No WMD? No Kidding! High Noon Law Passed. No Evolution For You!

Eyes Wide Shut

Once again, Charles Duelfer, head of the Iraq Survey Group, has told the world that the reason President Bush invaded Iraq was pure bullshit.

Excerpt:

WASHINGTON (April 26) - Wrapping up his investigation into Saddam Hussein's purported arsenal, the CIA's top weapons hunter in Iraq said his search for weapons of mass destruction "has been exhausted" without finding any.

Nor did he find any evidence that such weapons were shipped officially from Iraq to Syria to be hidden before the U.S. invasion, but he couldn't rule out some unofficial transfer of limited WMD-related materials. He closed his effort with words of caution about potential future threats and careful assessment of this and other unanswered questions.

The Bush administration justified its 2003 invasion of Iraq as necessary to eliminate Hussein's purported stockpile of WMD.

"As matters now stand, the WMD investigation has gone as far as feasible," wrote Charles Duelfer, head of the Iraq Survey Group, in an addendum to the report he issued last fall. "After more than 18 months, the WMD investigation and debriefing of the WMD-related detainees has been exhausted."

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So how does Mr. Bush explain this to the families of the more than 1,500 soldiers killed trying to "secure" Iraq? And why the hell doesn't someone, ANYONE, hold his feet to the fire about this issue?


Jeb Signs High Noon Bill Into Law

Excerpt:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (April 26) - With a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association at his side, Gov. Jeb Bush signed a law Tuesday to make it clear that people have a right to meet "force with force" to defend themselves on the street.

The measure, which passed the Legislature overwhelmingly earlier this year, says that people who are under attack do not have to retreat before responding.

"To have to retreat ... defies common sense," Bush said.

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I don't think sane people have a problem with someone vigorously defending themselves if under attack. The problem I see with this is that every Travis Bickle wannabe will see this as an excuse to walk around packing heat, trying to instigate situations that can be construed by some to seem as if they were being attacked, and therefore, simply had no choice but to snuff some poor bastard who inadvertently might have jostled him in a crowded bar.


Stupid Is As Stupid Does

In the continuing battle between common sense, logic and evidence versus superstition, dogma and prejudice, the Kansas State Board of Education is expected to abandon the teaching of evolution in public schools, and to replace it with the nonsense commonly referred to as "intelligent design".

For those unfamiliar with the term, intelligent design is nothing more than a euphemism for creationism. You know, the belief system that claims that the version of our planet's history is completely and accurately described in the Christian Bible.

Excerpt:

TOPEKA, Kan. (April 26) - Students in Lisa Volland's advanced biology class examine flowers, lemons and corn under the microscope, pondering how the plants evolved over time to improve their chances of survival.

The Topeka West High School teacher does not discuss the biblical story of creation or "intelligent design," just "the big e-word," as she jokingly calls it. "I don't think you can talk about living organisms without talking about evolution," she said. "We don't talk about religion."

Classrooms like Volland's have come under scrutiny - again - in Kansas' seesawing battle between left and right over the teaching of evolution. The battle could heat up over the coming weeks, with Kansas' State Board of Education expected to revise its science standards in June.

In 1999, the board deleted most references to evolution in the standards, bringing international ridicule and wisecracks from the late-night comedians. Elections the next year made the board less conservative, resulting in the current standards describing evolution as a key concept for students to learn.

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Let's suppose that these people succeed in their effort to de-secularize the public schools in their state. What then happens when these kids graduate and try to compete for jobs with kids from other states which don't take such a dim view of science? Or better yet, since, by definition, they WON'T be able to compete, for what sorts of jobs WILL they be qualified? While you ponder those questions, I'll ask another one. Do you think it is likely that, if we concede and let creationism hold sway over evolution in science classes, that we can lobby the churches to have them equipped with telescopes, microscopes, bunsen burners and the like?