Senate GOP leader investigating California Science Center's cancellation of anti-Darwin film
The case of the canceled anti-Darwin film is evolving in a potentially unpleasant way for the California Science Center.
It's already facing a lawsuit for alleged fraud and 1st Amendment violations from the American Freedom Alliance, an L.A. think tank that wanted to screen "Darwin's Dilemma: The Mystery of the Cambrian Fossil Record," which promotes intelligent design as an alternative to Darwinian theory as an explanation for how life developed on Earth. Now, the state-owned museum in Exposition Park is getting heat from Sacramento.
Dennis Hollingsworth (R-Murrieta), the GOP's leader in the state Senate, last week sent Joel Strom, the chairman of the science center's board of directors, a letter saying he aims to investigate the "disturbing situation." Hollingsworth said he's concerned that the science center may have violated laws prohibiting government agencies from banning groups from using public spaces because of their point of view.
Attached was a long list of information he wants handed over pertaining to the decision to cancel the Oct. 25 screening, "including e-mail communications from CSC staff, employees and board members which discuss the event and the topic of intelligent design."
The case may prove awkward for Strom, a Beverly Hills dentist who was appointed to the science center's board by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
-- Mike Boehm
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Photos: Spencer Tracy, left, and Fredric March as lawyers resembling Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan in the film "Inherit the Wind," echoing the 1925 "Scopes monkey trial" that debated Darwin's theory of evolution; Dennis Hollingsworth. Credits: Associated Press (film still); Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press (Hollingsworth).
Doesn't this GOP leader have better things to do than harass a science center? I read about this and the science center cancelled for legal reasons having nothing to do with the group's point of view. The group lied in its application about what it intended to show. Why is the GOP promoting lies and rewarding liars? I suspect it's because they need votes from the brain-dead section of the voting population.
But, in the never-ending quest to shove nonscience nonsense down the public's throat, along with religion and mind control, the GOP has decided to use its power to harass people who don't deserve it.
GOP, get a life. Do something useful and stop acting like babies with stinky diapers. We're sick of your antics.
Posted by: dejah thoris | January 20, 2010 at 08:06 PM
Oh, and just for the record: science belongs in science centers. Creationism belongs in churches. The two don't mix. If the GOP would like to force false science into science centers, then I think it's about time we had equal time for churches to host science films...
Why is it that the GOP wants to force people to do things? Forced creationism in science centers... forced birth...forced government entry into people's bedrooms... forced Christian agenda... forced right-wing rants on the public masquerading as news... I don't get it. Aren't these the same people who are ranting about getting government out of our lives? And yet... here they are... forcing government to do things it shouldn't be doing -- like forcing science centers to show religious-based nonsense masquerading as science.
I don't get it. Why does the GOP hate America's freedoms?
Posted by: dejah_thoris | January 20, 2010 at 08:20 PM