Politics (or How I Became Disillusioned With The System)

I know it's a huge mistake to write about politics or religion. Nothing raises hackles quicker. Nothing invites insults faster. Nothing makes enemies of friends quite like a discussion on politics or religion.

But......I cannot hold my tongue any longer (care to hold it for me?). I have voted Republican. I have voted Democrat. I did not vote for our current president which is the equivalent of being an animal fucker in this part of the country. I always thought that he was fairly flakey without a well defined vision for the future of the U.S. I was so wrong. He obviously intends to subject Americans to a freaky version of time travel, slowly unraveling every advance we have made in medicine, peace, economics, women's health and now education.

I will pass on the opportunity to comment on Iraq.....or stem cell research......or the decline in the economy combined with the soaring of fuel costs......but to ignore the comment made today about "Intelligent Design" is an exercise in futility.

It is abhorrent that a graduate of Yale would think that the theory of "Intelligent Design" should be taught alongside the theory of evolution in schools. If you aren't familiar with "Intelligent Design" it is the bastard brother of Creationism. In short, "Intelligent Design" proposes that life on earth is too complex to have developed through evolution, implying that a higher power must have had a hand in creation.

Fine. If that is a part of your belief set, more power to you. I have no issue with individuals that hold their belief above science. It's your choice. But belief is not science. I certainly am no expert on the subject, but evolution, or Darwinism, has a basis in science, which means that there is a mechanism to prove or disprove the theory. How are you going to prove that a higher being created everything? Or disprove it? You want to teach "Intelligent Design"? Fine. Create religious studies courses in public schools. I'm in favor of some type of course for high school students that explains and explores religion. Of course, the Christian right would turn it into a strict Judeo-Christian exercise, completely excluding other major religions of the world including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. I propose that a course is offered exploring maybe the top five religions. Wouldn't that be advantageous in understanding the Muslims? The Chinese? The entire Middle East conflict? It will never happen of that I'm sure.

What is the most appalling about Dubyas statement today is that he isn't a private individual. He is the highest elected official in the land and he has chosen to ignore one of the most cherished traditions (and I realize it's mostly tradition) of our young nation, the separation of church and state.


Let the hate mail begin.