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Los Angeles Times
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
When Darrow took on Bryan 100 years ago today, science got the win. Or did it?
Before O.J. Simpson's 'trial of the century,' another courtroom clash riveted America and merited that title. In the sleepy town of Dayton, Tenn., on July 10, 1925, the Scopes 'Monkey Trial' was gaveled to order. The issues contested in the second-story courtroom of the Rhea County courthouse may seem long settled, but they still divide Americans 100 years later. At the behest of the American Civil Liberties Union, a young science teacher, John T. Scopes, agreed to stand trial for violating Tennessee's Butler Act, which forbade educators 'to teach any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals.' Local boosters in Dayton calculated that a trial pitting science against religion would provide a jolt to the town's economy. William Jennings Bryan, fundamentalist Christian and three-time Democratic nominee for president, agreed to assist the prosecution, and Clarence Darrow, agnostic and arguably the nation's most famous defense attorney, signed onto the Scopes team. WGN, the clear-channel radio station in Chicago, carried the proceedings live, and the irascible H.L. Mencken of the Baltimore Sun led the phalanx of journalists who descended on Dayton. For eight days, Dayton was awash in visitors, including journalists, partisans on one side or the other and chimpanzees. Banners advocated Bible reading. Lemonade stands popped up. Nearly a thousand people crowded into the courtroom, and even more witnessed the proceedings when they were moved outside because of the summer heat. Over Darrow's objections, the Scopes trial opened each day with prayer. The trial was supposed to decide a narrow question: Had Dayton's high schoolers been taught evolution; was the Butler Act violated? The judge quashed various defense attempts to contest the merits of the act, but that didn't stop the trial from unfolding as a a proxy for larger issues. Bryan posited that 'if evolution wins, Christianity goes,' and Darrow countered with 'Scopes isn't on trial; civilization is on trial.' He added that the prosecution was 'opening the doors for a reign of bigotry equal to anything in the Middle Ages.' Once the judge refused to hear testimony from most of the defense's Bible and science experts, Darrow called Bryan to testify as an expert on the Bible. The New York Times described what ensued as 'the most amazing court scene in Anglo-Saxon history.' 'You have given considerable study to the Bible, haven't you, Mr. Bryan?' Darrow began. Bryan replied that he had studied the Bible for about 50 years. Darrow proceeded with a fusillade of 'village atheist' challenges to famous Bible stories: Jonah and the whale, Noah and the great flood, Joshua making the sun stand still. Bryan, who had initially insisted that 'everything in the Bible should be accepted as it is given there,' had to say time and again that he'd never questioned the biblical accounts. He eventually conceded that the Genesis account of creation might refer to six 'periods' rather than six 24-hour-days. The exchange grew testy. Bryan complained that Darrow was trying to 'slur at the Bible' and declared that he would continue to answer Darrow's questions because 'I want the world to know that this man, who does not believe in God, is trying to use a court in Tennessee ...' but Darrow interrupted. 'I object to your statement,' he thundered, and to 'your fool ideas that no intelligent Christian on Earth believes.' The outcome of the Scopes trial was never in doubt. The jury of 11 white men, all but one of whom attended church regularly, returned a guilty verdict after nine minutes of deliberation. Scopes was fined $100 (a verdict later overturned on a technicality). Bryan, a broken man, died in Dayton five days later. Most liberals, theological and political, believed that science and common sense had prevailed once and for all in that steamy Tennessee courtroom, that Darrow had banished the retrograde 'fool ideas' of Christian literalists to the margins. But is that true? Although it was never enforced again, the Butler Act remained on the books in Tennessee until 1967. Some publishers, afraid of a backlash from churchgoers, quietly expunged or watered down evolution in their textbooks, and many states continued to prohibit the teaching of evolution in public schools. That added to an alarming decline in science education in the United States, a deficit that came finally to public notice when the Soviets launched their Sputnik satellite in 1957. President Kennedy's aspirations to land a man on the moon jump-started American science dominance education in the 1960s, which necessarily rested, in part, on the fundamentals of Darwin's evolutionary theory. But many of the faithful remained wary. Several organizations emerged in the 1960s and 1970s — the Creation Research Society, Bible Science Assn., the Institute for Creation Research, among others — that advocated 'creationism' and later, 'scientific creationism,' a sometimes comic attempt to clothe biblical literalism with scientific legitimacy. Most scientists scoffed, dismissing as preposterous claims that the Grand Canyon, for example, was formed in a matter of weeks. Courts repeatedly refused to countenance creationism as anything but religious teaching and therefore impermissible in public schools because of the establishment clause of the 1st Amendment ('Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion …' ). Undeterred, 'Bible-believing' Christians set about inventing new guises for creationism, which led to something called 'intelligent design,' the notion that creation is so ordered and complex that some Designer must perforce have initiated and superintended the process. The legal showdown over intelligent design took place in Dover, Pa., where the school board had required biology teachers to read a statement asserting that evolution 'is not a fact' and urging students 'to keep an open mind.' John E. Jones, U.S. district judge appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush, ruled in December 2005 that intelligent design was 'a mere re-labeling of creationism and not a scientific theory,' and that requiring it in public schools represented a violation of the establishment clause. Even now those who can't abide Darwinism are very likely working on the next evolution of creationism. In the meantime, the broader religious right mounts attacks on science and public education that echo those that animated the Scopes trial. Public education, one of the cornerstones of democracy, is itself on the line, as religious nationalists support the diversion of taxpayer funds to provide vouchers for religious schools. Sadly, the current Supreme Court, with scant regard for the establishment clause, is abetting those efforts. The Bible vs. Darwin showdown in Tennessee cast a long shadow over American life. The jury may have taken only nine minutes to determine the fate of Scopes, but 100 years later science and religion, and modernism and fundamentalism are still fighting it out. Randall Balmer, a professor of religion at Dartmouth College, wrote and hosted three PBS documentaries, including 'In the Beginning: The Creationist Controversy.' His latest book is 'America's Best Idea: The Separation of Church and State.'
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Yahoo
Ocean City boardwalk panic caused by fireworks, not gunfire, police say
Ocean City officials have confirmed that fireworks — not gunfire — were the source of loud noises that caused panic and sent crowds scrambling on the boardwalk Friday night. 'Some witnesses reported 'shots fired,' but we can confirm that there were NO firearm-related injuries involved,' the department said in a statement posted on its Facebook page. 'There is no ongoing threat to the public.' The commotion occurred after a group of individuals discharged fireworks into a crowd in the downtown area for a July 4 celebration, according to police. An Ocean City police official confirmed to The Baltimore Sun multiple arrests were made in connection with the incident but could not provide any further information. In addition, Ocean City police reported a nonfatal shooting near 28th Street and Philadelphia Avenue early Saturday morning. Both southbound and northbound traffic were shut down before being reopened around 2 a.m. Baltimore Sun reporter Jacques Kelly contributed to this article. Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@ or on X as @ToddKarpovich.
New York Post
18-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Orioles prospect Luis Guevara dead at 19 after jet ski crash
Orioles prospect Luis Guevara died at the age of 19 following a jet ski crash in Sarasota, Fla., the organization announced Tuesday. Guevera was involved in a head-on crash between two water vehicles around 8 p.m. Sunday off Lido Key in Florida that included four people, with two being sent to the hospital, The Baltimore Sun reported via details from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The Orioles said in a statement they are 'heartbroken,' and the franchise reportedly postponed scheduled Florida Complex League (FCL) games Monday and Tuesday. Advertisement 3 Former Orioles prospect Luis Guevara. Minor League Baseball 'Luis was a beloved member of our organization, and we are devastated following his tragic passing,' Orioles general manager Mike Elias said in a statement. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and teammates and we ask for their continued privacy during this difficult time.' Advertisement The four-person accident involved two jet skis colliding, with each carrying two people, and all four individuals fell into the water, per the Baltimore Sun. Those in the area helped those involved out of the water and to shore, with the pair on one jet ski reportedly suffering minor injuries and the two on the other being hospitalized. At least one more Orioles prospect was part of the collision, according to the Baltimore Sun. Advertisement Guevara, a native of Tinaco, Venezuela, signed with the Orioles as an international free agent in 2023. 3 Guevara (r) celebrates during a FCL game. Thomas Bender/Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images He made his minor-league debut this year, playing 30 games for three different teams and peaking with the organization's Double-A squad. Guevara slashed a cumulative .235/.380/.318 for a .697 OPS and tallied 11 RBIs and eight steals. Advertisement 3 Lido Beach in Sarasota, Fla. Ruth P. Peterkin – He primarily played shortstop and third base, while also manning second base and left field. Guevara spent the majority of his time with Single-A Delmarva, posting a slash line of .243/.382/.314 with 13 walks in 91 plate appearances. He also appeared in four games with the organization's rookie league team and just a pair of contest with Double-A Chesapeake. He last played Saturday for the FCL Orioles, going 1-for-3 with a run scored. Guevara also played for the Orioles' Dominican Summer League (DSL) team from 2023-24, and he posted a .786 OPS while hitting .297 with a .434 on-base percentage and a .351 slugging percentage. Advertisement He tallied 38 RBIs in 84 games in the DSL.
New York Post
03-06-2025
- General
- New York Post
UPS driver disqualified from US Open qualifier for gut-wrenching mistake
A 31-year-old UPS driver was cruising through the first 18 holes of a U.S. Open qualifier, only to get disqualified for an error off the course in Rockville, Md., on Monday. Nick Barrett of Catonsville was disqualified from a qualifying event at Woodmont Country Club for not signing his scorecard within a certain allotted time. During an interview with the Baltimore Sun, Barrett recalled the sinking feeling that overcame him when he realized his scorecard was still in his back pocket during a lunch break after shooting a 73 while at the midpoint of what was supposed to be a 36-hole day. 'I stood up after I had a hot dog or something at lunch, and I felt my back pocket, and I felt the scorecard in there, and as soon as I did that, my heart went straight to the bottom of my stomach,' he said. Barrett, who had about 40 family members and friends supporting him at the event, showed up at the scorer's tent to sign his scorecard about 20 minutes after his round had ended, and the officials had ruled him disqualified. 'It's kind of hard to express, but just disappointment in myself because at the end of the day, it is my responsibility as a player. I can't blame anybody but me,' he said. 'It's just a total gut punch.' His playing partners, Cole Miller, of New Tripoli, Pa., and Jason Li, of Sewickley, Pa., signed their scorecards on time and waited for Barrett at the scorers' tables, but he never showed up, according to the Baltimore Sun. 'It's really upsetting to go out like that because it wasn't anything I did on the course or because I signed something wrong,' Barrett said. 'I just got caught up in the moment. That was my responsibility, and I just didn't do it.' Barrett tallied an even-par 35 through his first nine holes, and he opened the back nine with a birdie on the par-5 10th. Nick Barrett was disqualified from a U.S. Open qualifier for not signing his scorecard quickly enough. Getty Images 'I was starting to feel a little bit more comfortable with my game,' he said. 'I'm not saying I was going to go out there and shock the world, but I was feeling a lot better after playing the first round. It's just a real shame that I couldn't go back out there.' Barrett added that his mistake is a teachable moment. 'If people hear this, for me specifically, I can take this as a learning experience,' he said. 'I've never had a problem with rules in the past, and it only takes one time for you to feel this way to never want to feel it again.' Nick Barrett is a 31-year-old UPS driver. Tada Images – Barrett shot a bogey-free round of 68 in the first round of U.S. Open qualifying at Northwest Golf Course in Silver Spring on May 5 to reach this stage He advanced to the Round of 32 in the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur and reached the final qualifying stage for the U.S. Open in 2023.
USA Today
03-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UPS driver DQ'ed from U.S. Open final qualifying for boneheaded scorecard mistake
UPS driver DQ'ed from U.S. Open final qualifying for boneheaded scorecard mistake Nick Barrett didn't qualify for the U.S. Open at Oakmont on Monday but he's in contention for one of the bonehead moves of the year in golf. Barrett, a 31-year-old UPS driver from Catonsville, Maryland, posted 73 in the first round at Woodmont Country Club, his final stage of qualifying, and then forgot to sign his scorecard in the allotted time. The result? Disqualification. According to Monday Q Info's Ryan French and the Baltimore Sun's Edward Lee, Barrett didn't remember to return his scorecard to the scorer's tent until 20 minutes after finishing his round. By then, it was ruled too late. Barrett accepted that he was responsible for the mistake. 'It's really upsetting to go out like that because it wasn't anything I did on the course or because I signed something wrong,' he said. 'I just got caught up in the moment. That was my responsibility, and I just didn't do it.' 'I was starting to feel a little bit more comfortable with my game,' he added. 'I'm not saying I was going to go out there and shock the world, but I was feeling a lot better after playing the first round. It's just a real shame that I couldn't go back out there.' Barrett previously reached the final qualifying stage for the U.S. Open in 2023 and advanced to the Round of 32 in the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur. Barrett had advanced through local qualifying by shooting 68 on May 5. 'If people hear this, for me specifically, I can take this as a learning experience,' he said. 'I've never had a problem with rules in the past, and it only takes one time for you to feel this way to never want to feel it again.'
