Crowther's spin on the DI blog is all wrong
The Discovery Institute’s blog ‘Evolution News and Views,’ supposedly in existence to correct ‘misreporting’ in the media about Intelligent Design, isn’t doing such a hot job itself.
Their latest post by Rob Crowther (here) is entitled ‘AAAS Issues Gag Order to Scientists, Seeks to Stifle Debate.’
The article starts by listing a number of public debates (just the kind of thing the DI like to point as evidence that Intelligent Design is credible) between such people as Nelson and Shanks, Provine and Meyer, and so on.
Then Crowther writes,
But, no Darwinist will testify to the Kansas board of education. Amazing. Simply amazing.
Why? Because the Darwinian high priests at the American Association for the Advancement of Science have issued a sort of scientific papal bull, a gag order to scientists, telling them not to debate the flaws in Darwin’s theory before the Kansas State Board of Education.
What a bunch of uninformed and dishonest bull!
Kansas Citizens for Science called for the boycott of the hearings a month ago, and the boycott has held: this fact is clearly stated in the AAAS statement.
Furthermore, AAAS nowhere says that others should not participate – they merely say that they have declined, and they tell why:
AAS “Respectfully Declines” Invitation to Controversial Evolution Hearing
AAAS on Monday declined an invitation from the Kansas Board of Education to appear at a May hearing on teaching evolution in public schools after concluding that the event is likely to sow confusion rather than understanding among the public.
In a letter to George Griffith, science consultant to the Kansas State Department of Education, association CEO Alan I. Leshner sided with the leaders of the Kansas science community who have described the hearings as an effort by faith-based proponents of “intelligent design” theory to attack and undermine science.
“After much consideration,” Leshner wrote, “AAAS respectfully declines to participate in this hearing out of concern that rather than contribute to science education, it will most likely serve to confuse the public about the nature of the scientific enterprise.”
Where is the ‘gag order’ here? Where is AAAS ‘telling them [other scientists] not to debate the flaws in Darwin’s theory?’
It ain’t there, and if Crowther has any intellectual honesty and/or reading ability, he would know that.
How can the DI’s complaints about the media have any credibility at all when their own reports are so obviously spin? It looks like they better start cleaning their own house first, if you ask me.
As you might tell, Crowther’s piece makes me a little angry. KCFS has led the way in asking scientists to not participate. We obviously have no power to tell anyone to do anything. Scientists have listening to our arguments and responded. That’s all.
The DI blog doesn’t allow comments, so I have copied this to Crowther himself. He’s welcome to come here and respond.