Friday, November 04, 2005
Deja Vu
Red State Rabble was able to attend the Kansas Science Hearings in Topeka last May where we listened in fascinated horror as Science Coalition attorney Pedro Irigonegaray cross-examined intelligent design witnesses. Irigonegaray is an excellent attorney and skilled questioner, but pulling the truth from these witnesses -- as the transcripts bear out -- was like pulling teeth.
Lately, we've been reading the transcripts from the Dover intelligent design trial where parents are suing the Dover Area School Board for having a pro-intelligent design statement read to students in 9th grade biology classes. School board members say intelligent design is a scientific theory not a religious belief, but they have been extremely reluctant to answer questions in court about the motivation behind their decision.
After reading School Board President Alan Bonsell's testimony last night, we just can't get that old Yogi Berraism, "It's like deja-vu, all over again," out of our mind:
Plaintiff's Attorney Steve Harvey: I'm not asking you if you could see something like that. I'm asking you if you have a memory of wanting to know how the Dover schools dealt with creationism?
Dover School Board President Alan Bonsell: That could be.
Q. That could be or that is? Either you remember or you don't, Mr. Bonsell.
A. Did I ever have an -- could you ask that one more time? I'm trying to get an understanding of where you're coming from with the question. Did I ever have
an interest at all in creationism?
Q. Yes, sir. And the question is more specific. Actually, it's in 2002 and 2003, whether you had any interest in creationism that related to the Dover schools?
A. Probably.
Q. That you can recall?
A. Probably.
Q. Whether it was said or not, whether it was just in your head and never said?
A. Probably.
Lately, we've been reading the transcripts from the Dover intelligent design trial where parents are suing the Dover Area School Board for having a pro-intelligent design statement read to students in 9th grade biology classes. School board members say intelligent design is a scientific theory not a religious belief, but they have been extremely reluctant to answer questions in court about the motivation behind their decision.
After reading School Board President Alan Bonsell's testimony last night, we just can't get that old Yogi Berraism, "It's like deja-vu, all over again," out of our mind:
Plaintiff's Attorney Steve Harvey: I'm not asking you if you could see something like that. I'm asking you if you have a memory of wanting to know how the Dover schools dealt with creationism?
Dover School Board President Alan Bonsell: That could be.
Q. That could be or that is? Either you remember or you don't, Mr. Bonsell.
A. Did I ever have an -- could you ask that one more time? I'm trying to get an understanding of where you're coming from with the question. Did I ever have
an interest at all in creationism?
Q. Yes, sir. And the question is more specific. Actually, it's in 2002 and 2003, whether you had any interest in creationism that related to the Dover schools?
A. Probably.
Q. That you can recall?
A. Probably.
Q. Whether it was said or not, whether it was just in your head and never said?
A. Probably.
