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What about Native Americans who lost, well, their ENTIRE CULTURE and GENE POOL.

You apparently aren't an American, otherwise you would know that there are millions of native Americans living in the US with their own distinct culture.

And yes, black people still live in America. They are free, equal members of American society. They were intially freed from the southern slave states in the 1860s. Other slave states soon followed as the Constitution was amended to free them. Laws forcing segregation were struck down in court over time.

As far as Hiroshima goes, there were fewer people lost there than in the fire bombings of other cities. Bombs kill people. Nuclear bombs kill people. Same same.

In fairness though, there is a difference between what happened to people in concentration camps targeted for death. Entire peoples were targeted for extermination by the Nazi's, genocide. There is a special horror to that, and they came all too close to achieving it.

So fuck off and get off your high horse asshole. There is plenty of evil for all, you don't get to whine about your relatives exclusively.

Aren't you sweet? Forget his relatives? I guess you feel the pain of all murdered people, virtually all of which you'll never know? Do you feel the pain of the people the Japanese killed in the Rape of Nanking? What about the American service men who were dissected alive by the Japanese? Or, as it appears, do you mainly reserve special pity for the people killed by Americans, or people in America?

You really should think about starting a web site to flesh out and present your ideas. Might I suggest this as a model that reflects your style?

I have no problem teacher religion in school, in a philosophy, humanities, or religion class but the only tyme in belongs in a science class is when explaining how religion repressed science. And if you're going to teach "God" in philosophy class be sure to also teach Buddhism, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Hinduism, Jainism, and all the other religions. Fair play is fair play. If you're going to teach Genesis, also teach The Navajo Creation Story, Apache Creation Story, and other creation stories.

I don't see anything wrong with teaching the history of humanity's understanding of the planet's origins.

Teach it in a history, philosophy, mythology, or another class then. But not in science, it is not science. And if you're going to teach it in these other classes then you'd better teach the Apache Creation Story, the Zuni Creation Cycle, and the Flying Spaghetti Monster as well as others.

Falcon

what *is* wrong with creationism?

Nothing, so long as it's not taught in science. It is not science. Now if you want to teach it in a philosophy class then go ahead, however if you do be sure to also teach the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Apache Creation Story, and The Zuni Creation Cycle among others.

Falcon

As a matter of probability, as a matter of history, as a matter of precidence, ID is emminantly more probably than a Darwinian Evolution.

ID is not science and therefore should not be taught in science classes. Evolution on the other hand is science and belongs there. I wouldn't mind having ID taught in public schools however as part of a philosophy curriculum. If so though then other beliefs of the origin of life need to be taught as well. Such as the Apache Creation Story, Navajo Creation Story, and the Zuni Creation Cycle.

Mohawk tribe of the Iroquois Nation

This is a part of what kept me from becoming a scientist. Not that I have strong "religious" beliefs, but I am attracted to how nature works because I would like to know about the universe, and ultimately why? what are we for? can we know? I believe science is the best way to gain insight into those questions in a meaningful way, not just making up stories like most religions do. If you want to get some perspective, just read about creation as told by American Indian tribes http://www.indians.org/welker/firstind.htm , they sound childish, but in fact they are just so far outside of our culture that we see them for what they are, sad attempts by people to feel safe and secure in an otherwise often scary world.

What I hate about the culture of science, is this arrogance towards non scientists. The "Layman" in other words the low life uneducated worker class. I felt this way for a long time, and only recently in my late 30's do I really understand how totally wrong that was. This is one reason why I loved Carl Sagan so much. He at least in his writings was always full of wonder, always humble. In reading countless biographies of scientists, that a lack of humility can wipe out a whole life's work, heading in the wrong direction because of pride and dogma. Anyway, I don't know who I am even really talking to, but I felt the need to put some of this out..

I am pretty sure the Aztecwere defeated by Cortez and an Alliance with other native peoples. The Azteks, however, were defeated due to bad aesthetic design and poor market research.

Hiawatha was Iroquois, idiot.

While we're at it, please return the English, Spanish, etc. since they're European... and start speaking your own languages instead - thanks!

There's an urban legend or true story about the moon mission. They should bring the same message to mars.

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About 1966 or so, a NASA team doing work for the Apollo moon mission took the astronauts near Tuba City. There the terrain of the Navajo Reservation looks very much like the lunar surface. Among all the trucks and large vehicles were two large figures that were dressed in full lunar spacesuits.

Nearby a Navajo sheep herder and his son were watching the strange creatures walk about, occasionally being tended by other NASA personnel. The two Navajo people were noticed and approached by the NASA personnel. Since the man did not know English, his son asked him who the strange creatures were. The NASA people told them that they were just men that were getting ready to go to the moon. The man became very excited and asked if he could send a message to the moon with the astronauts.

The NASA personnel thought this was a great idea so they rustled up a tape recorder. After the man gave them his message, they asked his son to translate. His son would not.

Later, they tried a few more people on the reservation to translate and every person they asked would chuckle and then refuse to translate. Finally, with cash in hand someone translated the message,

"Watch out for these guys, they come to take your land."