Other Responses to the 2008 Candidate Questionnaire

One candidate, who strongly disagreed, wrote "What this means is that the creator or discoverer of the art or fact of science is to have their work protected. This is a property rights protection--not precisely what you state!"

5. Public schools should provide age-appropriate, scientific information on methods of birth control and ways to reduce health risks of sexual activities.

This question bothered a number of candidates who thought this was the purview of parents AND it triggered the state-funded school issue for a few.

• "This has failed terribly. What is 'age appropriate'?"
• "Might get better left to families and social reform groups."
• One candidate circled "age appropriate" and asked, "meaning what, specifically?"
• "[The] state has no business in sex ed. It is parents responsibility."
• "The out-of-wedlock birthrate was 2.2% from 1916 to 1920 in America. Since sex education and contraception education was introduced, the out-of-wedlock birthrate exploded. If you are truly scientific, and not controlled by dogma, you should see the more we teach sex and contraception the more the out-of-wedlock birthrate goes up. ...Japan has a 1% out-of-wedlock birthrate, the lowest in the industrialized world. But in 1900, the out-of-wedlock birthrate was 8.8%, almost the same as it was for black America that year. And, Japan has a fairly high amount of premarital sex, not as high as America but high enough to make the argument that less is the reason for Japan's out-of-wedlock birthrate – a very ridiculous argument."
• "I do not believe in government schools--period. However in the current situation, I believe all decisions re curriculum should be made locally."
• One candidate circled "age appropriate" and added that it was a "parental decision."
• One candidate, who crossed out "Public" wrote, "Please realize that I advocate the privatization of all education. Government-run schools, private schools, and home schools should all take these steps!"

6. It is appropriate to teach alternatives to established and accepted scientific theories in public school science classes, regardless of supporting scientific evidence.

A few candidates seemed to think that students have enough scientific training to weigh the evidence themselves--without the aid of a proper scientific education first.

• "I don't believe in creationism, but science wouldn't advance if alternative ideas hadn't been considered--but they must be considered with evidence."
• A candidate who did not answer wrote, "I do not understand this statement." He also wrote, "I am a firm believer in evolution. I do not believe in intelligent design. But, I would allow intelligent design to be taught along with evolution in public schools. If intelligent design is nonsense, then what are we afraid of[?] The better argument wins. It is better to win in free debate where [the] other side was given a chance."

7. The age of the Earth is closer to 4 billion years than to 6 thousand years.

We feel that some basic understanding of science is a good thing for elected officials.

• A candidate, who did not answer, said "depends on what I know."
• "If not longer. [I] agree but this is irrelevant to the job of Congress."
• One candidate who didn't answer, wrote "who cares".

8. Speciation and the diversity of life are best explained by evolution through natural selection.

• "Irrelevant to political activity." Not if you're hoping to make decisions about the environment, biological entities, or science education.

9. Our Constitution's provision that "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States", which applies to all divisions of government (legislative, executive, judicial, military, federal, and state, including subdivisions thereof), should never be violated.

10. Public school teachers should never be required to respond to religious tests, including to utter "under God" during the Pledge of Allegiance.

• "If it is still part of it (as it has been since 1954), it is appropriate to say it when teaching the pledge to the class." We wonder if teachers are allowed to tell students how they personally feel about the pledge.
• One candidate underlined "never" and "required".
• "'Under God' should not have been put in our pledge of Allegiance. There is nothing godly about our foreign policy."
• A candidate circled "Pledge of Allegiance" and commented "an abomination to any true American!"
• "They can exercise their first amendment rights and not say the pledge at all."

11. Whenever children in public schools are free to proclaim "under God" during the Pledge of Allegiance they are free to remain silent or to proclaim alternatives.

• One candidate underlined "free to remain silent."
• One candidate underlined "proclaim alternatives."
• "This answer becomes moot as education becomes privatized."

12. "E Pluribus Unum" or "In Science We Trust" would be a less divisive national motto than "In God We Trust", "In Allah We Trust", "In Shiva and Vishnu We Trust", or "Gott Mit Uns".

This was perhaps our most controversial question. The point was to get people to see the divisiveness of our McCarthy-era red-scare motto.

• "None of the above."
• One candidate crossed out the phrases from Allah on.
• "What you want would be a tiny minority forcing itself on a large majority."
• One candidate changed "In Science We Trust" to "In Reason We Trust".

13. Our Constitution's provision that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" requires strict government neutrality in matters of religion and forbids government promotion of ceremonial Deism and monotheism.

• One candidate underlined "forbids government promotion of ceremonial Deism and monotheism" and wrote, "This does not establish a state religion." Our response is that "an establishment of religion" means something different than "the establishment of religion."
• One candidate who disagreed underlined "prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
• "Many of our laws prohibit the free exercise thereof!"

14. A government employee who promotes, rather than accommodates, religion in his/her official capacity should be reprimanded or fired.

• One candidate, who disagreed, wrote "1^st amendment. Freedom of speech!"
• "Government employees should not be allowed to use their position to promote religion, but they should not be forbidden to talk about religion." This candidate did not give a response to this question.
• "Do not understand this question."

15. Tax exemptions given to religious organizations are discriminatory and/or burdensome to the public and should be either opened to atheistic organizations or eliminated altogether.

• "I believe non-profit atheistic orgs would get the same benefit."
• One candidate said there should be "no more subsidies" and circled "eliminated altogether."
• One candidate underlined "should be either opened to atheistic organizations."
• "Atheism is a religion."
• One candidate underlined "eliminated altogether."
• "All organizations religious or not, should get a tax exemption if they meet the same requirements."
• One candidate crossed out "either opened to atheistic organizations".
• One candidate circled "eliminated altogether."
• One candidate remarked that the exemptions are not discriminatory to the tax exempt organizations.
• "But Wall Street should be taxed!!"
• One candidate crossed out "either opened to atheistic organizations."
• One candidate circled "eliminated altogether" and added "Eliminate all taxes, too!"

16. Values of properties owned by religious organizations should periodically be appraised and made a matter of public record, along with values of associated property tax exemptions.

• One candidate added "& taxed too! Dammit!!"
• One candidate added, "and TAXED!".

17. A religious leader who learns of a commission of a felony should not be immune from prosecution for failure to report the crime.

In hindsight, we could have made this question clearer.

• "If the failure constitutes felonious behavior."
• "Depends on the crime and within confession/counseling, same rules as doctors, etc."
• "A lawyer is not allowed to become a witness against his client. So, a priest should be allowed to obey the [word missing] of is church."

18. A prison inmate should not be paroled or granted prison favors on account of religion.

• "Terms are too long!!!"

19. A licensed pharmacist who, on account of religion, chooses not to dispense a prescription drug to a customer should have his or her license revoked.

• "Go to another pharmacist." Our response is that many people don't have that luxury.
• A candidate who disagreed, said "But is must be upfront and there should be one available who will."
• "That is a private matter between the pharm. and the client. However, I do not believe in state licensing."
• "This is a matter between management and the employee of a private enterprise. Management should be free to fire the bastard."
• "Change pharmacists if you do not agree with him."

20. Parents who, on account of religion, prevent their children from receiving life-saving medical treatment should not be immune from prosecution or from loss of custody of their children.

• "If harm results. … No. Parents can still love their children better than almost anyone else."
• "Depends on specifics, age of child, etc."
• "If necessary, the children should be taken, but I do not favor punishment of the parent."
• "This includes unborn Americans." Our response is that we didn't know that fetuses had citizenship rights.

21. Schools that deny admission to, or otherwise discriminate against, children on account of the religions of the children, or their parents, should be ineligible to receive public education funds even if the funds are directed to the schools by individual parents (as with vouchers) and not by the government.

• "It depends upon whether religion is taught or enforced in the school."
• A candidate who strongly disagreed said "SA if not for 'even if'."
• "A school founded by a religious group should be allowed to hold its religious beliefs."
• "But a school should have the right to deny admission to any student. Schools should never receive public funds. Let the market provide schools that mat the students' and parents' priorities (through competition)."
• One candidate crossed out much of the question, leaving "All schools … should be ineligible to receive public … funds."

22. An employer who discriminates based on an employee's religion should be ineligible to receive public funds.

• "It makes no sense to require a Catholic church to hire a Muslim." Our response is that it also makes no sense for the Muslim to be forced to pay taxes to aid the Catholic.
• "In some cases, religious holidays can be costly to an employer who has to meet a regular work schedule. An employer cannot be blamed for trying to reduce costs."
• "However employee should sue for discrimination and be awarded damages if discrimination based on religion is proven in court."
• "It is illegal to discriminate against religion."

23. The legal definition of marriage should not be restricted to one man with one woman.

We think that the "not" in the question made it confusing to some.

• "Did our founding fathers ever consider marriage to be anything else?"
• A candidate, who disagreed, said "However, I support same-sex unions being given same legal status as marriage."
• "Should be any number & sexes."
• "Government aid or support should not depend on marital status (whatever the definition!). The proper role of government is to protect life, liberty and, the pursuit of happiness. Period. Thus, most of the agencies of government (presently in existence) should be dissolved ASAP."

Browse all articles.