Foro de Iniciativa Atea

Oklahoma hates Richard Dawkins
Category: Policy and Politics
Posted on: March 5, 2009 4:15 PM, by Josh Rosenau

Oooooo-oh!-klahoma where the wind goes whistling 'twixt the ears!

Richard Dawkins, having visited Scibling Ed Brayton in Michigan, is on his way to Oklahoma, where Scibling ERV is skipping the event (she prefers to watch Casey Luskin and John "hard for Hitler" West, inexplicably).

And if state Representative Thomsen has his way, no one would get to hear Dawkins. Yesterday, Thomsen filed a resolution decrying Dawkins and calling for the University of Oklahoma to withdraw his invitation (RTF link):

WHEREAS, the University of Oklahoma is a publicly funded institution which should be open to all ideas and should train students in all disciplines of study and research and to use independent thinking and free inquiry; and

WHEREAS, the University of Oklahoma has planned a year-long celebration of the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s theory of evolution, called the “Darwin 2009 Project”, which includes a series of lectures, public speakers, and a course on the history of evolution; and

WHEREAS, the University of Oklahoma, as a part of the Darwin 2009 Project, has invited as a public speaker on campus, Richard Dawkins of Oxford University, whose published opinions, as represented in his 2006 book “The God Delusion”, and public statements on the theory of evolution demonstrate an intolerance for cultural diversity and diversity of thinking and are views that are not shared and are not representative of the thinking of a majority of the citizens of Oklahoma; and

WHEREAS, the invitation for Richard Dawkins to speak on the campus of the University of Oklahoma on Friday, March 6, 2009, will only serve to present a biased philosophy on the theory of evolution to the exclusion of all other divergent considerations rather than teaching a scientific concept.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 1ST SESSION OF THE 52ND OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE:

THAT the Oklahoma House of Representative strongly opposes the invitation to speak on the campus of the University of Oklahoma to Richard Dawkins of Oxford University, whose published statements on the theory of evolution and opinion about those who do not believe in the theory are contrary and offensive to the views and opinions of most citizens of Oklahoma.

THAT the Oklahoma House of Representatives encourages the University of Oklahoma to engage in an open, dignified, and fair discussion of the Darwinian theory of evolution and all other scientific theories which is the approach that a public institution should be engaged in and which represents the desire and interest of the citizens of Oklahoma.

THAT a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the University of Oklahoma, the Dean of the College of Arts and Science at the University of Oklahoma, and the Chair of the Department of Zoology at the University of Oklahoma.

One person I showed that to wondered at the passage about "an intolerance for cultural diversity and diversity of thinking and are views that are not shared and are not representative of the thinking of a majority of the citizens of Oklahoma." But that's accurate. After all, the majority of citizens of Oklahoma share an entirely different set of intolerances!

I also note that it's a lucky thing that Oklahoma didn't pass its proposed "academic freedom" legislation, since that would make this bill demanding that the University disinvite a scholarly speaker an act of clear hypocrisy. As it stands, it's merely another anecdote Dawkins will be able to use to point out how silly people can be. And in the grand scheme of things, it's a lot better than having his book banned in Turkey.

cesarmilton escribió:Desde el blog de sindioses.org, llegué a esta noticia. Es impresentable que un Estado moderno tenga este tipo de actitudes reaccionarias.

Gavilan escribió:

cesarmilton escribió:Desde el blog de sindioses.org, llegué a esta noticia. Es impresentable que un Estado moderno tenga este tipo de actitudes reaccionarias.

Lo único que veo son las objeciones de sólo una persona que no representa ni al Estado ni a toda la gente de Oklahoma.

And if state Representative Thomsen has his way, no one would get to hear Dawkins. Yesterday, Thomsen filed a resolution decrying Dawkins and calling for the University of Oklahoma to withdraw his invitation

cesarmilton escribió: entiendo que el Representante Thomsen archivó una resolución de la Oklahoma House of Representative. Si estoy interpretando mal, favor correjirme. Si estoy intrepretando bien, desde ya me corrijo: queda claro que el Estado de Oklahoma no es moderno, o de lo contrario no habría tenido esta actitud reaccionaria.

Thomsen is not representative of the state of Oklahoma\Thomsen no es representativo del Estado de Oklahoma.

Gavilan escribió:no todavía tienes motivos para hacer una generalización apresurada sobre el estado entero.

DrSagan escribió:Gavilán: desde luego que no toda la gente de Oklahoma será igual, afirmar eso sería absurdo. Quizá el título del post es un poco desafortunadao, no te lo tomes como un ataque a la población entera de ese Estado.