Sarah Palin

Well I haven't written a blog entry in quite some time. Since I have no regular readers and I've had other things keeping me busy this isn't much of a problem. But with election season getting a boost from the conventions and the VP selections I have to weigh in on what I've found out so far about Gov. Palin from Alaska who is now on McCain's ticket.

Adding her to the ticket certainly doesn't change my vote. Looks like I'll still be flipping the switch for Obama. Don't get me wrong. The way the Democrats have been pandering to the religious and purposely excluding secularists pisses me off. However, when I look across all the issues that concern me and this country Obama comes out over McCain and certainly over Palin. Before I list several reasons that she's a terrible choice for a VP I'll say this. 

"If she was running on her own for the office of president with her current level of experience would you even 'consider' casting a vote for her?"

I've asked myself this question of Joe Biden and I can say I would. He has many years of experience in Congress. While I don't agree with all of his votes, I can look at his record and for the most part I agree with many of his decisions. There is no way in hell I would ever consider electing this woman president on her own merits.

So what are all these problems I have with her?

• Apparently she considers drilling for oil a much higher priority than protecting the polar bear. This is despite the fact that experts in the energy industry agree that drilling for oil in Alaska isn't going to help us a damn bit and wildlife experts and climatoligists agree that climate change is seriously threatening this animal. This story also demonstrates that she is scientifically illiterate considering she's among those who still think climate change is just some kooky theory.
• I don't know the whole story here but I would really like her to explain some of this. Joel's Army are some scaring fucking idiots who have no place in civilized society and it looks like her church has links to these dominionist groups. Maybe it's overblown but I'd like to hear the explanation or her completely denounce them.
• This is a huge fucking deal breaker for me. She thinks creationism should be allowed to be taught along side evolution in school science classes. I'm sorry but I have zero tolerance for this kind of outright ignorance. As important as the education of children and science is to the future success of our country I do not understand how 'patriotic' Americans can abide this. Well I know why...it's because they're ignorant (willfully or otherwise) of the facts.
• She thinks religious leaders (who don't pay taxes) should be allowed to endorse political candidates. If they want to start paying taxes and not receive special assistance from the government then I agree that they can endorse a candidate. But that isn't the case. This is a clear violation of the establishment clause and while I hold free speech to be one of our most sacred (no I don't have a problem using that word in this case) rights, it does not extend to violating someone else's right or violating the Constitution.
• She opposes reproductive freedom for women and wants to ban abortion even in cases of rape and incest. I think we can all agree that it would be a good thing to reduce the number of abortions by reducing unwanted pregnancies but this idea of a blastocyst or fetus having the same or greater rights than a living contributing member of society is foolish. There is clearly a line where a developing fetus should be granted human rights but it isn't at conception. I'm sorry but it just runs contrary to the medical facts regarding human development. Daylight Atheism does a fairly good job of parsing out some of these problems.
• She supported the "bridge to nowhere." Supporters love to pull out this gem and claim that she actually opposed the bridge to nowhere and thereby demonstrated that she wouldn't put up with wasteful spending. The truth is that while she eventually did redirect funds she originally had no problem with these bridge and passively supported them until it was clear that the rest of the country and Congress wasn't having of this shit.

If these reasons weren't enough not to support her then consider McCain's age and health. While Senator McCain may be okay now he is in his 70's and his health record is not the greatest. As some point the body just can't handle certain stresses. And make no mistake this is one of the most demanding jobs a person could get. The risk that a VP may have to take over the presidency with McCain in office is certainly higher than it would be with a younger healthier man or woman.

I know that she isn't McCain but selecting her reflects on him. And the fact that he or his staff or the GOP would consider her a good choice blows my mind.

'Biblically Correct' Tour Guides for Jesus

This is a completely appalling video of home schooled christian children being subjected to a kind of child abuse. They are systematically being stripped of rational thought by their parents and these hucksters who take them around a natural history museum and teach them that it's all wrong. They're creationists tour guides for Jesus. Fortunately the news report isn't exactly sympathetic to them but that doesn't make it any less disturbing.

Watch as they feed the children factually inaccurate information and ignore displays that explain the 'supposed' problem they just identified. Be amazed as they claim that people regularly lived to be 800 years old in the old testament. Gasp as they tell the kids that Tyrannosaurus Rex had to have been a vegetarian before the fall of man in the garden of eden.

The ignorance is astounding but as curator of the museum says, "Regardless of what those tour guides say, some of those kids are to start thinking for themselves."

Actually the bigger problem to me is the home schooling of children. That some states allow this and do not regulate is a problem. If a parent has the option of keeping their children home to educate them, then those children should be entitled to the same educational standards as those in public school. Which means that if the state has a set of science standards that includes teaching evolution as central to biology then the parents should be required by the same standards to present that information. Testing could be conducted to verify if the children are getting that education. You can't feasibly regulate so that the parents don't spin the information but if you at least present the information to them then hopefully the kids will have half a chance of undoing the damage. These children are prisoners of ignorance and are being disenfranchised by their own parents who I'm sure love them but are still royally screwing them out of the development of rational thought.

Expelled from 'EXPELLED'

This absolutely made my day. PZ Myers over at Pharyngula blog recounts an interesting story. If you're unfamiliar with the 'Expelled' documentary that Ben Stein and Mark Mathis are putting out then continue reading. Other wise skip the next paragraph.

Ben Stein and company are working on a documentary called 'Expelled: No Intelligence Allow'. The theme or idea they are putting forth is that scientists are being drummed out of academia for holding controversial views such as supporting something called Intelligent Design which is just Creationism rebranded. The movie is built on false information and equates Darwinian theory with Nazi Germany, genocide, and eugenics. They have been holding pre-screenings for church groups and other people who they feel are friendly to their cause. They have repeatedly tried to keep any critics out of these screenings. When one got in and wrote a review it caused quite a ruckus.

So PZ Myers was at the Mall of America with his family to see this 'turd' of a movie. They used the online mechanism provided by the producers to reserve seats and used their real names. So contrary to stories floating around they didn't try to sneak in. PZ was recognized by Mark Mathis and had him 'expelled' from the theater. Read the rest of his account here to get the punchline. This is priceless.

Henry Rollins Teeing Off on Intelligent Design

I hadn't heard of this guy before but after seeing this video I'm going to be checking out his show on IFC.

Official Leaves Post as Texas Prepares to Debate Science Education Standards

Here's a nice summary of all the controversy over what has happened recently in Texas. I blogged about this a few days ago and offered several links to different blogs about the story. The NY Times piece does a good job of pulling it all together including something I had not read yet.

The standards, adopted in 1998, are due for a 10-year review and possible revision after the 15-member elected State Board of Education meets in February, with particular ramifications for the multibillion-dollar textbook industry. The chairman of the panel, Dr. Don McLeroy, a dentist and Sunday School teacher at Grace Bible Church in College Station, has lectured favorably in the past about intelligent design.

So when they come up for review next year a bible thumping dentist with a creationist agenda is going to be at the helm. This is dangerous. Texas is a huge market for textbooks and anyone who has bought them can tell you they are expensive as hell. It's a huge industry with a lot of money being spent and if they start writing books that are 'Approved for Texas' (assuming McLeroy has his way) then it will have a farther reaching effect on the country. Now would be a good time for school boards and science teachers to sit up and take notice. When approving science books for their class examine them carefully.

Texas should not be allowed to wield this much influence and any publishers who distribute books that would satisfy an id proponent or creationist should quickly be relegated to the fringes of the market place by rational people.

Jump.