February 1, 2010

No such thing as bad publicity

West Bend candidate garners coveted D.P. Gumby award

WARNING: The above link may contain irreverence.

More from Mpeterson, who started this ball to rolling (and as such is the one deserving of the shout-outs, not your humble scrivener).

A perceptive Pharyngula commenter adds:
I couldn't tell from Owen's [Boots and Sabers] column whether he thought that the case law is so clear that even the wingnuts wouldn't waste taxpayer money on attempts to teach creationism or that he didn't care about the Constitution.
Even assuming the former, my question had to do with how the case law made Peterson's "entire column a massive moot point."

Fact is, the case law is wholly supportive of Peterson's column.

As one nationally-known science standards defender put it to me a few years ago, "We're educating a parade." In other words, even if David Weigand or the other two creationist aspirants to the West Bend school board have no intention of fiddling with the biology curriculum, Prof. Peterson's admonitions are a public service.

They will be rendered "moot" if and when creationists surrender to reality and give up the ghost. Which will more than likely be never.

Peterson's Saturday column is here.

5 comments:

Display Name said...

Maybe he's interested in encouraging science tourism. If West Bend's school board tries to insert creationism into the curriculum, surely someone would sue to stop them, and then think of all the international and national attention that West Bend would get! When the trial starts, we'll have ring-side seats, and think of all the science fan-boys who'd travel to watch! It's pure economic development. Heads in beds! Think of all the hotel jobs it would create.

Has Mr. Boots or Mr. Sabers supplied the stack of cites yet? I'm waiting.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Boots and Mr. Sabres won't be paying the tax bill in West Bend. They're really big on fiscal sanity, but don't mind insanity if others have to pay.

illusory tenant said...

Has Mr. Boots or Mr. Sabers supplied the stack of cites yet?

Last I looked, somebody posted a few lines from Scalia's credulous dissent in Edwards v. Aguillard (which was a 7-2 decision).

Display Name said...

Free Lunch - Owen does live in West Bend and would be paying school tax there, no?

Co-blogger Jed is a lawyer somewhere else - Virginia, maybe, or Texas. Owen's wife Wendy has posting privileges, too.

We don't know which one is wearing the Boots today.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the correction, John. Yes, Owen does live in West Bend. For some reason I thought he was in a Waukesha County suburb.

Let's hope the taxpayers of West Bend don't have to pay for foolish decisions made by religious zealots, though the taxpayers are being warned that this is a risk.