Letter to KNX Radio: Dr. Eric Pianka

I submitted this letter to KNX News Radio on their web form:

I was gravely disappointed yesterday to hear an editorial on KNX-1070 News Radio, Los Angeles, comparing the biologist Dr. Eric Pianka to Adolph Hitler.  You did so by implying that Dr. Pianka recommends a "final solution" to reduce the human population on the planet.  This was really a despicable piece.  Dr. Pianka did not advocate genocide.  Dr. Pianka said, "We need to make a transition to a sustainable world. If we don't, nature is going to do it for us in ways of her own choosing. By definition, these ways will not be ours and they won't be much fun. Think about that."  Sounds pretty reasonable to me.  He's saying that overpopulation is important and we ignore it at our own peril.  He's not saying that the solution is genocide.  That was something which apparently popped out of the fevered imaginations at KNX (or wherever the opinion piece originated).  Dr. Pianka has reportedly received death threats, likely due to reporting such as yours.  If this innocent scientist or his family are killed, will KNX apologize for helping demonize him as a genocidal maniac?  When scientists deliver bad news, does KNX think we should "shoot the messenger"?  Perhaps that will happen in this case.  I shudder to think.  KNX should be ashamed for carrying this hateful, fear-mongering, anti-science propaganda on their signal.

PZ Myers said:

Get used to it. This is part of the right-wing strategy to attack the academy: when scientists honestly state bad news (and there is much bad news, and it's growing), they are going to be rabidly accused of all kinds of outrageous crimes. It's the new McCarthyism. The majority of us do not support short-sighted policy, we don't endorse jingoism, we are going to urge people to think before acting, we are going to predict the consequences of bad policy, and we are generally going to be critical of demagogues and fools…and that is being treated as a crime.

Comments

[Randy Fowler]

PZ, have you been living in a cave? Since when does KNX, a CBS-owned radio station, have anything at all to do with a "...right-wing strategy..."? Earth to PZ Myers. You should get a job on Comedy Central; they're always looking for talent.

[Carolyn28Wells]

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