Joe McCormack gets so many things wrong, that if I were him, I
would stop saying he’s trained in the sciences and just make the
comments without bona fides.
Dear Editor,
Joe McCormack gets so many things wrong, that if I were him, I would stop saying he’s trained in the sciences and just make the comments without bona fides.
The latest incantation of intelligent design is information theory after it got blasted by Federal Judge Jones in the Kintzmiller v. Dover Area School District case as being a re-do of sectarian scientific creationism. Intelligent design, having nowhere to go in religionists’ continuing attempts to infuse biblical creation into secular biology classes, continues to re-invent itself (teach the controversy; defending academic freedom) it its inexorable quest into state legislative bodies.
The scientific community does not believe in a third entity called “information … a force guiding the chemical reactions of photosynthesis …” Science does not “… recognize(s) the force for development and the order but dare not call that force the God of Israel.” Science cannot dabble in “guiding forces” other than those naturalized forces attributed to atomic bonding angles.
Atomic theory, not the God of Israel theory, is accepted by the scientific community as currently working in photosynthesis. One can easily follow the movement of electrons in both chlorophyll photosystems in most plants, but one would be hard-pressed to determine the effects of God of Israel on carbohydrate production. If you know how, please share with the scientific community.
And speaking of chloroplasts, Joe, they don’t fix nitrogen in photosynthesis; instead they combine oxygen, hydrogen and carbon to produce sugars. Plants can only fix nitrogen in the presence of nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Finally, the mystery of monarch butterfly migration is being unraveled using scientific methods (hydrogen isotope uptake; geographic milkweed migration patterns; circadian rhythms; DNA analysis, etc.).
P.S. I would select someone other than Solomon as a god reference source as he apparently had problems with his 700 wives, 300 concubines, collector of gold all in the disobedience of the God of Israel.
Dale Morejón, Gilroy
Feminist, agnostic, Druid … and just about anything else you can think of
Dear Editor,
Regarding the dueling letters from Joe McCormack (Sept. 10 “Plenty of evidence to support God’s existence”) and Marc Perkel’s (Sept. 7 “Perkel’s there is no God”)‚ there can be – and will never be – evidence for or against the existence of God. I believe in many Gods and many Goddesses. Lording it over telling someone their beliefs and interpretations are wrong and yours are right is SO Dark Ages.
There is more to existence than one God and no God. I’m pre-Christian, post-Christian, de-Christian and non-Christian; however, I’m not un-Christian. I’m feminist, nature-honoring, eclectic, hedgewitch Druid Neopagan – Celt, animist, agnostic, apostate, barbarian, deist, heathen, pantheist/polytheist, Unitarian-Universalist – idolater, infidel, shirk, kafir.
I’m friend to American Indian, animals, Asatru, atheist, dryad, faerie, gay-lesbian-transgender, gnostic, Kemet, extant indigenous and pagan cultures, magickian, Merlin, shamanist, skeptic, Strega, Voodoo, warlock, witch – Gaia, environmentalist, ecologist and naturalist.
Larzean Carlos, Gilroy
Pacheco Pass bypass toll road would be an absolute VTA mess
Dear Editor,
Reconfirming why your Editorial Board has called for the Valley Transportation Authority’s termination, with the new VTA transportation plan (front page 9/10/10), and confirming again why the taxpayers have sued to enforce their constitutional rights.
VTA’s leadership, with the help of San Benito County’s Council of Governments, shows us why VTA earned “worst in the nation” status in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology study of all the nation’s transit agencies. COG’s Board are fools for entering the “mobility partnership,” to build a new toll road connecting U.S. 101 with Highway 5 as I told them from their podium on numerous occasions. Merced County ought to re-think its decision, or else VTA may have them on the same ruinous course they’re taking COG.
With disdain and apparently contempt for Gilroy motorists and taxpayers in San Benito County, the new plan would reroute Highway 152 through SBC, and collect tolls from all cars and trucks on a per mile basis by automated sensors embedded on all vehicles like GPS systems. All in conjunction with the Bullet Train construction, the biggest waste of taxpayers’ money in state history. The current price tag on Bullet Train exceeds $163 billion, with annual operating subsidies required from California’s taxpayers in the range of $4 billion/year.
The VTA/COG estimate of $1.2 billion for construction of their “toll road plan” seems small in comparison, yet by routing it through SBC it means that we’ll wait for centuries for that rural, relatively impoverished county to raise the money for the road construction work.
Meanwhile, improvements to the Tenth Street exit must wait even though VTA has billions to spend on boondoggles like Lite Rail and BART-to-San Jose.
The toll plan, if our elected leaders are crazy enough to adopt it, would create what NAFTA refers to as a “barrier to trade” by deterring cars and trucks, thus lessening economic activity here on the Central Coast Region.
No wonder they kept they’re meetings a secret, hidden from the public and the press, until the taxpayers obtained the Attorney General’s Opinion and sued them to obey the Sunshine in Government Act (“Brown Act”).
Once again VTA shows why the County Grand Jury has indicted the VTA for governance flaws, taxpayer abuse, and fiscal irresponsibility twice in the past five years. Yet our leaders let them flip us the single-finger salute as they plow ahead with the same damaging policy.
How long will we allow them to do this to us? We must terminate VTA & COG, unconstitutional joint power authorities circumventing democratic government in this region, ASAP.
Joe Thompson, Gilroy
South County has the most to gain by electing Forrest Williams
Dear Editor,
Forrest Williams’ wisdom, priorities and accomplishments clearly qualify him as best candidate for District 1 County Supervisor. Your Editorial Board needs to check then correct errors within your Sept. 9 opinion piece alleging his opponent’s “experience adds up.” Your paper failed to recognize the Los Gatos politician with expertise in industries associated with the meltdown of our economy would be far less prepared to help our county rebound than Forrest Williams.
Troubled times in our county require someone with knowledge of high tech, experience in education and a strong track record for public safety. As an engineer for 35 years at IBM, Forrest has the problem solving skills to help create jobs to South County. His experience as a school board member and youth coach gives him the knowledge to improve our local public schools.
Finally, Forrest Williams prioritizes public safety and will continue his commitment to making South County communities safer. Our next supervisor will have to make tough decisions and only Forrest Williams has the record for bringing good jobs to our area, improving student performance and supporting public safety and for the healthy recovery of our county. Do the math, South County communities have the most to gain by electing Forrest Williams, he will work for you.
Colette Marie McLaughlin, Gilroy
In Sin City, the way animals are treated is truly a crying shame
Dear Editor,
A lion recently attacked a trainer at the MGM Grand casino in Las Vegas, putting a spotlight on the number of cruel animal displays in Sin City. Stressed-out lions are forced into close contact with tourists at the MGM Grand, dolphins live and die in a cramped pool at The Mirage, and Mandalay Bay allows visitors to gawk at sharks and reptiles.
Siegfried and Roy refused to retire Gilda, a lone elephant who was also kept at The Mirage, to a sanctuary. She died without ever knowing the comfort and companionship of other elephants, as did Stoney, an elephant kept at the Luxor who injured himself after performing a trick and died in a storage shed.
If you visit Vegas, ask yourself if it’s fair to condemn wild animals to a life of confinement for the fleeting distraction of tourists. Remember, you can come and go. The animals are there to stay until their dying day.
Please don’t support these cruel displays.
Jennifer O’Connor, Research Specialist, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
