Forrest Mims's threats to sue for defamation

I assume the word that Mims is thinking is actionable is "dishonestly"

That is always a tough word. Was Mims being dishonest, ignorant or prejudiced regarding the Pianka's point, I don't know.

I hate to compromise on an issue, given the vitriole of Mims, but perhaps reissuing the petition without the "dishonestly"

I think the point would still get across. Mims could still be kicked out of the TAS and I see nothing else in Perez's email that Mims could even consider close to actionable. (and saying the Mims was either dishonest, ignorant or prejudiced ain't exactly a complement)

LOL.

What do I win?

2 April 2006 Dear Dr. Marsh and Members of the Board, Your failure to right an egregious wrong has disgraced the Texas Academy of Science and the great State of Texas. The front page story in today's Seguin Gazette-Enterprise (www.seguingazette.com) and THE CITIZEN SCIENTIST (www.sas.org/tcs) attracted national attention when posted this morning at the very top of The Drudge Report (www.drudgereport.com). I have since been flooded with many letters of outrage directed against the shocking views of Professor Pianka and the acquiescence of what has happened by the Board of the Texas Academy of Science. Several writers have copied their e-mails to the FBI and Homeland Security. Three writers claim to be Army Special Forces members who are outraged over the national security implications of this matter and your honoring Professor Pianka. The disgraceful standing ovation that you gave Professor Pianka was indelibly imprinted on the mind of a biology senior at Texas Lutheran University, who in that 45 minute death speech was converted into a "Piankian" who is willing to die to save the Earth. When she returned to TLU, she blogged in detail that she endorses Professor Pianka's views about global extermination and even questioned the resources consumed in the declining years by her own grandparents. She will likely become a national news story. Your problem worsened on Friday at St. Edwards in Austin when your Distinguished Scientist, accompanied by his Ebola plush toy, made outrageous statements again before the working press. A remark he made about "Good terrorists" and Ebola is in the Seguin paper today. Read it and weep. Professor Pianka's remarks at St. Edwards were recorded in full. One of you blocked the video recording of Professor Pianka's speech and has failed to explain why. Others are even now looking into that matter, so, Drs. Waitt and Marsh, I urge full disclosure at the earliest time. Meanwhile, be assured that I have acquired an audio recording made during the speech and can even now hear your loud laughter and your applause following outrageous statements by Pianka about Ebola, bird flu, universal sterilization, and so forth. The only way to possibly salvage what might be left of the good name of the Texas Academy of Science and its membership you are supposed to serve is to immediately repudiate the speech given by Professor Pianka and to immediately withdraw the honor "Distinguished Texas Scientist" that you bestowed upon him. All persons involved in his selection and in blocking video coverage, must give serious consideration to their future roles, if any, in the Texas Academy of Science. If they do not, then the Board must act in their place and do so promptly. I urge you to act quickly, for the major media is about to report this story, and you must not allow the entire membership to be tainted by your acquiescence and your active participation in this sad affair. Dr. Marsh has written that he and the Board view this as a closed matter. All of you and he failed to reply when I advised him and you it is not a closed matter and would be appealed above you. Thus, it is left to those members of the Board who are deeply concerned by what has happened to act on his behalf. If no member(s) of the Board respond(s) to the crisis at hand, the entire Board must share responsibility for this disgrace. If you choose not to reply this time, I strongly advise that you consult the United Nations conventions and declarations related to human rights, genocide and incitement to genocide, all of which are agreed to by the United States of America. You may also wish to read my second appeal and protest, which includes the definition of academic freedom. Finally, I expect to receive an acknowledgment from the Board that it has received my second appeal and protest sent to you all on 23 March 2006. Best regards, Forrest Forrest M. Mims III www.forrestmims.org www.sunandsky.org Geronimo Creek Observatory Editor, The Citizen Scientist www.sas.org/tcs Chairman, Environmental Science Section Texas Academy of Science Member representing Guadalupe County Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) AIR Technical Committee AIR Advisory Committee This communication represents the views of the writer. "I would like to add something that's not essential to the science, but something I kind of believe, which is that you should not fool the layman when you're talking as a scientist." Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman, 1974 commencement address at Caltech." This letter does not necessarily represent the views of the Society for Amateur Scientists and its Board of Trustees. Shawn Carlson, Ph.D., Executive Director

Finally, I expect to receive an acknowledgment from the Board that it has received my second appeal and protest sent to you all on 23 March 2006.

Mims shouldn't be left empty-handed when all this is done. Perhaps someone could nominate him for an Ignobel prize.

Mim's writes: "I find it interesting that the recording can even now hear your loud laughter and your applause following outrageous statements by Pianka about Ebola, bird flu, universal sterilization, and so forth."

I wonder - can at least one creo be found having enough courage and decency to distance him/herself from that macabre dance around Pianka? Mims, Dembski and his acolytes live in their delusional world where being an informer is an honor and pouncing on a person who has not done anything wrong to them by libeling and slandering him is a source of enjoyment, but is among the creos indeed not a single decent person brave enough to show disgust for all that surrealistic show? Not a single one?

Meanwhile, be assured that I have acquired an audio recording made during the speech and can even now hear your loud laughter and your applause following outrageous statements by Pianka about Ebola, bird flu, universal sterilization, and so forth.

OK. He flipped.

I am firmly convinced that this is just another example of right-wing sport. Make up some nonsense -- the more outrageous, the better -- then start tallying the column inches and blog posts that are generated by the drivel. Triple points for TV coverage.

I'll bet they get together and compare scores and laugh about how far the story traveled and who picked it up. (Getting a congressman to talk about it is a sure point getter.) They probably even have scoring guidelines for how many posts/comments their story generates on PT.

As entertaining as it is, maybe all the chatter here is simply feeding the giant troll.

yeah, it's all funny till someone gets hurt.

perhaps you should ask Pianka if he thinks it all a rather amusing little spiff?

Published - April, 7, 2006 Park could face extinction Lack of building permits closes dinosaur museum William Rabb @PensacolaNewsJournal.com It may have been built with heavenly intentions, but a judge has ruled that the creationism theme park known as Dinosaur Adventure Land still must obey earthly laws. Escambia County authorities this week locked up a museum building at the theme park on North Palafox Street in Pensacola after Circuit Judge Michael Allen ruled the owners were in contempt of court. Owners of the park, which shows how dinosaurs may have roamed the Earth just a few thousand years ago, did not obtain a building permit before constructing the building in 2002. They have argued in and out of court that it violates their "deeply held" religious beliefs, and that the church-run facility does not have to obtain permits. After almost four years of litigation, the judge disagreed and said the county has the authority to close the building until the owners comply with regulations. The judge also fined two church leaders $500 each per day for every day the building is used or occupied. If church officials continue to refuse to comply with local ordinances, the judge may decide that the building can be razed, Allen's ruling said. County commissioners showed no sympathy to members of the Creation Science Evangelism ministry who spoke out Thursday night at a commission meeting about the county's actions. "Scripture also says 'Render unto Caesar what Caesar demands.' And right now, Caesar demands a building permit," County Commission Chairman Mike Whitehead said. A building permit and inspection by county authorities is vital to ensuring the theme park is safe for the thousands of people who reportedly visit the park and museum every year, Whitehead said. Church leader Kent Hovind vowed to appeal the case. "We will continue our legal fight," Hovind said Thursday. "This is pure religious persecution," said Glen Stoll, who works closely with Hovind on legal issues. Legal questions are nothing new for Dinosaur Adventure Land and the leaders of the church group that operates it: ? In 2004, The Internal Revenue Service raided Hovind's home and businesses. Agents said Hovind had failed to pay taxes. That case is pending, and federal attorneys declined to comment about it. ? While the building permit case was in court, the ownership of the theme park was transferred to Stoll, who resides in Washington State, according to court papers. Stoll has been investigated at least twice by federal authorities, court records show. Last year, the U.S. attorney in Seattle filed a lawsuit against Stoll, charging him with promoting a scheme encouraging people to avoid paying taxes by claiming to be religious entities, according to news reports. A federal judge ruled against Stoll, ordering him to stop the practices. Stoll said Thursday that he doesn't recognize the ruling because he was never properly served with court papers.

Dear Sir-,
I don't think it is at all funny. Their antics are despicable. Add to that offensive and dangerous. Calling for hits on professors, judges, doctors who provide abortions, and foreign leaders seems to be THEIR idea of a good time. Not mine.

Well, I certainly hope the TAS' lawyer includes that acknowledgment with Mims' notice of dismissal from the TAS.

One of their professors was investigated by the FBI, numerous death threats have been given to Dr. Pianka and the Texas Academy has been made to look like a large bunch of morons.

What reason isn't there to fire Mims?

Since then, a partial transcript of the speech has come out. While the transcript does support some of Mims's account, and shows that Dr. Pianka's speech was a mixture of some rather extreme ideology and science, it fails to support the most egregious accusation. Because of this, and because of the nature of the accusation, we feel forced to conclude that Mims's report is premised on a terrible misunderstanding and misjudgment.

While the transcript does support some of Mims's account, and shows that Dr. Pianka's speech was a mixture of some rather extreme ideology...

I also note that even in doing the right thing, "Mike Gene" just can't help himself:

I am just checking. For what reason are you so certain that TAS will take Mims' actions seriously enough to do something about them?

I'm very disappointed in Mike Gene, whoever he is. No wonder Mike Gene refuses to identify himself. Wusses are like that. Get a clue, Mike. Pianka hates humanity and thinks it's no better or more deserving of life than bacteria or bison. It's okay for you to say it, Mike. You're anonymous. The least you can do is be brave enough to call a spade a spade from behind your mask of anonymity.

oops. I meant to supply this link with that UD quote.

I remember Mimms from his column in Scientific American and I have no clue as to what he thinks about Creation.

However, I have read what I could find about Pianka and I think he is, to put it mildly, eccentric.

If he truly wanted to warn us about impending ecological disasters that would have been fine, but the words he chose were chosen with bad judgement.

What seems to come across though in all these discussions is that you can only have two viewpoints:

Creation or I.D. etc.

Or

Science

As a practicing Roman Catholic, I would like to point out that the Roman Catholic Church believes that both Science & Religion can and do co-exist.

If God created the Universe doesn't that mean he created everything including Science?

Those who choose to think otherwise, I believe, have their own agendas, whatever they are.

The least you can do is be brave enough to call a spade a spade from behind your mask of anonymity.

I've managed to save up roughly $66048 in my bank account, but I'm not sure if I should buy a house or not. Do you think the market is stable or do you think that home prices will decrease by a lot?