If you follow the URL, you'll note that the article that was sent to 
the list (apparently by the museum security mailing list administrator) 
is an essay from a far-right web site that is substantially rumors and 
innuendo (troweled over a decidedly fascist perspective*).

The only _fact_ cited therein is that Richard Sternberg (described as a 
'prominent researcher at the Smithsonian' - he is in fact a research 
associate) has filed a complaint alleging religious persecution by the 
scientific staff at the museum.

The Scientist has this biographical info about Sternberg in it's report 
(September 3, 2004) related to the Meyer paper:

"Sternberg has ties to the intelligent design community, but he 
identifies himself as "a structuralist who has given several papers and 
presentations critiquing creationism." He is on the editorial board of 
the Baraminology Study Group at Bryan College, Dayton, Tenn. 
Baraminology, a term introduced in 1990, views biological creation as 
happening instantly, rather than through evolutionary descent. 
Sternberg is slated to attend a meeting in October entitled "Evolution, 
Intelligent Design, and the Future of Biology." The meeting's Web site 
describes Sternberg's talk as an explanation of why "biology is better 
understood as a product of intelligent design."

It would appear from Google that there are a half-dozen far-right 
groups promoting the story of Dr. Sternberg's alleged religious 
persecution. For example, another one clamors about "the savage efforts 
of the high priests of socialism to excommunicate and to disembowel 
anyone who dares to question the dogma of Darwinian evolution."

Sternberg has published his CV at http://www.rsternberg.net/CV.htm

-L.D.

* [note that the lead essay for January 29 is "Jihad propaganda against 
Jews, Christians 'is being mainstreamed within our borders' "]




On Jan 30, 2005, at 12:04 AM, MUSEUM-L automatic digest system wrote:

> Date:    Sat, 29 Jan 2005 10:01:11 -0800
> From:    Kim Steffgen <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Researcher's career
>
> Whew!!  Talk about turning tables. Why should this guy be ostracized?
> Advocates of rationality have always been asking questions like: "Then
> how do you explain Dinosaurs?" "How can you refute Darwin?" "How do you
> explain this, then...."   Well, this essay was merely an explanation of
> a theory, a discussion addressing the seeming contradictions. Why 
> should
> it be a threat to his scientist peers? I would think scientists
> frustrated by fundamentalist rhetoric would be glad to have, for once, 
> a
> peer putting some critical thinking into an emotionally driven subject.
> Especially since "we" have historically been throwing up our hands and
> rolling our eyes, wondering aloud why science should be such a threat 
> to
> fundamentalists.
>
> Kim Steffgen
> Freelance Writer
> Portland, OR
>

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