The Cost Of Being A Sucker for Intelligent Design

DarkSyde shows the down side of dealing with proponents of creationism/intelligent design:

Like the rainmakers and healers that came before them, the creationists arrive in town wrapped in the Bible and put on a dazzling show. They dutifully hit all the churches and revivals–often times with the pastor and elders acting as unwitting accomplices, nodding and smiling by their side. They sell their books and tapes and fill everyone with false hope. And, if things are going really well, maybe the creationists will slither up to a sympathetic school board prospect or mayor and whisper in their ear: “Take on the courts! You’ll be famous! You’ll be elected to Congress after you win this one!”

Then, if the case goes south–and they all have so far–and a huge legal bill comes due, translating to hundreds or thousands of dollars per homeowner per year in a small district, the instigators slip away with all the class of a bum walking a check at the town diner. And the law can’t protect your town from any of this, because it’s not illegal for a creationist to make their case, and it’s not against the law for anyone listening to be a sucker.

The taxpayers of Dover were hit with $1 million in legal fees–and this was cut in half after the school board members who backed teaching intelligent design were voted out of office. So much for fame and election to Congress.