Thoughtless for the Day

I've been busier than Michael Jackson on a visit to Boys Town, so I just today got around to following the link on Pharyngula to the PBS ombudsman's site regarding the recent showing of Nova's Judgment Day.

Now, I know it's not polite to make fun of ignorant back-woods, hedge-born, illiterate, inbred, outhouse-sniffin', rim-lappin' smegtards, but you really need to check out some of the well thought out arguments used by the proponents of Intelligent Design:

I have been a faithful watcher of PBS and the NOVA programs over the many years and have always stood up for those who would say that PBS was too liberal in its programming. Your program insulted me and my family with your very jaundiced view and recreation of facts that were slanted heavily towards Darwinism. You did have one science teacher who was pictured in a Roman Catholic Church, as a presumed Christian who said that IF GOD does exist - No more needs be said. I hope you don't find this too mushy, but may God be with you.

- Dan Fahey, Greenwich, CT

Jumpin' Jesus on an Australopithecus, Dan! You'd think that you and brood of slack-jawed lice farmers would be used to being insulted by now. PBS really needs to try harder. And I don't find that "may God be with you" to be too mushy: I find it kind of creepy – like you're coming on to me.

In response to Nova's airing, ID vs. Evolution. I found its simplistic terms for debate addressed to apes and not humans. It stressed the outcome only of the case without truly debating through all disciplines of science that evolution truly occurred. Even Einstein among so many others knew there could not be a time when everything fell into place appropriately. There are other planets that protect us and keep our climate from deteriorating, how did that occur? Nothing in this show was explained, it was so distressing. I definitely believe we were created but not on literal terms of the Bible. There are other cultures that support this but no one has tried to bring all the information together. We need to comfortably be apologists for both sides WITH scientific evidence that is available, until that is done, please don't continue this propaganda.

- Tami, Indianapolis, IN

I'm not sure what the formation of the solar system has to do with evolution, but I do know that Tami better get help - and quickly - before she tries to preach to Word of God in the middle of busy highway.

By the way, I loved the episode and I'm sure that viewers of WKNO in Memphis would've loved it too - had they been allowed to see it.

To viewer David O. Hill, 67, a retired FedEx pilot, the WKNO decision was like refusing to show a Civil War broadcast for fear it would offend some Southerners or a broadcast about Nazi atrocities in World War II "for fear it would offend some Germans in the viewing audience."

Speaking of Creationism (Intelligent Design before the facelift), over at Slate, William Saletan argues that, just as many cattle-molesters refuse to accept Evolution, despite the overwhelming mountain of evidence, so too do many educated liberal types refuse to accept that there may be a racial component to IQ scores. Well look into that pleasant and utterly non-controversial topic next time. Be sure to tell your Jewish lawyer, you Asian accountant, your Hispanic maid, and that Black guy who just broke into your house to check it out.