RE: paleonet FW: Potential closing of the University ofNebraskaState Museum

["David Kopaska-Merkel" <davidkm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Leigh did not blame creationists. He cited anti-evolutionist (not
creationist) agitation as a possible reason for cutting the museum, but
didn't say he thought this was the actual reason. He also didn't lump
anti-evolutionists (by which I think he must mean activist literalists) with
deists: he didn't mention deists at all, as far as I can see. Let's try not
to take offense, especially if it isn't given.

David


David C. Kopaska-Merkel
Geological Survey of Alabama
P.O. Box 869999
Tuscaloosa AL 35486-6999
(205) 247-3695 (direct line/voice mail)
(205) 349-2852 (switchboard)
fax 349-2861
www.gsa.state.al.us

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> -----Original Message-----
> From: paleonet-owner@nhm.ac.uk [mailto:paleonet-owner@nhm.ac.uk]On
> Behalf Of James Mahaffy
> Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2003 1:38 PM
> To: paleonet@nhm.ac.uk
> Subject: Re: paleonet FW: Potential closing of the University
> ofNebraskaState Museum
>
>
> Folks,
>
> Why do we have to somehow always blame the Creationists?  Comments like
> the one below tend to lump all theists who believe that a deity was
> involved in origins (including myself) with the vocal group of
> Creationists who believe that Noah's flood accounts for most of the
> sedimentary record.
>
> Let me say as a neighbor, that the Nebraska Museum is a first class
> place.  I have made good use of the staff for identifaction of some
> Pleistocene vertebrate fossils.
>
> I have heard no rumors that that there is a strong lay reaction to the
> evolutionary philosophy of the Museum.  I suspect it is simply the
> easiest unit to cut with the most savings without affecting what the
> Chancellor sees as the central focus of the University.  If you look at
> his letter, he is cutting elswhere too.
>
> James Mahaffy (mahaffy@dordt.edu)        Phone: 712 722-6279
> Biology Department                                     FAX :  712
> 722-1198
> Dordt College, Sioux Center IA 51250
>
> >>> leigh@uchicago.edu 03/11/03 11:53AM >>>
>   "Wherein I do not know, thereof I shall not speak." - Wittgenstein
>
>   The Nebraska State Museum is one of the major museums in the country
>
> and is notably strong in later Cenozoic mammals.  It has a strong
> curatorial staff, at least most of whom I am glad to see are tenured.
> This fact will probably eliminate much of the stated savings; if not,
> a serious confrontation with AAUP will occur, with the university
> unlikely to prevail.
>
>   The problem is obviously one of priorities.  I also know nothing of
> Nebraska's financial status.  However, nonscientists, especially
> anti-evolutionists, can easily see as superfluous a unit which they
> don't understand and which they perceive as lacking political clout.
> The request is for outsiders to try to remedy these lacks.
>
> Leigh
>
>
> >Requests such as this are dreadfully sad, but also sadly
> >inappropriate. We know nothing of the context. Some Solomon
> >somewhere is obliged to cut babies in half and they like doing that
> >no more than we like having it done to us.
> >
> >There is a reality out there that relates to money. For whatever
> >reason(s) at the moment the economy is a secondary issue and we are
> >all involved in a deep recession. As a result we are in some rather
> >dreadful Darwinian times. At issue may be the survival of whole
> >university departments and programs. But why should we be immune
> >from this tragedy but not concern ourselves with the cuts applied
> >across the board to Buildings and Grounds staffs or to Housekeepers
> >in our dorms or to Joe down the road who just lost his job...?
> >Places that are important hardly need a writing campaign to justify
> >their continuation or future existence.
> >
> >You have my deepest sympathy but I don't know enough about your
> >state, your university, etc. to provide a meaningful letter.
> >
> >Chris Baldwin
> >
> >Michael Cuggy wrote:
> >
> >>I am forwarding this message sent to me from a friend in SVP.
> >>-----------------------------------------------
> >>Michael B. Cuggy
> >>
> >>>To SVP Members,
> >>>
> >>>At the University of Nebraska, we, like so many institutions, have
> been
> >>>undergoing severe budget cuts over the past several months. The
> University
> >>>of Nebraska State Museum had been left spared from these cuts -
> until
> >>>yesterday. We received news of the Chancellor's recommendations for
> a
> >>>portion of the third round of cuts, as quoted from the Chancellor's
> email
>
>