More and more, I fear for the future of my country, since it appears to
now be under the political control of religious fundamentalists; not much
different in their level of close minded, anti-scientific, bigotted, fundamentalist zealotry than what was observed in the Islamic revolution
that took place in Iran in 1979. Science, tolerance, and common sense are
concepts that are losing ground in this battle.
Quote:
<p>Press Release</p>
<p>For Immediate Release: Wednesday, October 13, 2004<br>
Contact: Chas Offutt (202) 265-7337</p>
<p align="center"> <font color="#000000"><strong>PARK SERVICE STICKS
WITH BIBLICAL EXPLANATION FOR GRAND CANYON<br>
Promised Legal Review on Creationist Book Is Shelved</strong></font></p>
<p> Washington, DC — The Bush Administration has decided that
it will stand by its approval for a book claiming the Grand Canyon
was created by Noah’s flood rather than by geologic forces,
according to internal documents released today by Public Employees
for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).</p>
<p>Despite telling members of Congress and the public that the legality
and appropriateness of the National Park Service offering a creationist
book for sale at Grand Canyon museums and bookstores was “under
review at the national level by several offices,” no such review
took place, according to materials obtained by PEER under the Freedom
of Information Act. Instead, the real agency position was expressed
by NPS spokesperson Elaine Sevy as quoted in the Baptist Press News:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Now that the book has become quite popular, we don’t
want to remove it.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In August of 2003, Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Joe
Alston attempted to block the sale of Grand Canyon: A Different View,
by Tom Vail, a book explaining how the park’s central feature
developed on a biblical rather than an evolutionary time scale. NPS
Headquarters, however, intervened and overruled Alston. To quiet the
resulting furor, NPS Chief of Communications David Barna told reporters
that there would be a high-level policy review, distributing talking
points stating: “We hope to have a final decision in February
[2004].” In fact, the promised review never occurred –</p>
<ul>
<li> In late February, Barna crafted a draft letter to concerned members
of Congress stating: “We hope to have a final decision on
the book in March 2004.” That draft was rewritten in June
and finally sent out to Congressional representatives with no completion
date for the review at all;</li>
<li> NPS Headquarters did not respond to a January 25th memo from
its own top geologists charging that sale of the book violated agency
policies and undercut its scientific education programs;</li>
<li> The Park Service ignored a letter of protest signed by the presidents
of seven scientific societies on December 16, 2003.</li>
</ul>
<p>“Promoting creationism in our national parks is just as wrong
as promoting it in our public schools,” stated PEER Executive
Director Jeff Ruch, “If the Bush Administration is using public
resources for pandering to Christian fundamentalists, it should at
least have the decency to tell the truth about it.”</p>
<p>The creationist book is not the only religious controversy at Grand
Canyon National Park. One week prior to the approved sale of Grand
Canyon: A Different View, NPS Deputy Director Donald Murphy ordered
that bronze plaques bearing Psalm verses be returned and reinstalled
at canyon overlooks. Superintendent Alston had removed the bronze
plaques on legal advice from Interior Department solicitors. Murphy
also wrote a letter of apology to the plaques’ sponsors, the
Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary. PEER has collected other instances
of what it calls the Bush Administration’s “Faith-Based
Parks” agenda.</p> <a href="http://www.peer.org/press/524.html">http://www.peer.org/press/524.html</a>
|
Background on this can be viewed here:
<a href="http://www.freeinquiry.com/skeptic/badgeology/grandcanyon/controversy.htm">http://www.freeinquiry.com/skeptic/badgeology/grandcanyon/controversy.htm</a>