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Nicolaus Copernicus stunned the scientific community with the publication in 1543 of his DeRevolutionibus -- outlining his heliocentric theory that the earth rotates on its axis and moves with other planets in orbits around a stationary sun. In 1610, Galileo used an improved refracting telescope and a series of astronomical observations to advocate his support of the Copernican theory. The Church, however, did not look kindly on ANY idea(s) that would contradict their theological claim that man (and thus, ergo, the earth) was at the center of the Universe. When it all hit the fan, Galileo was brought before the Inquisition and given the following option, "loose your theory or loose your head." Galileo recanted and was sentenced to indefinite imprisonment. What can we learn from all this? We can begin to appreciate that the repressive, suffocating, paranoia of dogmatic religious fundamentalism is a long-standing tradition in Western culture, and Rep. Christopher Smith is just one small pawn on a very large and ever-evolving chessboard. We should also know that we do have options: contact Smith's Democratic opponent at http://www.meara.org and offer your support. MKB