Kooks Tire Of Truth

The kooks on Ohio's State Board of Education tired of hearing from members of the reality based society last week at hearings over intelligent design. They decided to berate the members of the public who came to testify over intelligent design. The Dispatch lays out some of the charges levied against the kooks:

• Elected board member Michael Cochran of Blacklick "cross-examined" a string of witnesses, including a graduate student, who criticized the 10th grade biology plan.
• Elected board member Deborah Owens Fink of Richfield questioned the character of a witness by producing an e-mail he wrote to a colleague that ridicules a supporter of intelligent design.

• One person declined to testify, citing attacks on previous witnesses.

• Cochran and appointed board member Richard E. Baker of Hollansburg showed their apparent lack of interest by reading a newspaper during the testimony.

Cochran, Baker, and Fink are morons, to be polite. The Dispatch goes on to describe some of the exchanges with my favorite being this one:

At one point, Cochran opened a newspaper, joining Baker who had been reading since the board first began debating the issue hours earlier.

The display prompted Brian McEnnis, an Ohio State math professor, to ask, "I would appreciate, sirs, Mr. Cochran and Mr. Baker, if you would refrain from public displays of rude behavior by reading the newspaper when I’m . . ."

Cochran interrupted: "I’m going to do what I want to do when I’m sitting at this table without any type of . . . "

"Mr. Cochran," interrupted board President Sue Westendorf , an appointed member from Bowling Green, banging her gavel. " . . . interruption by you," Cochran continued. "If you say something appropriate, I’ll listen to it."

So, Cochran and Baker, unable to comprehend the complexities of science, simply read the paper. Great Board we have there.

And even more troubling, Flying Spaghetti Monsterism failed to come up at all during the meeting. What the hell are we teaching our kids?