paleonet Moral Values Doesn't Necessarily Mean Anti-Evolution

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Dear Lisa (and Palaeonetters)

I think you're over-reacting. We are all aware of the creationist element in the United States, but I wouldn't dismiss all the "moral values" voters as creationist nutters. Being pro-life does not make you a creationist. (Many pro-life voters would not vote for a candidate who is not also pro-life, for example). As an independant (i.e. non-American) observer, it looks like Kerry's extreme liberal stance put off a lot of (conservative but by no means rabid creationist) voters who may otherwise have voted Democrat.
As to the question of what we should do about creationism, that's been a hot topic for a long time, and there's no easy anwer to be had. But in specific terms, the recent anti-evolution initiatives in the US have failed, and I don't think we should be any more worried now than four years ago.

Breandan

----- Original Message -----
From: "Lisa Park" <lepark@uakron.edu>
To: <paleonet@nhm.ac.uk>
Subject: paleonet Moral Values Means Anti-Science
Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2004 10:18:45 -0500

> 
> Dear Paleonetters and all people interested in Science---
> 
> On Tuesday, George Bush was re-elected President of the United States.
> Whether or not you supported him is inconsequential.  What will have extreme
> consequences to those interested in paleontology and the study of evolution
> is WHY he got elected.  Despite an unpopular war in Iraq and an
> underperforming economy, millions of people turned out at the polls to vote
> for Mr. Bush.  The reason they cited was “moral values.”  Most pundits
> define this as meaning anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage, but it runs a
> little deeper than that.  It is also anti-science, and for us,
> anti-evolution.  With 4 Supreme Court Justice nominations looming in the
> next 4 years, Mr. Bush could appoint very extreme right-wing justices who
> could effectively put prayer in school, the Ten Commandments in public
> places and Creationism in the classroom.
> 
> The time is now for all of us to come together and realize what is
> happening.  One THIRD of Americans are evangelical Christians.  They
> interpret the Bible literally, which means that they do not believe Earth is
> 4.6 billion years old, but do believe that the Flood caused the Grand
> Canyon.  What was once thought of as a “fringe” element in American society
> has become the majority and, as witnessed on Tuesday, they VOTE.
> 
> The question is…..what are we going to do?  To borrow from two recent
> campaign ads: there ARE wolves lurking in the forest…are we going to bury
> our heads in the sand?
> 
> Sincerely,
> Lisa Park
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Dr. Lisa E. Park, Associate Professor
> Department of Geology
> Crouse Hall
> 252 Buchtel Commons
> University of Akron
> Akron, OH 44325-4101  USA
> 001-330-972-7633 (phone)
> 001-330-972-7611 (fax)
> lepark@uakron.edu
> 
> Damnant quod non intelligunt
> (they condemn what they do not understand)
> 
> 

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