Bushinations: Simple things

In contrast to the Glamorama review I posted yesterday, some things are simple and straightforward in life. For example, not every person who asks someone s/he knows is entitled to get a reference; the referrer is entitled to choose whether the person requesting meets whatever criteria they have for such a favor. And make no mistake, providing a reference is a personal favor. There are people who have asked me to be available and whenever possible I’ve agreed because I’ve generally been asked by people I respect; when this is not the case I (try to) politely decline.

Some people, apparently, have a different conception of the whole matter. A bunch of right wing religious nuts Christian religious foundation is helping a student at Texas Tech University sue a biology professor there because professor Michael Dini refused to write a reference for medical school. The professor, who posted the criteria for getting letters on his personal web page, requires that students “may not seek a letter of recommendation from him if the student does not truthfully and forthrightly believe in human evolution.”

Uh oh! Oh my god! Literally. So when a student who believes in the Biblical account of creation felt deprived and (what else?) discrimintated against because he disagreed with the professor, he did what any good American would do: he took legal action (Justice Department probes Texas Tech professor’s policy). Backed by a religious freedom organization that calls Dini’s policy “open religious bigotry,” Micah Spradling complained to the Department of Justice that Dini was not allowed to use such a basis for deciding who would get a letter necessary for admission to medical school.

The Texas Tech school newspaper picked up on this battle a few months ago: Evolution, religion conflicting theories.

What a load of hooey! And the school is standing behind him, bravo for them, especially in a state like Texas where disagreement is considered a sin. Personal rights are held in very high esteem there, especially the right to own a gun, but just try and stand up to the religious right for a quick example of how those rights evaporate in certain eyes. One really wonders why the federal government would deem it appropriate to get involved but then, look at who we have for president and where he stands on religious freedom.