Can someone please tell me where in the hell is Cmdr Chris Hadfield, and why he isn't leading the charge for science in this country?
— CC (@canadiancynic) September 16, 2013
Because as much as he's so gosh-darned adorable with his zero-gee guitar playing, his country sort of needs him right around now.
— CC (@canadiancynic) September 16, 2013
Yeah. So where is our Tweeting Super Star with more than 987,000 followers?
When I picked up on CC's tweet and started asking similar questions, I came under fire for 'insulting' and 'bullying' Commander Chris, notably from his son and ghost Tweeter, who protested that the commander stays out of politics.
Yes, the rallies today are partly politics -- people opposed to this ignorance-based government would tend to support them -- but they're not 'just politics'. At base, funding and valuing evidence and research and fact-based policies is about democracy and good governance.
As to the claim that Commander Chris stays out of politics. . .
He didn't decline the opportunity to participate in a photo op from space with PM Shithead.
Also from space, he took time to learn his 'highly scripted' lines for a photo op to celebrate plastic money.
And on June 10 this year, back on terra firma, he found time for a photo op at Sussex Drive with Herr Harper and Frau.
Now, I'm not a betting woman, but if I were, I'd stake a wodge of dough on the organizers of today's rallies having gone down on dozens of bended knees begging him to stand up for science today.
After all, government-funded science enabled his rather nifty career, not to mention paid his no-doubt decent salary. Why wouldn't he stand up for science and his fellow and sister scientists?
The inescapable conclusion -- unless and until our doughty media get around to asking him -- is that he said 'no thanks'.
OK, then. He may have his reasons (*cough* senate seat offer? *cough*) or previous commitments (*cough* book flogging? *cough*). He may be working on the issue behind the scenes, as some suggested on Twitter.
But seeing that I and nearly a million others gifted him with such a Bully Pulpit, it would have been nice for him to make use of it today.
I'll leave the final snark to CC.
.@gdnicholson @Evan_Hadfield Quite so ... kudos to him for reveling in his fame and letting everyone *else* man the barricades. Well done.
— CC (@canadiancynic) September 16, 2013
By the way, sane Texans are also trying to Stand Up for Science today and tomorrow. Seems a bunch of yahoos down there want to put creationism in school science textbooks.
At this rate, it won't be long before Canadians join them in manning/womanning those barricades too.
But by then the war will be over and the vandals will have won.
