The Humanist Community of Central Ohio, based in Columbus, decided to do something extra to help celebrate Darwin Day on February 12th. Darwin Day honors Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882) who wrote the first book about Evolution (On The Origin of Species) in 1859.
HCCO sent letters to the mayors of several Central Ohio cities and asked for a proclamation recognizing February 12th as Darwin Day in their city. Mayors issue proclamations as way to give special recognition to various groups and ideas. It is common practice for a mayor to issue one in recognition of the National Day of Prayer.
One of the responses was a surprise.
Mayor Robert L. McPherson of Reynoldsburg, OH was the first mayor to declare Darwin Day.
Readers of the blog will remember that McPherson wants to display a donated Nativity scene on the lawn of Reynoldsburg city hall. See: Reynoldsburg, OH Mayor Ignores Law on Holiday Scenes – Again
Now of course one can support the science Darwin wrote about AND believe in God, but I thought it was ironic the mayor would do it. He was the last one I thought would.
Equally surprising was that Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman, one time Democratic candidate for Governor, declined to issue a Darwin Day proclamation. He had no problem issuing a proclamation for Rev. Rod Parsley’s Ohio Restoration Project group back in October.
*Update – 2/11/2006 – Mayor Coleman instead issued a proclamation to honor the birthday of inventor Thomas Edison. Coleman’s office worked out the “compromise” with HCCO when the office thought proclaiming a Darwin Day would be too controversial.
