Current Efforts
Some advocates would like a public holiday declared for February 12, 2009. Robert Beeston was successful in championing this effort in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2003; progress has also been made in England.
On February 9, 2011, California Rep. Pete Stark introduced H. Res 81 to Congress designating February 12, 2011 as Darwin Day. The resolution states, “Charles Darwin is a worthy symbol of scientific advancement… and around which to build a global celebration of science and humanity.” The resolution was a culmination of collaboration between Rep. Stark and the American Humanist Association, which honored Stark with the Humanist of the Year award in 2008. In a statement on the House floor, Rep. Stark said, "Darwin's birthday is a good time for us to reflect on the important role of science in our society." In a press release from the American Humanist Association, executive director Roy Speckhardt said, "Stark's Darwin Day resolution is a thrilling step forward for the secular movement. Not only is this an opportunity to bring the scientific impact of Charles Darwin to the forefront, but this also signifies the potential for greater respect for scientific reasoning on Capitol Hill."
Read more about this topic: Darwin Day
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