TIMELINE OF THE LOCAL DEBATE
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vs Creationism -> TimeLine
Below is a timeline of the local (Gilroy, CA) debate as
chronicled in the letters to the editor, as well as e-mail. Also see the
Alpha
By Author cross-reference. The most recent events are at
the bottom. Throughout these pages I will be adding commentary
to the letters and columns by other authors. My commentary will be
in [ bracketed red text ].
-
04 MAR 1999: The Gilroy
Dispatch., publishes an article about how Gilroy
High School teacher Nicky Austin is preparing a proposal for a semester-long
elective on evolution, and how she fears backlash from local creationists.
-
05 MAR 1999: I e-mail a letter
to the editor in response
to the article. The letter is published the same day (Golden Quill
Award! Woo Woo!) I pretty much forget about the evolution debate
after this point, up until the Stembridge letter.
During this time, a few other letters to the editor were published on the
same topic. I went back and got copies of the most significant ones.
-
24 MAR 1999: A column
by a local physicist Jack Penkethman is published.
-
02 APR 1999: A letter
from a local creationist Joseph McCormack is published attempting to
rebut the Penkethman column.
-
05 APR 1999: A letter
from Jim Stembridge is published in which he cites two celebrated cases,
Nebraska
Man, and Piltdown
Man. He claims that these cases show 'how scientists will actually
manufacture "evidence" to prove the well-established fact of evolution'.
I clip the letter, intending to reply to it, but never get the chance to.
-
06 APR 1999: A letter
from Suzanne Rodriguez is published which contains many factual errors.
-
08 APR 1999: I e-mail a rebuttal
to the Rodriguez letter to The Dispatch. A letter
from a local High School biology teacher Dale Morejon is published.
-
09 APR 1999: My letter was not published today. Perhaps it is because
I'm over double the word limit? :) I decide to e-mail The Dispatch
again, with a short rebuttal and a pointer to this web page. I'm
worried that the controversy will cause the proposed class to be DOA at
the board. It would be easy for them to say that the class doesn't
meet their focus, which is to increase literacy.
-
12 APR 1999: I e-mail a shorter rebuttal to
the Rodriguez letter to The Dispatch. This is a summary of my
April
8th rebuttal
-
13 APR 1999: My short rebuttal is published today. I receive the
following e-mail in response almost immediately.
Also see my reply.
-
14 APR 1999: A new column from Jack Penkethman
is published, in which he makes many of the same points as my
April 8 letter. I receive another e-mail
from Alan Viarengo.
-
15 APR 1999: I reply to Alan Viarengo.
-
16 APR 1999: A letter from a local Baptist pastor,
Bob Achilles is published. (Note: Bob Achilles is the Pastor
of Trinity Bible
Church in Gilroy).
-
20 APR 1999: I e-mail a rebuttal of the Achilles
letter to The Dispatch. A new letter
from Dale Morejon is published.
-
23 APR 1999: I receive word that the approval process
of the class is 'bogged down' and 'being stonewalled'. I've asked
for permission to place this personal communication on this site.
-
27 APR 1999: I e-mail my last
letter for a while. Personal relationships are being strained
by my outspoken stance. And while I place a high value on science, and
the truth, I place a high value on friendships and family too. The
webpage will continue with other peoples letters as well as my comments.
My source for the comments above ( 23 APR 1999 ) does not want their name
attached to the statements, as they are in a sensitive situation.
-
30 APR 1999: Dale Morejon
rebuts the Achilles Letter.
-
03 MAY 1999: Richard Garcia
writes a column blaming the moral decline of America on (among other
things) evolution. Richard Dahl writes a short
letter expressing the same sentiment.
- 05 MAY 1999: Joshua Bress writes a column rebutting the Garcia column. I write a letter praising Mr Bress, and seconding the separation issue.
- 07 May 1999: My 05MAY99 letter is published.
- 10 May 1999: A letter from Doug Wilber is published rebutting my 07 May 99 Letter. In addition, a column by Frank Bath is printed in which he rebuts Pastor Garcia's
column.
- 21 May 1999: A letter from Peter Clonts in which he states that the exaggeration of the separation of church and state is injuring the country.
Last Update: 05/26/1999