Friday, January 12, 2007

Inconvenient Idiots

From Federal Way schools restrict Gore film in seattlepi.com:
... After a parent who supports the teaching of creationism and opposes sex education complained about the film, the Federal Way School Board on Tuesday placed what it labeled a moratorium on showing the film. The movie consists largely of a computer presentation by former Vice President Al Gore recounting scientists' findings.

Al Gore's documentary about global warming may not be shown unless the teacher also presents an "opposing view."

"Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. He's not a schoolteacher," said Frosty Hardison, a parent of seven who also said that he believes the Earth is 14,000 years old. "The information that's being presented is a very cockeyed view of what the truth is. ... The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up, but that perspective isn't in the DVD."

Hardison's e-mail to the School Board prompted board member David Larson to propose the moratorium Tuesday night.

"Somebody could say you're killing free speech, and my retort to them would be we're encouraging free speech," said Larson, a lawyer. "The beauty of our society is we allow debate." ...

Let me see if I got this right -- A religious nut who can't keep it in his pants (7 kids) and whose family is singlehandedly contributing as much to global warming as 2 normal households, is holding up the showing of a scientific program supported by an overwhelming majority of scientists. An man who believes the Earth is 14,000 years old has as much say as hundreds of learned men/women worldwide. That sounds like a right-winger's idea of "fair and balanced" -- all ideas are equal regardless of their basis in reality. I have a pretty good idea who/what really needs to be Left Behind ... this ridiculous Rapture mentality.

I'm not sure which is worse -- this man obviously being unhinged or the fact that a school system (a public school system, no less) not only gives him a forum but actually holds up actual learning to do so.

5 comments:

CyberKitten said...

Can I say this yet again:

What a TOTALLY amazing country you live in.

Laura said...

Cyber: It's great isn't it? So much freedom we just can't help but want to share it with the Middle East!

You know what. History books and social studies and science and hell, maybe even math books don't present the biblical views of the world. Let's just get rid of ALL that nonsense and just teach the Bible to kids. It'll be like the Pakistani Madressas that produced the Taliban! A bunch of robotic Christian soldiers who can only do what they're told and not think for themselves. YEEEHAAWW

CyberKitten said...

Laura said: A bunch of robotic Christian soldiers who can only do what they're told and not think for themselves. YEEEHAAWW

That's the Plan... Isn't it? At least that's *my* reading of it.

Obviously the Enlightenment was a HUGE mistake. The only solution is to turn things back to the 16th Century.. Or is it the 14th?

dbackdad said...

One of the biggest problems is this intertwining of "God and country". It's this belief that their god and their country are infallible. Which all sounds too damn close to a theocracy for me. Further down in the original article, Hardison's wife says, "From what I've seen (of the movie) and what my husband has expressed to me, if (the movie) is going to take the approach of 'bad America, bad America,' I don't think it should be shown at all," Gayle Hardison said. "If you're going to come in and just say America is creating the rotten ruin of the world, I don't think the video should be shown." -- There are a couple of things to take from this. One is the previously mentioned belief that the USA can do no wrong. Secondly, it's pretty obvious that she didn't actually watch the movie. Third, she seems to do and say anything her husband says. How this crazy couple were given any influence is beyond me.

greatwhitebear said...

sigh... the problem with living in a democracy is that idiots have equal rights with the rest of us. I still think we should ban anyone with an IQ under 105 from breeding.