Richard Dawkins' speech at the AAIC 09

As a way to close all the posts regarding this event, I present you with the Speech Dawkins gave at the AAIC 09. As I said before, I recorded it with my camera and at that time, couldn't find the speech on Youtube.

So, here it is. Enjoy it.
















However, there was another reocrding of the event, even though I haven't found a way to embed it. If you want another version of the video, you can check Moment in Time.

AAIC Chronicles Episode XI: Sunday – Gerardo Romero’s speech

Sunday woke me up with a wake up call from the front desk. Half zombie, I put my clothes on and went down looking for Gerardo so that I could tape his speech and share it for all the atheists in Mexico who, just like the Peruvians and atheists from all around the world, must have a hard life.

At first there were some problems with the audio, but after finding a solution, Gerardo gave a great speech about what it is to be an atheist in Mexico and what kind of activism he and his group does. I was able to videotape the whole speech and give it to him before leaving. As soon as he finished, I went to my room, passed it from the camera to the computer. Meanwhile, I was picking up all my stuff, for I had to leave the hotel that day, and check out was at eleven. At 10:45 I went down, met Gerardo and gave him the video and finally say good bye to him and to all the good people I had met during that weekend. All of them happy to see fellow nonbelievers that would not think of them going to hell or being immoral people. Moreover we were happy to meet people with whom we shared a mutual element: our stories, all of them interesting and most of them painful of our way from believer to nonbelievers. That is who we are and we are proud of having got to that conclusion by ourselves, despite all the adversities we had to face.

I am glad I went to this convention. The next one will be in Canada. I don’t think I will be able to go, but as soon as I get an opportunity, I’ll be in the AAIC.

AAIC Chronicles Episode X: The Richard Dawkins experience

After the Dennett event, we were asked to leave and wait outside while the room was being prepared for the next event. An hour after there was going to be a banquet and then, the Richard Dawkins speech. I decided not to take chances and waited by the door during the time left. But I wasn’t the only one. Several people were also there, waiting for the gates to be opened and get a seat near Dawkins. But I had something they didn’t. I am young, I can walk fast and run if needed. So, as soon as the gates were opened, I walked as fast as I could towards the table nearest the podium in which Dawkins would be talking. I had my camera and tape ready and would not allow any head to block me from taping him talking.

I got to the front, but the first row was “reserved.” Dammit. The second raw was for VIPs. Fucking dammit. Then I found a table in the second row, just in front of the podium and that didn’t say VIP. However, there were stuff in there, but I did not care, and sat in an available sit. Soon, other people joined the table and a woman said that “there are two people that were not VIP”, those two people were another girl and me. But I did not care, there was no VIP sign, so not even god would have moved me from there.

But it was not only a table near the podium. It was the table that was nearest to where Dawkins was sitting and having dinner. I looked for Gerardo, thinking that he would have had to sit far from us, but I was wrong. Since he was a speaker, he got to sit in the same table with Richard Dawkins. The next day he would tell me he had been looking for me to sit in the table and I wanted to die. But at the time I still could consider myself pretty fortunate. After a nice lunch with other people (when the food arrived I asked “who wants to pray?”), Richard Dawkins was presented and gave a great 50-minute speech that I taped entirely.

[This space reserved for a video of Dawkins speaking at the AAIC 09. I can't believe it's been more than 5 days of that and there is none yet.]

After his speech there was going to be the book signing. We were asked to leave the conference room from behind, but thinking it would be a good idea, another young man and me went out by the side, where supposedly the line was going to start, so we were going to be nearer Dawkins. Bad mistake, there already was a line that lead to the back exit, so we ended farther from where we would have been if we had followed the indications.

In the line I was talking with other atheists about how hard would it be for Dawkins to sign all those books (the guy in front of me had 3, I had only taken “The Greatest Show on Earth”). Then I saw Gerardo and let him in the line, trying to ease the other people with me by saying he was a speaker for being the president of the Mexican Atheists. He, very honorable, denied that, but was let in. After half an hour, that passed like 5 minutes because of the nice talk we had with the other people there, we got to where Dawkins was. I asked Gerardo to take a picture of me talking with Dawkins, and then I would take one of him. Everything got well and I had Dawkins sign my book.

After having our books signed, our pictures taken and our wishes fulfilled, Gerardo, another couple and me went to the internet corner of the hotel to share pictures and talk. We were talking until almost 1 in the morning. I was glad I had booked a room, even though I was not going to enjoy it very much, since Gerardo was going to talk the next day at 8 in the morning. But the talk with the other atheists was worth being late and having very few sleep time. We could share our stories, laugh together, talk about our projects and have a good time with people like us with whom we can share our lack of beliefs,

It was a good day.

AAIC Chronicles Episode IX: Saturday - Daniel Dennett

Saturday was scheduled to be the most important day of the convention. On Saturday Richard Dawkins was going to speak and I can bet the whole convention was going to be there.

By the way, something I had noticed the day before and that really struck me that day was the number of old people present. I thought I would see mostly youngsters, since old people tend to be conservatives. But I was wrong. At least 75% of the attendees were over 40.

Anyway, that day I got late for the convention. As soon as I arrived to the hotel I went to check in the room I had booked. I left my stuff there, took a good shower, rested a little bit and went down to see what was going on. I met with Gerardo and then went walking around seeing what else the vendors had. There I got the autographs from Mr. Deity , and Carolyn Porco, a renowned astronomer. Also, got a picture with Michael Shermer, founder of The Skeptics Society.

Then was the event with Daniel Dennet, who made a point by saying that nobody could go through seminary still believing in all they tell us. Yet, it’s very hard for priests and pastors to accept that and leave behind what they have been doing. I am not really sure that could be the case. Most of the priests and pastors seem very sure about what they believe and do their stuff with such passion it’s hard to think they do not really believe what they preach. I have to get one of Dennett’s books.

AAIC Chronicles Episode VIII: Real Time with Bill Maher

After the PZ Myers event it was the turn for the main event of the night: Richard Dawkins would give the Richard Dawkins Award to Bill Maher for his movie “Religulous.” After a couple of Sponge Bob episodes, we got to watch the Bill Maher show which, besides some criticism of Sarah Palin’s new book, was not so interesting.

Then came Brian Keith Dalton, the creator of Mr. Deity. I have to admit I had seen his videos few times in the past, but I promise I’ll be checking out more of them in the future. He also talked about the inspiration of his show and how most of the dialogue he gets is not only a criticism to theism but an invitation to think what is really being told to us.



During Mr. Deity’s presentation Bill Maher arrived to the convention and was received with a huge ovation. When Dalton finished, it was time for Richard Dawkins to give Maher the award. Dawkins praised his film and also commented that he was glad to share that moment with Maher, with whom, even having some different opinion on other topics, like healthcare, they agreed on their opinion on religion. Very elegant from Dawkins, I have to say. After that, I run behind Maher, but only could get some picture from afar, but not with him and not an autograph. Yet, I got to tape most of the speech from both Dawkins and Maher, so I can be pretty happy about that.

So, that was what happened on Friday, the Friday I met Richard Dawkins. The next day would have more surprises.

AAIC Chronicles Episode VII: Realization

One thing I noticed while in the PZ Myers event is that science is boring. Science is fucking boring. I never liked chemistry or biology neither in high school or college, and now I don’t feel bad about. These topics are hard to understand, have a lot of technical terms and always have the possibility that a little inaccuracy in a term or addition lead to an error. So a lot of proofs have to be figured out before stating something, and still, there is the possibility that in the future the new technologies lead us to notice that what we knew was wrong. But what we do know now is as accurate as it can be, yet it does not claim to be perfect. The scientist has to be humble enough to be able to recognize that if enough proof is presented, he or she has to change his or her mind. Not the religious person, who is sure that what he believes in is the truth, while everyone else is wrong.

That is why it is a lot easier to believe in god. It’s much easier to read one book than a lot of hard ones. Science is hard to understand, the bible only asks to “obey” the pastors. Science conclusions can be wrong, but scientists acknowledge that, while belief requires to be sure that there is a god and it is always right. Science claims to be a method to know what surrounds us, while belief claims to be the answer for everything.

I might not like science, but I do admire those who dominate it and have the knowledge of what happens around us. And I admire even more those who defend that knowledge from being reduced and put at the same level of belief in a supernatural being.

AAIC Chronicles Episode VI: Ramasknight and Ateos Mexicanos

The person I had just met was Gerardo Romero, one of the leaders from Ateos Mexicanos, a forum in Mexico that serves as a community for atheists in that country. But not only that, he also helped organized the Atheist March in 2008 and 2009 in Mexico. Besides, he hosts a podcast, Masa Crítica, which is about, you guessed it, atheism. And last but not least, he contributes to the E-zine Hidra, a web magazine about atheism. In few words, a real mexican atheist activist.

During that lunch (those were the most expensive noodles I have ever had) we talked about what had brought us to atheism, the dangers and bigotry that religion brings, his activism, our relationship with our parents, how we got there, etc. It is interesting how most of us non-believers had to go through a process of self discovering to get to where we are now. Both Gerardo and me had been catholics in our youth, but after going though that process of questioning and critical thinking, we ended up noticing that we did not belong with the church crowd. His story was more painful than mine, but he has used to go full force into the atheist activism.

We talked so much that I missed more than half the PZ Myers speech. Dammit.

When we got there, the room was crowded and I could only get a little bit of what he was taking about. I taped some but not enough to be proud of. Besides, later that day, the presentation of Richard Dawkins and Bill Maher was going to take place, so I better saved my tape.

Ater the PZ Myers event, Gerardo got a picture with a philosopher he admires a lot and had recommended to me, Daniel Dennett. So I also got a picture with him. The next day I would hear him give a speech, which would demostrate why Gerardo admires him

AAIC Chronicles Episode V: Richard Dawkins

I had just left the William B. Davis event and was walking around the stands, thinking if buying some items at that time would be a good idea, or if I should go out and look for food. After being to 3 events I was starting to feel hungry. Yet, I didn’t know if I should get food there or go out looking for food at a better price (food at the Marriot is onerously expensive). I was trying to figure out that dilemma when, there he was

Richard Dawkins.

In person.

The feeling that I got at the moment is hard to explain. The admiration and gratitude I feel for Dawkins for being not only a scientist that stays in his laboratory but one that goes out and tells the world about what he knows is correct and combats the nonsense that others try to spread at expense of real knowledge, is huge. That takes bravery. That takes cojones.

I must have had an expression that said a little bit of that when someone said to me in Spanish: “It’s like being a kid at a Star Wars convention and find out that Han Solo and Luke Skywalker are real.” He understood how I felt. I asked him to take him a picture with me and I’ll take his, to which he agreed. Dawkins seemed to be in a rush, yet he accepted to the picture. My new friend wasn’t that lucky, but there were going to be more opportunities.

After I got my picture I felt almost satisfied, but the convention had just started. I kept talking to my new friend about Dawkins and how awesome it is for us to get to know him in person. Then I noticed he was not only and attendant, but a speaker. He was also hungry, so we agreed to got have lunch.

AAIC Chronicles Episode IV: William B. Davis

I also went for the William B. Davis presentation, who wanted to address the criticism Richard Dawkins had made on “The X-Files” saying that it encourages people not to think logically. According to Davis, while in most of the episodes Scully, the rational one, is wrong, Mulder was the one wight even though his explanations defied logic. Besides, the series was a work of fiction and had to be taken as such.

He also told the story of how he was chosen to be the Cigarette-smoking man, which was very funny, for his first scenes were only him standing in the back and smoking a cigarette. Later, that character would become an icon for every person who grew up in the 90s.

But the best was to come after that.

AAIC Chronicles Episode III: Sunsara Taylor

After the podcast, I went to the Sunsara Taylor event. She talked about women’s rights, but also about human rights and how religion interferes with them. She specially focused in abortion an how religious people tend to see the issue in black and white, trying to convince women to not get an abortion without even knowing their circumstances, often with violence aimed to intimidate them. I asked her a question about the difference between aborting a 3-week old fetus and a 8-month old. She explained that very few women choose to have an abortion that late, and if that happens, it usually is because of medical complications. Of course, that is something believers would not say. For them, every fertilized egg is a “baby.”

She is nice, isn't she?

AAIC Chronicles Episode II: Dogma Free America

I was already a little late when I arrived to the first conference: The Dogma Free America Posdcast, which was going to be broadcasted live and had William B. Davis (The X-Files’ smoking man and, yes, an atheist), Sunsara Taylor (an activist for women’s rights and also an atheist) and PZ Myers (if you don’t know who he is, shame on you. To get to know him, just visit Pharyngula). Since I was late, I had to sit in the back and couldn’t get many good pictures of the panelists. They talked healthcare, women’s rights (Sunsara would focus on that in her presentation), and many other topics. At the end was a time to make questions. I asked how did they think immigrants were affecting the atheist movement. The answer I liked the most was Sunsara’s, who said that by coming to the U.S., immigrants see their views challenged, which also leads to challenge religion. When the event ended I went on to get pictures.

That's me with PZ Myers. I was happy to meet the most famous athiest blogger.

But there were more events to come.

To be continued.

The Atheist Alliance International Convention Chronicles - Episode I

After an awesome weekend at the Atheist Alliance International Convention, I’m back in San Diego. I haven’t gone online much during the last 4 days, but I tell you, this detachment from the web was definitively worth it. I have a lot to write about so I’ll start to do so in “episodes”, trying to group the most important details that I am able to remember. Wish me luck.


Episode I - Friday

The convention started on Friday 2nd. When I arrived at the Marriot Convention Center I thought I would see a huge banner with lots of people around. I was wrong. Out of the hotel was no sign any kind of convention was being held there, at least none a really big one, like the Anime Expo, to which I have gone 5 times in previous years.

Anyway, I went in there and found myself in the hallway with several vendors offering their products. There were different atheists associations offering flyers and the opportunity to join them, books, labels, t-shirts, magazines, etc. Unfortunately, I had a limited amount of cash and the knowledge that I already had many books at home that need to be read. T-shirts were also pretty expensive, so I preferred to wait until the last day to see what could I get. Besides the first event was about to begin.


To be continued.

Less than an hour for the AAI!

It’s almost Friday October 2nd. Tickets online are sold out. The Atheist Alliance International Convention is taking place tomorrow. I am in LA ready for the event.

While I consider myself an agnostic, it is only to the fact that I do not know if there is a god. Therefore, I do not behave as if there is one. In the same way, I don’t leave food in my garden for fairies and elves to have something to feed on.

Moreover, the way believers and their institutions behave are to me more a proof that either there is no god, or if there is, it is some kind of megalomaniacal douchebag.

And if there is and is all good and wise, it will understand the way I look at the institutions that take its name, name that I take, as some would say, in vain, to criticize those institutions or individuals that do more harm than good in the name of their beliefs.

With these thoughts in mind, I will go to the Atheist Alliance International Convention. My mind is in peace.

Oh, yeah, Richard Dawkins will be there. Yesterday he was with Stephen Colbert who, as usual, talked most of the time. But got to represent the kind of nutjob who usually attacks Dawkins.