Great Falls Tribune:
BOZEMAN — A Republican state lawmaker is criticizing Gov. Brian Schweitzer for comments he made to a newspaper here about the lawmaker‘s belief that the planet is not millions of years old.
Rep. Roger Koopman, R-Bozeman, called Schweitzer‘s statement ”incredibly bigoted.”
Speaking to a crowd of school children, parents and teachers in Bozeman on Friday about global warming, Schweitzer asked how many in the crowd thought the Earth was hundreds of millions of years old. Most of the children in the audience raised their hands.
He then asked how many believed the planet was less than a million years old. At least two people, including Koopman, who was in the crowd, raised their hands.
During an interview later with the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Schweitzer noted Koopman‘s response. He said some people believe the planet is only 4,000 to 6,000 years old, despite geological evidence to the contrary.
Schweitzer said he needs support from a state Legislature that will help move Montana‘s agenda forward, ”not people who think the Earth is 4,000 years old.”
Koopman called the comments insulting.
Koopman then went right ahead and undermined his case. "He insulted many Christian people and other people of faith that arrived at that position other than the way I arrived at it," he said.
If by 'many', he means himself and another person, then yeah. But calling crackpots crackpots isn't so much 'bigotted' as it is true.
But this is a democracy and everyone has the right to be represented -- even morons. And you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who thinks morons are under-represented in government -- be it local, state, or federal. But just because morons manage to elect morons doesn't mean anyone's obligated to listen to them.
If you believe the planet's only 4,000 years old and someone points out that you believe the planet's only 4,000 years old -- that's fact, not bigotry. So, if you hold to the so-called 'young Earth' hypothesis (it doesn't qualify as a theory), expect to be used as an example of morons in government. Especially when the discussion is about education.
Great Falls Trib tells us, "Koopman said his belief in the Earth‘s age is not based on his faith, but on his scientific investigations." Bullshit. When the Governor says people ought to ignore these fools, he's right.
Tags: news politics education evolution Bible morons Montana Roger Koopman
