Friday, January 12, 2007

NO WAY, FEDERAL WAY

We thank the gods or whatever for not putting us on the path of the Federal Way school district in Washington State. There, the citizens with juice seem to be a little goofy in the head.

The skinny: A teacher wanted to show "An Inconvenient Truth" to a class. A parent who supports creationism in schools complained, loudly. The school board says the Al Gore film can only be shown only with permission from the principal and superintendent, and only if a "credible, legitimate opposing view" is presented.

It's not a fight over truth; it's a war about politics, religion and political correctness. A story in the Post-Intelligencer illustrates the power of screwed-up thinking:
"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 is apparently the one who does the thinking around the house:
Hardison and his wife, Gayla, said they would prefer that the movie not be shown at all in schools.

"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."
People with common sense would listen politely to the Hardisons, allow them to remove their child from the class, and go ahead with the movie. But that would be asking too much of the Federal Way school district. Hardison's e-mail to David Larson, a school board member, sparked Larson to call for a moratorium on "An Inconvenient Truth." Larson explains, poorly:
"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."

School Board members adopted a three-point policy that says teachers who want to show the movie must ensure that a "credible, legitimate opposing view will be presented," that they must get the OK of the principal and the superintendent, and that any teachers who have shown the film must now present an "opposing view."
Hardison has an opposing view. Is it credible or legitimate? Not unless he has scientific evidence to bolster his own young-Earth claims and to dispute the film's contentions. That's a debate. Otherwise, the district must allow everyone with a crackpot view to make his or her case.

A guy named Curt Brown used to be the general manager of KTTS radio in Springfield. Brown would voice his own editorials; a sly tagline said "opposing views will be considered." The Federal Way school district should have taken a lesson from Brown and stood up against a blowhard.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Hardison has an opposing view. Is it credible or legitimate? Not unless he has scientific evidence to bolster his own young-Earth claims and to dispute the film's contentions. That's a debate. Otherwise, the district must allow everyone with a crackpot view to make his or her case."

I never realized how apropos a title An Inconvenient Truth is for some people.

Anonymous said...

Quote from EPA: "Students, educators and school administrators can all play a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/school.html

Perhaps it would be most appropriate for teachers to teach global warming using our government’s own educational materials which can be found at

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/school.html.

Anonymous said...

Riiiiight. Because the EPA certainly would not lie if it was politically convenient to do so. Oh wait a minute, perhaps they would:

Anger builds over EPA’s 9/11 report--Charges of a cover-up hit nerve with New Yorkers

"Sept. 11, 2003 - Two years after the World Trade Center attacks, New Yorkers say they’re outraged by reports that the White House influenced the Environmental Protection Agency to downplay hazards posed by the toxic dust that fell in an avalanche over the city. The EPA’s acting chief defends the agency’s actions after the attacks, saying it hopes to be better prepared for 'the next time.'

A report by the EPA’s Office of the Inspector General released on Aug. 21 states, among other criticisms, that the White House reviewed and even changed EPA statements about public health risks to make them sound less alarming. The report charges that the White House Council on Environmental Quality influenced 'the information EPA communicated to the public through its early press releases when it convinced EPA to add reassuring statements and delete cautionary ones.' The report cites 'reopening Wall Street' and 'national security' as reasons for the spin.

Some fear that “WTC cough,” sinus problems, headaches and other ailments that Todd and others continue to experience, were worsened by government officials more willing to return the city to normalcy and open the Stock Market than protect public health. Doctors, too, worry the event could spur a rash of asbestosis, cancer and other long-term diseases in the future."


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3076626
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/450838p-379421c.html


Nice try, troll.

Anonymous said...

If the people of Federal Way care about their children they should vote this idot school board out of office ASAP. Last spring the board tried to ban flip flops. Now they are trying to ban cell phones. They have banned all feature length films as well as several books. They constantly bicker amongst themselves and last year one member resigned mid year in disgust. Stay tuned to their antics and you will continue to be amazed at their ignorance and amazing antics.