The most dangerous place to be is between Pharyngula and a poll

Marines at Camp Pendleton erected a large cross on public land in a spontaneous gesture to some fallen comrades — it’s an understandable sentiment, to memorialize dead friends, and no one can fault their intent. But the action was wrong: it’s using government property to promote sectarian religion. It should be taken down and either something more appropriate put in its place, or it should be moved to private land. Unfortunately, the Marines involved are getting defensive, macho, and stupid (Hey! They’re fitting the Marine stereotype!)

“Marines roll deep and the most dangerous place to be is between a Marine and fallen Marines,” posted one person.

That’s nice if this were a battle. This isn’t, unless they really think the proper response to a legal challenge is to whip out their rifles.

So we also have a stupid poll, in which defenders of this cross have to resort to lying and trivializing their own faith (Hey! They’re fitting the Christian stereotype!)

Should Marine Corps OK cross?

Yes, it’s not a religous statement but one of respect. 82%
No, it’s clearly a violation of church and state. 18%

A cross isn’t a religious symbol anymore? Yeah, right. I’d be more sympathetic if they didn’t have to resort to blatant dishonesty to make their case (Hey! They’re fitting the theist stereotype!)

Pharyngulating Hitchens

Publishers Weekly is having a meaningless poll to pick the best book of 2011. I think the choice in this list is kind of obvious — everyone else can chime in with your preferences.

Vote for the best book of 2011

Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens 34.67%

Other: 17.59%

After the Apocalypse by Maureen McHugh 16.08%

Bossypants by Tina Fey 9.05%

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett 8.54%

The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock 5.03%

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides 4.52%

There but for the by Ali Smith 2.01%

Catherine the Great by Robert K. Massie 1.51%

One Day I Will Write About This Place by Binyavanga Wainaina 1.01%

Hemingway’s Boat by Paul Hendrickson 0%

Poll: Should lesbians take over the world?

A lesbian in a San Diego high school got elected homecoming king by her fellow students, along with her girlfriend being elected homecoming queen. Seems like a natural and reasonable choice to me…but of course the local angry bigot crowd not only gets to turn it into an online poll, but is skewing the votes towards their bigotry. It seems fitting that a decision that was made democratically by the more egalitarian students affected by it is being flailed at by people to whom it doesn’t matter, so let’s join in!

Do you think a woman should be crowned Homecoming King?

Yes, why not? 37%
No, that’s crazy. 56%
I’m not sure. 7%

By the way, if you don’t like the choice of homecoming king, then don’t go to the dance.

I don’t even remember who the king and queen were at my high school homecoming dance. I do remember that it was my very first date with my eventual wife-to-be, so they could have elected a shaved bigfoot to the position, and I wouldn’t have cared — Mary was radiant, and as far as I can recall, there wasn’t even anyone else there.

Polling the obvious

The Florida public school principal who declared that he was going to push prayer in his school — he even declared “The First Amendment was for Christianity, not other religions” — now gets his own poll. Only it’s a really stupidly worded poll.

Should optional prayer services be allowed on public school property?

Yes (88.8%)

No (11.2%)

Optional prayer services aren’t a problem and are allowed even now — go ahead, kids, you feel like praying over your school lunch? You can! The problem here is prayer led by or even promoted by school officials.

Anderson Cooper posts a stupid poll

Why Anderson Cooper gave any airtime to that fraud John Edward is a mystery (oh, wait: gullibility sells!), but the poll is even further insult. Send him a message.

Do You Believe in Mediums?

Anderson, unlike his mother Gloria Vanderbilt, admits that he is a “skeptic” of John Edward’s abilities as a medium.

Our cameraman, George, admits that he, too, was a skeptic of channeling spirits. John Edward changed his mind, however, after a spontaneous — and surprisingly accurate — reading during a taping.

How about you? Do you believe mediums have the power to channel those who have passed?

No 72.9%

Yes 27.1%

Calling all radical homosexuals: take this survey!

An organization called American Family Patriarchy Values wants to demonstrate that the world is actually just as bigoted as they are, so they’ve put up an internet survey to get “data” bolstering their views. I think we should help them out.

Radical homosexuals claim YOU support same-sex marriage, special job rights and promotion of homosexuality in schools. Please fill out the survey below and let your voice be heard.

1. Should businesses, schools, churches and daycares be required by law to hire and advance homosexuals or face prosecution and multimillion-dollar lawsuits?

2. Do you support the use of taxpayer dollars for AIDS-awareness programs and homosexual research grants?

3. Should homosexuality be promoted in school as a healthy lifestyle choice rather than leaving education on such matters up to the child’s parents?

4. Do you support same-sex “marriage” or marriage-like benefits for homosexual couples, such as adoption?

5. Should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn traditional marriage between one man and one woman?

I notice they do a little skewing of the questions, but ignore that; the first one in particular is dishonest, since no one is advocating requiring that homosexuals be hired, only that they not be discriminated against. But yeah, the rest are cool.

Unfortunately, they don’t publish any of the stats — you’re basically signing a petition that they want to flaunt at congress and claim that Americans really do hate gays, so let’s make more laws to discriminate against minorities. They’re unclear on the concept of democracy in multiple ways, I’m afraid.

I think they’re going to have to throw out their poll or lie about the data after we’re through with them.

(via JT)

Flu poll

I saw the movie Contagion last night — it’s good, but chilling. You are at the mercy of viruses that are evolving far faster than we are, and our lives depend on the luck of our genetics, the random permutations of recombination in pathogens, a bit on our efforts in hygiene and social practices, and a great deal on science supplementing our immune systems. We’re one strong pandemic away from a breakdown of the social order, and we rely on science and vaccinations to help protect this tasty giant petri dish of human meat we call planet Earth.

So I’m not too sympathetic when the Edmonton Sun asks a stupid question.

Do you trust flu shots?

Yes 43%
No 56%

Asking for “trust” is silly, too. I don’t trust anything absolutely, but I provisionally trust the science behind vaccines. I think they’re just trying to encourage doubt with the phrasing.

(Also on Sb)

Fairness and reason can be opposed by a poll

I’m impressed. The principal at Edgewater Primary School, Julie Tombs, ended the tradition of reciting the Lord’s Prayer at assemblies after receiving some complaints, and she did it for good principled reasons.

…at this school we have students from a range of backgrounds and it is important to consider all views and not promote one set of religious beliefs and practices over another.

Exactly right! This is a simple decision that schools should not be in the business of promoting sectarian religion. But of course, even in Australia the facts can’t be allowed to stand, so opposition must be gathered in the guise of a democratic poll. And so far, the Australians are disappointing me.

Should the Lord’s Prayer be banned from WA schools?

Yes 26.92%

No 54.78%

In state schools only 10.96%
I don’t care 7.34%

People who read Pharyngula might have a different perspective on this issue. Maybe you should make your views known.

A free speech poll

I think this was an excellent lesson. There’s nothing magical about the American flag, and it’s good for children to learn that.

A Kansas high school teacher is apologizing after parents complained because she stepped on an American flag while discussing free speech rights in her class.

Officials at Circle High School in Towanda says Jennifer McKinsey, a U.S. government and history teacher, stepped on the flag this week while discussing controversial behaviors that are protected by the First Amendment.

Unfortunately, the parents in Kansas don’t understand free speech, and they complained, and tried their best to limit McKinsey’s speech. They just threatened her job. I guess the kids have learned a different lesson, that America does not have free speech.

The voting on the poll, which up to this point is probably largely local, is overwhelmingly in favor of silencing teachers. I wonder if it will change with a different audience?

Do you support a Towanda teacher’s decision to step on an American flag during a lesson on free speech?

Yes (20.7%)
No (79.3%)