Thoughtless for the Day

Happy Darwin Day!

Ironically, today would be the great man's 199th birthday if it hadn't been for some evolutionary advantage to our species by having its members die before they reach 200.

This Darwin Day, I'd like to ask each of you to focus on celebrating the life and work of the brave genius to whom we all owe so much and not on the ignorant backward mule-rapists who tremble in fear at what they can't understand. For today, just be happy that you, unlike the majority of Americans, understand the beauty of Evolution.

Did you catch that? I just did what I asked all of you not to: I focused on the ignorant backward mule-rapists and not on Darwin's achievements. And, OK, so maybe calling them the ignorant backward mule-rapists doesn't help to promote an intelligent debate of the subject, but I ran out of patience for these jokers a long time ago. Damn it! Another Darwin Day ruined by mule-rapists!

Next year, of course, Charlie hits the big two-oh-oh. I'm going to spend the rest of the week trying to find out if any of the Museums here in Philly are planning anything for 2009. If they're not, I'm going to see if I can organize something.
Here are some Darwin Day pieces for your reading enjoyment:

"The knowledge that all life on this planet evolved from a single common ancestor should inspire incredible awe from everyone, and I think it's a far more satisfying explanation than to believe that we all suddenly popped into existence one day about 6,000 years ago." - From Darwin Day: Triumph of Evolution

"...Americans may be no more ignorant about evolution than they are about other aspects of science. According to surveys conducted for the National Science Foundation over the past two decades, more than two-thirds of adults are unable to identify DNA as the key to heredity. Nine out of 10 Americans - nearly 63 years after the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima - do not understand what radiation is or its effects on the body. One in 5 believes that the sun revolves around the Earth."

- from Darwin's belated American birthday present

"'Darwin's ideas today, paradoxically, run in two different directions,' Giberson says. 'Within the scientific community, they grow ever more relevant. But culturally, they grow less relevant as they continue to be rejected by conservative Christians. We now have presidents and congressmen who prefer 19th century creationism to 21st century science.'"
- from Rediscovering Darwin