Happy Darwin Day–And A Nice Surprise From An Honest Politician

Darwin Day is our ‘holiday’. It really is. The celebration of the birth of a person who shook the rafters and changed the world. Brought the religious to their knees (albeit, unwillingly). I won’t even go into the incredible lengths that some folks take to dodge reality.

Now, I found this tidbit of news quite amusing, and reassuring as well:

Congressman jabs at religious right with 'Darwin Day' resolution

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- Rep. Pete Stark, who made waves in 2007 by coming out as Congress' only avowed atheist, delighted secular humanists and took a jab at religious conservatives this week by offering a resolution to proclaim Saturday as "Darwin Day."

Stark, D-Calif., on Wednesday introduced H. Res. 81. It praises Darwin's theory of evolution and the "monumental amount of scientific evidence he compiled to support it," which "provides humanity with a logical and intellectually compelling explanation for the diversity of life on earth."

The resolution goes on to state that "the advancement of science must be protected from those unconcerned with the adverse impacts of global warming and climate change," and that "the teaching of creationism in some public schools compromises the scientific and academic integrity of the United States' education systems."

Stark on Thursday explained he's "just trying to get people to understand that we're trying to get our kids to be scientists, were pushing for green jobs and green development, and you can't stick your head in the sand and not recognize that we're in a modern age. To get there, it seems to me, we have to understand that science is all part of what we're doing.

"I'm sure there are people out there who'd say I'm the devil's advocate, but I'll give the devil as much chance as any god that people choose to deal with," he said. "To say some unknown god up there in the stratosphere directs all of our lives and our development is naive."

Tom McClusky, senior vice president of the conservative Family Research Council's legislative action arm, said after reading Stark's bill he "had to look at my calendar to see if it was April 1. ... If he really thinks this is a priority, I guess it shows why he's not in the majority anymore.

"I don't think he gives a good reason of why someone like Charles Darwin needs to be celebrated and recognized by the federal government. It's a waste, I think, of taxpayers' time," McClusky said, asking why Congress shouldn't instead honor someone like Booker T. Washington or Thomas Edison "who actually invented things, not just threw out theories."

But American Humanist Association Executive Director Roy Speckhardt issued a statement calling Stark's resolution "a thrilling step forward for the secular movement. Not only is this an opportunity to bring the scientific impact of Charles Darwin to the forefront, but this also signifies the potential for greater respect for scientific reasoning on Capitol Hill."

Don't hold your breath for passage. H.Res. 81 was referred to the Committee on Science, Space and Technology, where -- in this conservative, Republican-dominated House -- it'll surely be deemed not fit to survive.

Here’s a really, really good question: who the fuck cares what Tom McClusky says or thinks? As for the Family Research Council, somebody’s rightfully called those primitive anachronisms exactly what they are: a hate group. Yet no matter how ass-backwards these clowns are, they sure seem to get into everything, kinda like fleas.

So, here’s the petition. It may prove to be pointless – but then again, the chorus began as a single voice.

Till the next post, then.