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Kitzmiller Plaintiffs’ Attorney Uses Ridicule and Harsh Rhetoric against Legal Scholars Who Question Judge Jones

Darwinist blogs are infamous for ridiculing those who question the party line until they change their mind, stop posting, or leave. But is this strategy employed by those higher in the Darwin-defense hierarchy? Richard B. Katskee, Assistant Legal Director at Americans United for Separation of Church and State and attorney for the plaintiffs in the Kitzmiller case, illustrates in his article in First Amendment Law Review how this Darwinist tactic of ridicule and name-calling goes all the way to the top.

Mr. Katskee attacks those who do not oppose ID as “succumbing to the basic deceit at the heart of intelligent design,” saying they “have been deceived.” He uses language to ridicule ID as uncool and evil, calling it a “Humpty-Dumptyesque linguistic project” which is “creationism in a cheap tuxedo” and “disingenuou[s].” Mr. Katskee engages in complex ridicule, asserting that “viewed from a sufficient distance, and with eyelids half closing in technospeak-induced slumber, even a cheap tuxedo can look almost elegant–at least to those of us without the training or discernment to distinguish cashmere from polyester blend.” Keep in mind that Mr. Katskee didn’t just say all this on some blog, but in a supposedly scholarly article in First Amendment Law Review. Mr. Katskee’s strategy is clear: ridicule and attack those who show any inkling of support for ID or critique of Judge Jones and the Darwinist party line, so they will step back into line. Such attacks were used against Jay D. Wexler and Arnold H. Loewy, whose critiques of Judge Jones have been recently discussed. When Darwinists must attack those who disagree with them as being deceived or morally bankrupt, the true strength of Mr. Katskee’s position is obvious.

Casey Luskin

Associate Director, Center for Science and Culture
Casey Luskin is a geologist and an attorney with graduate degrees in science and law, giving him expertise in both the scientific and legal dimensions of the debate over evolution. He earned his PhD in Geology from the University of Johannesburg, and BS and MS degrees in Earth Sciences from the University of California, San Diego, where he studied evolution extensively at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. His law degree is from the University of San Diego, where he focused his studies on First Amendment law, education law, and environmental law.

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__k-reviewAmericans United for Separation of Church and StateKitzmiller v. Dover Area School DistrictRichard B. Katskee