This whole Dover evolution vs. creation thing has had that "we don't know whether to laugh or cry" vibe going since its inception. Most of the time, we think it's "cry," but in this case...no, it's still "cry." Or maybe something worse. Dover pastor and parent Ray Mummert is quoted in Yahoo News (found via Dispatches from the Culture Wars) as follows:

"Christians are a lot more bold under Bush's leadership, he speaks what a lot of us believe," said Mummert.

"We've been attacked by the intelligent, educated segment of the culture," he said, adding that the school board's declaration is just a first step.

Do we win now? This guy just spelled it out — intelligence and education are against teaching creationism in school. That leaves, by process of elimination, the unintelligent and the uneducated as the supporters of creationism. Isn't that the end of the debate?

The real problem is that, somewhere along the way, being intelligent and educated came to be regarded by large chunks of society as a bad thing. How do you respond to someone who makes a statement like this? The only response we can come up with involves a tack hammer.

And if you thought that was the part to cry about, it wasn't. This is:

"It took 30 or 40 years to eliminate God in school, it will take probably 30 or 40 years to get him back. You take a little step first, a little bite, then another little bite and another," said Steve Farrell, a nursery keeper, who dreams of the return to prayer in class.

Well, if Pastor Mummert wanted to frame this whole argument as educated intelligence versus blatant, dumbass, rockheaded stupidity, Steve the nursery keeper brought it on home for him. People like this not only should have no say in public policy, but they should likely be sterilized and kept in cages to be mocked from a safe distance. This shit isn't making us sad, it's making us angry.

You want your kids to pray in school? Enroll them in a private school and go for it. Can't afford that? Tough shit. Maybe that "intelligence" and "education," that you find it so amusing to shit on, would have come in handy afterall.

In case you missed them, read our other Rants on Dover.

That was funny and correct.

You guys are great.

A few years back my lovely, bright and now 9 year old was watching tv and a commerical came on advertising a show on the Discovery about cavemen.

My son said "Mom you know some people don't believe in evolution" and I said" Yes, I know" and with out having to say anything else he stated the obvious " don't those people read or have cable".

Enought said.

It sounds like your then-seven-year-old son framed the issue perfectly. The real mystery isn't whether evolution is valid or not, but rather how the creationists can be so outrageously stupid. "Yes, Timmy, there really are creationists."

We love that he's watching the caveman show on Discovery, by the way!