In a column for the Concord Monitor (January 22, 2012), Leslie Brunetta criticized the latest spate of proposed antievolution measures, writing, "these bills are bad for my health and the health of each of the 1.5 million Americans diagnosed with cancer every year." She explains, "Although most such bills die in committee, they legitimize the idea that the theory of evolution is just an opinion. It is actually a robust explanation for the diversity of life on earth, supported by thousands of observations and experiments, used to make testable predictions about nature — which includes our bodies."
After reviewing how evolutionary theory helps to guide cancer research, Brunetta observed, "Meanwhile, creationists, 'intelligent design' advocates, and other 'challengers' of evolution theory propose no research program," and concluded, "If you're looking for a cure for your cancer, don't look to evolution-deniers for hope. As for me, I give thanks to Darwin and the researchers who have stood on his shoulders." Brunetta is the author, with Catherine L. Craig, of Spider Silk: Evolution and 400 Million Years of Spinning, Waiting, Snagging, and Mating (Yale University Press, 2010).