Gore's 'Truth' restricted at schools
bryanfury
Posts: 460
FEDERAL WAY - The school board in this suburb south of Seattle has restricted showings of Al Gore's movie on global warming, including requiring that it be balanced with an adequate opposing viewpoint.
The board also required Superintendent Tom Murphy to approve when the former vice president's film, "An Inconvenient Truth," can be presented.
The decision was sparked by complaints from parents who said their child was taking the film as fact after viewing it at school.
"Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. He's not a schoolteacher," said Frosty Hardison, a parent of seven who doesn't want the film shown at all.
"The information that's being presented is a very cockeyed view of what the truth is," Hardison told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up, but that perspective isn't in the DVD."
Board President Ed Barney told The News Tribune of Tacoma on Wednesday that he'd received about a half-dozen complaints from parents.
"We have to ensure that our schools are not being used to politically indoctrinate anyone," said board member Dave Larson, who with Barney and board member Charlie Hoff voted Tuesday for the requirements.
None has seen the movie. District policy, however, requires that an opposing view be aired whenever a controversial issue is examined in school.
"I am shocked that a school district would come to this decision," the movie's co-producer, Laurie David, said in a prepared statement. "There is no opposing view to science, which is fact, and the facts are clear that global warming is here, now."
Gore's documentary has received approval from some of the nation's top climate scientists for its accuracy.
In it, he presents scientists' findings on the catastrophic dangers of climate change.
Federal researchers with the National Academy of Sciences have said the planet's temperature has climbed to levels not seen in thousands of years, and has begun to affect plants and animals.
But Larson offered two opposing articles, including one by author John Stossel that said many scientists discredit global warming predictions. He also cited NASA and NOAA Web sites referring to debate and disagreement over climate change.
The film also has been denied a showing at Tacoma's Remann Hall, a high school for juvenile offenders, where Principal Rue Palmer denied a teacher's request.
The film hasn't been approved by the Tacoma district's curriculum committee. The school also focuses on core subjects and doesn't generally show films, explained Patti Holmgren, Tacoma School District spokeswoman.
The National Science Teachers Association turned down an offer from the film's producers for 50,000 free DVDs for classroom use. The association said it didn't want to be seen as politically endorsing the film or open itself to requests from other special interests.
Words can't describe the ridiculousness of this story. These bible thumpers are completely out of control.
I also wonder if it weren't Al Gore presenting the facts (and lets not foget these are facts he's presenting) if there would be as much uproar.
fuck this school board for contributing to the ignorance of america.
The board also required Superintendent Tom Murphy to approve when the former vice president's film, "An Inconvenient Truth," can be presented.
The decision was sparked by complaints from parents who said their child was taking the film as fact after viewing it at school.
"Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. He's not a schoolteacher," said Frosty Hardison, a parent of seven who doesn't want the film shown at all.
"The information that's being presented is a very cockeyed view of what the truth is," Hardison told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up, but that perspective isn't in the DVD."
Board President Ed Barney told The News Tribune of Tacoma on Wednesday that he'd received about a half-dozen complaints from parents.
"We have to ensure that our schools are not being used to politically indoctrinate anyone," said board member Dave Larson, who with Barney and board member Charlie Hoff voted Tuesday for the requirements.
None has seen the movie. District policy, however, requires that an opposing view be aired whenever a controversial issue is examined in school.
"I am shocked that a school district would come to this decision," the movie's co-producer, Laurie David, said in a prepared statement. "There is no opposing view to science, which is fact, and the facts are clear that global warming is here, now."
Gore's documentary has received approval from some of the nation's top climate scientists for its accuracy.
In it, he presents scientists' findings on the catastrophic dangers of climate change.
Federal researchers with the National Academy of Sciences have said the planet's temperature has climbed to levels not seen in thousands of years, and has begun to affect plants and animals.
But Larson offered two opposing articles, including one by author John Stossel that said many scientists discredit global warming predictions. He also cited NASA and NOAA Web sites referring to debate and disagreement over climate change.
The film also has been denied a showing at Tacoma's Remann Hall, a high school for juvenile offenders, where Principal Rue Palmer denied a teacher's request.
The film hasn't been approved by the Tacoma district's curriculum committee. The school also focuses on core subjects and doesn't generally show films, explained Patti Holmgren, Tacoma School District spokeswoman.
The National Science Teachers Association turned down an offer from the film's producers for 50,000 free DVDs for classroom use. The association said it didn't want to be seen as politically endorsing the film or open itself to requests from other special interests.
Words can't describe the ridiculousness of this story. These bible thumpers are completely out of control.
I also wonder if it weren't Al Gore presenting the facts (and lets not foget these are facts he's presenting) if there would be as much uproar.
fuck this school board for contributing to the ignorance of america.
those undecided, needn't have faith to be free
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
I stopped reading after that. I have no problem with giving a opposing view (what would that be - a talk from executives from Shell and GM? :rolleyes: ) but let's not bring religion into public schools.
exactly! i was so mad i actually emailed that board. what a complete shame that a school is ignoring fact in favor of religion.
I haven't seen Gore's movie, but the impression I get from the greenpeacers is that they ignore facts for other facts.
But it feels really good to try and save the world doesn't it?
We should rephrase that "Save the planet" to "Save humankind". If anything we are killing ourselves, not the planet. When activists attribute names to things they aren't suited for, it raises my skepticism.
Such as the terms "pro-choice" and "pro-life". They aren't antonymous with each other, "pro-life" should be "pro-mandate" or "pro-control". Clearly "pro-lifers" aren't interested in preserving all cellular life, they would be dead from starvation. So, what they are really in favor of is control, dictatorship over the moral judgement of abortion.
It's all designed to fuck with our heads.
Although there's supposedly no politics in it, I'm sure it might get in there. Just like Gores flick.
They are not facts, but ridiculously exaggerated assumptions. Let's not forget that many scientists do not agree with Gore's inconvenient lies:
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110008597
At least allow the classrooms to present viewpoints from global warming skeptics. You are being what you accuse the school board of being: ignorant. If you do not allow intelligent, informed debate on scientific issues, you force extremely unscientific facts. It is incredibly ignorant to assume that global warming is scientific fact, much less that Gore's movie is completely factual.
-Enoch Powell
Well, I'm one who believes in the factual nature of Global Warming. Where I start taking issue with the fearmongers is how rapidly we're warming. The cause of the warming (cyclical nature vs. man-made). Whether the warming is reversable or not. The solution to that warming if it is.
Rather than show the kids something from one point of view -- that we've caused it, it is increasing exposnentially year after year, and we can fix it, BUT only if we act RIGHT NOW!!!!! -- how about show something that is more a survey of current scientific thought?
- Reason #1 why teenage pregnancy is at an uncomfortably high level and why kids are so goddamn uninformed about anything dealing with the reproductive cycle - this attitude.
Funny how those people say that the biblical perspective isn't taught so neither should global warming..
Funny seeing as how one is based on research, fact, science.. and the other based on bullshit mythology.
Guess which is which.
Gore's movie is a good teaching tool. Here's how it should work..
"Okay kids this is part of the theory behind global warming.. it's sort of biased but the information is very good."
And then compare it to other research.
http://www.wishlistfoundation.org
Oh my, they dropped the leash.
Morgan Freeman/Clint Eastwood 08' for President!
"Make our day"
If we want to have an informed, educated future for kids, I think that's a good idea.
-Enoch Powell
Don't feel bad for not knowing this, your Canadian. But here in America, we unfortunately don't have any good teachers. :(
Our educational system is complete shit, yet we continue to pump dollar after dollar into the pockets of teacher unions and educators who are vastly underqualified to wait tables.
Exactly
-Enoch Powell
School boards across America are passing up on the offer of free porn. The porn was being offered by the porn industry as a teaching aid for students to learn from. The ACLU is now investigating why gay porn was also targeted by the school boards as restricted teaching materials.
Maybe the school boards just turned down An Inconvenient Truth because it's skewed and full of errors and is not a valuable teaching tool. It's just about as factual as The Day After Tomorrow.
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
I take offense at the we don't have any good teachers. I know a lot of good teachers; however, we have a terrible SYSTEM. We don't want kids to learn, we want them to be able to pass some test that says they can memorize A, B, and C so we can show that kids know something. The system is turning out kids who can't think critically and aren't taught to think critically b/c it can't be assesed. We've made it into an environment of regurgitaion of "fact" so that students can graduate, teachers can keep their job, and schools won't lose money or independence. If your job and autonomy depended on kids passing a standardized test my guess is you'd teach in the same manner.
if global warming isn't a checkbox for a standard for NCLB you can bet it won't be introduced into schools.
hmmm, I can see what your saying.
Watch the stupid in america thread I started.
i'll check it out later...i'm stuck at the library and this is my 10 minute break before I go back to more work.
You work at a library?
Yeah. If he's right, then the Koranic version should also be taught. I have problems with that.
-Enoch Powell
nope, i'm doing work at a library...if i did work at home right now...i'd be sleeping.
Shouldn't someone who is named after a Snowman be in favor of stopping global warming?
I have not seen the movie, but would like to. I don't doubt that some facts are slanted towards the movie's point of view. However, my wife took an environmental geology class this past summer, and the professor has done extensive research working on some canadian glaciers that he has written books and journal articles about. He felt so strongly and in favor of the movie that he gave his students the option of seeing the movie and writing a paper about it to replace any homework assignment.
I don't see the harm in showing it in science classes, as long as it is put in context and discussed.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Exactly. I have problem with ANY religious version being taught.
I was laughing when I read this...course he'll tell you they are all special.