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Museum Officials Oust Research Associate Open to Intelligent Design Theory 3/13/2007 House subcommittee report highlights “intolerance and politicization of science” at Smithsonian. The vaunted Smithsonian Institution, highly regarded for promoting knowledge and science, is embroiled in a scandal for censoring scientific inquiry. It would be amusing when the mouthpieces of political correctness abandoned their mantra of freedom and tolerance to squash a threat to their power, if so much were not at stake. Consider the case of the squashing of Dr. Richard Sternberg, a former research associate at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and a distinguished evolutionary biologist with two doctorates in biology.
Dr. Sternberg’s sin was to allow a scientific article critical of neo-Darwinism to be published in a biology journal, an offense that stoked the ire of his colleagues and supervisors. In an act reminiscent of despots purging their territory of ideological opposition, Smithsonian officials conducted a smear campaign to defame and demote the renegade scientist. Investigations since have uncovered the Smithsonian’s history of allowing scientists critical of Darwinian theory to be harassed and demoted by museum officials.
In August of 2005, the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources began an investigation into the alleged mistreatment of Dr. Sternberg, picking up where the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) had left off. The OSC had uncovered evidence substantiating Dr. Sternberg’s complaints of discrimination, but the investigation was cut short due to a question of jurisdiction.
In December 2006, the subcommittee published a report with disturbing evidence of bigotry among Smithsonian officials, along with a recommendation to Congress that it adopt statutory language protecting the free speech and civil rights of scientists who hold unpopular views relating to biological evolution. Subcommittee staff found that top Smithsonian officials refused to address the wrongs uncovered by the investigation and had little concern for the basic rights of scientists who were open to aspects of intelligent design theory.
The report highlights emails sent by officials at the NMNH revealing a clear intent to drive Dr. Sternberg from his job. “This is discrimination, plain and simple,” reads the report. “The abject failure of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary to protect the basic rights of Dr. Sternberg to a civil work environment is indefensible.”
“Given the attitudes expressed in these emails, scientists who are known to be skeptical of Darwinian theory, whatever their qualifications or research record, cannot expect to receive equal treatment or consideration by NMNH officials.”
The hypocrisy demonstrated by the Smithsonian’s self-professed representatives of intellectual freedom and tolerance of dissent is not limited to the sphere of biological evolutionary research. It can also be seen in the stem cell research arena, where politicians and scientists furiously push policies involving the destruction of human embryos, garnering support by tagging those who oppose the procedure as “anti-science.” (This, of course, is their most effective method since the use of embryonic stem cells in research has yielded no effective treatments).
The new Congress threatens to force taxpayers to fund destructive embryonic stem cell research over fruitful, ethically sound alternatives. Non-embryonic stem cell research has delivered countless clinical trials and effective treatments. Embryonic stem cell research never has. Why must taxpayers be forced to fund morally objectionable and fruitless research when an alternative exists? Such decidedly biased behavior is hard to bear when the bias comes from the so-called scientific objectivist crowd.
“Americans usually trust the servants of science because of their image of commitment to objectivity. But scientists and their servants are losing credibility as it is being revealed that too many of them put ideology and politics above their reputed goals,” said Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women for America. “This abuse of trust not only harms individual scientists but the cause of science itself.”
Scientists at the Smithsonian have created an environment of fear, where well-published biologists who disagree with the establishment may face demotion and harassment if they voice their views. Politically-driven scientists who claim to work on behalf of intellectual freedom would do well to grant their opposition a right to be heard, and to attack arguments instead of persons. In the meantime, Congress would do well to heed the warnings of the subcommittee’s report by establishing legal protections for scientists who espouse views and arguments contrary to those advanced by the majority. At stake are freedom of thought and the integrity of the scientific profession. |
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