For 20 years Mount Vernon, Ohio science teacher John Freshwater has had the Ten Commandments on his wall, Christian posters on his walls, a Bible on his desk, has been pushing creation science in lieu of evolution and preaching Christianity in his public school classroom. Mount Vernon, a suburb of Columbus is in Southern Ohio. If you will remember that is where the last minute call to fundamentalists in 2004 gave Ohio’s electoral votes re-electing George W. Bush.
For ten years various school principles and school board members have been receiving complaints about Mr. Freshwater’s blatant use of his public school classroom to evangelize fundamentalist Christianity and teaching intelligent design rather than evolution in his science class. No action was taken until he burned a cross on the harms of two student’s. Though the school board unanimously have shown Mr. Freshwater the door on Friday, he is appealing the decision with vigorous local and national support. Ohio board votes to ax teacher accused of branding
You will notice who his supporters are by the hats in the photo. Right-wing talk radio and the even more crazy right-wing WorldNetDaily website have got hold of this and are giving it national attention to whip up the intolerant fervor of religious fundamentalists for the upcoming election. Their hope is a repeat of 2004 where intolerant morons decided the election in favor of a President who by that time was already known to be the worst in American History.