Televangelist James Dobson's group, "Focus on the Family," is a leading proponent of the religious right agenda. In the summer 1992 edition of his Citizen newsletter, Dobson directs his supporters to march down to the school board and demand of Of Pandas and People be used when evolution is taught. Pandas, of course, is a creationist "intelligent design" book intended as a supplement to high school biology courses. It was submitted for state adoption in Idaho and Alabama, and, with NCSE and committee of correspondence help, was rejected in both states (see Reports, 11(1):10-11; 10(1):8-10; 10(1):16-18; 9(6):5; 9(2):21).
A source at People for the American Way, the first-amendment advocacy organization, tells us that when Dobson's newsletter exhorted its readers to go after the "Impressions" elementary textbook reading series, calls began pouring into PfAW for help. The books were considered "Satanic" and "anti-Christian" by some religious-right proponents. Dobson is reportedly heard on 4000 radio broadcasts each week. If his forces take his bidding seriously, a fresh burst of anti-evolution activity may be right around the corner. (See cover story, this issue.)