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Condoms, Al Gore, and Enchanted Village

· Posted Friday January 12, 2007 by jamie

So the fine folks on the schoolboard of Enchanted Village have decided to ban the showing of “An Inconvenient Truth” in the classroom due to some nutjob parents who haven’t even watched the movie. This is just wacky. I personally am a big fan of the quote that Grist pulled from a Seattle P-I article from concerned parent Frosty Hardison:

“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.”

Much like Grist columnist David Roberts, I want the t-shirt with that condom quote. Classic.

So I guess I didn’t realize that Enchanted Village was such a backwoods place. I mean, sure, it’s the suburbs, and that comes with a whole different attitude than the city, but I grew up in Kent/Renton so I think I at least sorta grasp the overall ethos of South King suburban attitutes. But actually removing the scientifically accurate work of a former Senator and Vice President (not to mention purported inventor of this series of tubes we are using right now) from the classroom of a whole school district is just out of a whole different dimension.

Hopefully the new government of Enchanted Village can fix this right up. The fact that they’re from Florida doesn’t bode well for the former Presidential candidate, though…

(See also at ErikEmery.com.)


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Comments:

  1. Love the al gore condom bit. Thats solid comedy!

    — RR Anderson    Jan 12, 01:43 PM    #

  2. What I thought was interesting was the way the P-I reported this story vs. the TNT coverage, who omitted all the comments from Frosty. The P-I story, when I read it on-line, had generated some 50+ mostly irate comments from sane members of the public. The TNT’s article had generated only 6 luke warm comments. Same story, entirely different reaction. So, as much as I agree that Federal Way school board in living in the dark ages, I can’t help but feeling more than a little manipulated the the P-I reporting.

    — Kristy    Jan 13, 09:28 AM    #

  3. What I think is ridiculous is that everyone is focusing on Hardison’s quote, and not the actual outcome of the school board’s decision.

    Federal Way schools can still show “An Inconvenient Truth”. They are just required to also present an opposing viewpoint on this topic. Much like the intelligent design discussion.

    In the end, presenting our children with multiple options allows them to hone and use their analytical skills in deciphering which viewpoint they are going to side with.

    — Edel    Jan 14, 06:14 AM    #

  4. Wow, didn’t expect anyone to bite and actually defend the decision. I don’t usually spend a lot of time responding to comments, but I can’t let that be the last word, since “equal time” is an awful, awful reason to not, uh, y’know, TEACH SCIENCE. Intelligent design = not science. Period. But given the decision, I guess I need to start petitioning the school board to teach that the universe revolves around the Earth. And, as seems to be a popular example, that the Holocaust didn’t really happen (Mel Gibson would be pleased). And, of course, that the Flying Spaghetti Monster should be added to curricula as well. Slippery slope, if you ask me….

    — jamie    Jan 16, 10:01 AM    #

  5. I’ve been touched by the noodle appendage. That makes me turbo-studly in the eye of the great pirate.

    — RR Anderson    Jan 17, 05:17 PM    #

  6. The issue I have with this whole debacle is how the school boards decision to stop and look at how the film ended up being shown has been turned into a damnation of those who oppose the Global Warming Theory. Has it been getting warmer on this planet? Sure. Is it caused by humans and their evil greenhouse gases? Maybe. But as has been pointed out, a single volcanic eruption spews more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than all of humanity has produced in our entire existence on earth.

    So, before we turn this into a “science vs religion” melee, lets all remember that global warming is still a theory.

    Now, should we try to curb our emissions so that we make the world a better place, and possibly stop global warming. Sure. But let’s try to do it without crucifying everyone who disagrees with you.

    — John    Feb 26, 10:36 PM    #