So, it's finally here: 2009. Darwin Year. The year in which the world will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of the greatest men ever to draw breath, and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his masterpiece On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life.
On thing's for certain: we're going to be hearing an awful lot about Charles Darwin over the next twelve months, ranging from the enlightening to the utter bollocks. Whenever there is a cause for celebration, there will always be party-poopers wanting to spoil things with their loud mouths and their Phil Collins collections.
There is an awful lot of nonsense talked and written about Charles Darwin by people with their own agendas. In this special double-anniversary year, I'm going to make one plea to you all: ignore the party-poopers. Don't gratify them by rising to their bait. Darwin's monumental achievements stand on their own merit, and nothing the party-poopers can say will take that away. Use Darwin Year to celebrate Charles Darwin and his legacy. There's an awful lot there to celebrate. So why not enjoy yourselves and party like it's 2009?
Have a great year. And keep it Darwin.
