Judge Jones reveals good and bad traits
Statements by U.S. District Judge John Jones in defending his decision against the teaching of intelligent design in the Dover, Pa., school district elicit conflicting attitudes of acceptance and rejection for me. On the one hand, one should be grateful for a judge who is willing to hand down rulings that conflict with his own personal beliefs when he feels necessary. I would expect no less from a Bush appointee. However, comments made by Jones in regard to his decision, specifically, "It is ironic that several of these individuals, who so staunchly and proudly touted their religious convictions in public, would time and again lie to cover their tracks and disguise the real purpose," demonstrate the arrogance and elitism so very prevalent in the judicial branch of government.
Bush did well to appoint him. Not only did he appoint a judge who makes decisions based on his interpretation of the law, personal feelings aside, but he found someone who can read minds as well. The willingness to rule counter to personal feelings is atypical of today's judges, but if those rulings are based on flawed logic or the pseudo-science of mind-reading, the result is the same.
R.A. Jessup
Greensboro
Comments (7)
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I wonder how much research Mr (?) Jessup did into this subject. Having read the entire 139-page memo handed out from the court, I know that Judge Jones took great care to document and support every item in his decision, including the lies told UNDER OATH by some of the school board members who testified. It doesn't take a "mind reader" to figure this out. The evidence presented in the 21 days of hearings make it abundantly clear.
How "elitist" can a judge be to have a healthy respect for objective facts and a disdain for those who so blatantly and obviously presented him with fiction?
Posted on January 1, 2006 6:36 AM
"Having read the entire 139-page memo ..."
I'm impressed Nemo - and urge others to check their facts before boasting a position.
Posted on January 1, 2006 7:15 AM
I'm with you nemo on this one. Where did the "mind-reading" comment come from in the first place?
Shalom
Posted on January 1, 2006 1:09 PM
The Dover School Board members left a trail of comments in public meetings, the local (Dover) press, and in tv and radio interviews. These comments were in stark contrast to the sworn depositions made to the court prior to trial and the sworn testimony given under direct examination. Cross examination brought out the discrepancies, which most ordinary people and legal experts call commonplace, everyday lies. That they lied is not in doubt based upon their own statements, as are the religious convictions of which the Board members boasted.
Mr/s Jessup's comments seem to owe more to the spin already being given by the fundamentalist press to this trial and Judge Jones than they do to any reading of the testimony. Perhaps one day he will make the effort to read the primary source rather than religious propaganda.
The School Board lied. The ID experts lied, having left a similar trail of comments in their publications, depositions, and direct testimony. It is perhaps too much to expect the religious right to acknowledge these lies, for they paid scant attention to the plethora of contradictory lies the creationist movement has been feeding them for lo these many years, but we in NC will soon enough learn the truth of the matter the hard way.
One of the Dover School Board's chief liars is now in our midst, and his past will likely prove prelude to a NC community's future. The excuse, that believers are somehow justified in lying to further their beliefs, goes back in the Christian tradition directly to Martin Luther, and in philosophy, to Plato, whose philosophy Paul adapted to Christianity's service.
Posted on January 1, 2006 5:39 PM
What, the media only told half the story? Amazing how upset liberals get when the spin is in the clockwise(right) direction. 139 pages, man, nemo, how long did that take you, right here at Christmas(or should I say, "The Holidays"?) too, I, like Jim, am impressed also. Interesting read, huh? I, myself, only read the report in the newspaper and CNN.com, etc and I can see how M. Jessup reached the stated conclusion. I am glad someone checked the facts, however. It seems we can't always depend on the news to paint a true and accurate picture of what is going on, now can we? Could it be that there maybe a great deal of positive things going on in Iraq that the media is leaving out? I wonder if the media and rest of the left leaning crowd feel "somehow justified in lying (CBS & Rather)to further their beliefs(agenda)" hmmmm, I wonder . . . . . . . .
Posted on January 1, 2006 10:07 PM
How did Iraq come into this blog on the "ID" situation? Wow, I am still amazed at how issues that are totally unrelated are so easily linked together. Reminds me of W. A. Criswell's "The Scarlet Thread of Redemption." Wonders never cease to amaze me!
Shalom
Posted on January 2, 2006 3:28 PM
The problem I have with these debates is that people like RA Jessup put up a conservative front and accuse liberal Democrats of controlling a system and manipulating the populace.
I know Mr. Jessup personally. As a conservative he has no problem with having homosexual exploits -- although he is married. I think he needs to look in the mirror before he accuses any group of exploitation.
Posted on September 29, 2006 10:44 PM