paleonet Apologies - I overreacted

["James Mahaffy" <Mahaffy@xxxxxxxxx>]

Folks,

My apologies.  While sometimes evangelical Christians are all lumped
together, David was right - Leigh only picked on antievolutionists.  I
should have read his post more carefully. I took offense too quickly.
Sorry. 

I still don't see any evidence that the Chancellor was listening to
antievolutionists in making his cuts. Of course if he was, it would not
be wise to mention it, but there is NO evidence of a slant in that
direction in the reasons he gives in his release. 

James Mahaffy (mahaffy@dordt.edu)        Phone: 712 722-6279
Biology Department                                     FAX :  712
722-1198
Dordt College, Sioux Center IA 51250

>>> Mahaffy@dordt.edu 03/11/03 01:37PM >>>
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