Saturday, May 28, 2005
Red State Rabble Reader Alert: Does Smithsonian Showing of Discovery Institution Film Violate Policy?
The events calendar at Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture proudly proclaims that,"The Director of the National Museum of Natural History and Discovery Institute are happy to announce the national premiere and private evening reception for The Privileged Planet: The Search for Purpose in the Universe" on June 23. Attendance at the event is by written invitation only.
What, the premiere science institution in the U.S. is sponsoring an intelligent design film?
Denise O'Leary, who writes the ID Post-Darwinist blog, has been crowing now for several days about the Smithsonian Institution sponsorship of the screening of the intelligent design film.
They believe the sponsorship implies a new acceptance of the "science" of intelligent design, or, in O'Leary's case, that sufficient political pressure has been brought to bear.
John Schwartz of the New York Times reports that it may have little more to do with a $16,000 contribution made by Discovery Institute to the Smithsonian. Panda's Thumb also has a post up about the controversy that is developing.
Red State Rabble likes the idea that $16,000 samoleans have been taken out of the coffers at Discovery to be put to good use by science, however, we also think the showing may violate the museums sponsorship policy, which states that, "events of a religious or partisan political nature" are not permitted.
Because -- as the posts at Discovery Institute and Post-Darwinist already demonstrate -- this supposed "sponsorship" will be used in the political battle to incorporate intelligent design into public school curriculums by falsely insisting there's a genuine scientific controversy over evolution, it is RSR's opinion that defenders of science education should contact museum officials to complain that the museum's "sponsorship" is being misrepresented and constitutes a violation of museum policy.
Here is who to contact:
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
10th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20560-0135
Phone: 202-633-2950
Fax: 202-786-2982
Randall Kremer, 202-633-0817
Michele Urie 202-633-0820
Special Events e-mail address: nhevents@si.edu
What, the premiere science institution in the U.S. is sponsoring an intelligent design film?
Denise O'Leary, who writes the ID Post-Darwinist blog, has been crowing now for several days about the Smithsonian Institution sponsorship of the screening of the intelligent design film.
They believe the sponsorship implies a new acceptance of the "science" of intelligent design, or, in O'Leary's case, that sufficient political pressure has been brought to bear.
John Schwartz of the New York Times reports that it may have little more to do with a $16,000 contribution made by Discovery Institute to the Smithsonian. Panda's Thumb also has a post up about the controversy that is developing.
Red State Rabble likes the idea that $16,000 samoleans have been taken out of the coffers at Discovery to be put to good use by science, however, we also think the showing may violate the museums sponsorship policy, which states that, "events of a religious or partisan political nature" are not permitted.
Because -- as the posts at Discovery Institute and Post-Darwinist already demonstrate -- this supposed "sponsorship" will be used in the political battle to incorporate intelligent design into public school curriculums by falsely insisting there's a genuine scientific controversy over evolution, it is RSR's opinion that defenders of science education should contact museum officials to complain that the museum's "sponsorship" is being misrepresented and constitutes a violation of museum policy.
Here is who to contact:
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
10th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20560-0135
Phone: 202-633-2950
Fax: 202-786-2982
Randall Kremer, 202-633-0817
Michele Urie 202-633-0820
Special Events e-mail address: nhevents@si.edu
