess we will leave that up to the public.’"
At least she got that right.
The grandfatherly veneer slipped a little when John Calvert churlishly refused to shake hands with Pedro Irigonegaray at the close of the hearings Thursday. Here’s the take from the Associated Press:
“John Calvert, a retired attorney representing intelligent design advocates, complained yesterday about the personal attacks generated in the debate - and refused to shake hands with Pedro Irigonegaray, an attorney representing evolution defenders.
As Martha Raffaele writes, Kansas isn’t the only place divided over the Discovery Institutes designs on our intelligence – there’s a big battle shaping up in the Dover (Pennsylvania) school board election.
“On opposite sides of this rural community, two billboards touting opposing slates of candidates for the school board illustrate a deep divide over a recent change to the high school's science curriculum.”
“Calvert said Irigonegaray's only weapon was "an attorney's rhetoric," designed to make evolution opponents look like ‘ignoramuses.’ In the end, he said, he couldn't even shake his opponent's hand.
"’I don't think this strategy deserves a handshake,’ Calvert said.”
Syndicated columnist Ellen Goodman takes note of the up is down logic of the intelligent design proponents who insist against all evidence that all they want to do is “teach the controversy.”
“It's the height of irony to hear the same partisans who intimidate science teachers positioning themselves as the defenders of fair and open debate. Open-minded? Listen to the words of committee member Harris: "Our overall goal is to remove the bias against religion that is in our schools. This is a scientific controversy that has powerful religious implications." Science that doesn't teach his religious beliefs is biased against his religious beliefs.”
Associated Press reporter John Hanna looks (free subscription required) into his crystal ball and sees this:
“Voters in Kansas should expect to hear plenty about evolution next year. Five State Board of Education members face re-election in 2006, and a debate the board expects to have this summer on science standards is likely to be the biggest issue.”
Pedro Irigonegaray finally got a chance to present the pro-science argument last Thursday. According to this report by Scott Rothschild of the Lawrence (Kansas) Journal World, the board didn’t like what they heard.
“Board member Martin, of Clay Center, her eyes filling with tears, said, ‘This board has been accused of being close-minded. I guess we will leave that up to the public.’"
At least she got that right.
The grandfatherly veneer slipped a little when John Calvert churlishly refused to shake hands with Pedro Irigonegaray at the close of the hearings Thursday. Here’s the take from the Associated Press:
“John Calvert, a retired attorney representing intelligent design advocates, complained yesterday about the personal attacks generated in the debate - and refused to shake hands with Pedro Irigonegaray, an attorney representing evolution defenders.
As Martha Raffaele writes, Kansas isn’t the only place divided over the Discovery Institutes designs on our intelligence – there’s a big battle shaping up in the Dover (Pennsylvania) school board election.
“On opposite sides of this rural community, two billboards touting opposing slates of candidates for the school board illustrate a deep divide over a recent change to the high school's science curriculum.”
