shelbinator.com

Paula over at Blog for Democracy brings this gem of fundamentalist demagoguery to my attention:

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 [An Inconvenient Truth].

“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.”

“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.” The requirement to represent another side follows district policy to represent both sides of a controversial issue, board President Ed Barney said.

Future lesson plans for the students of Federal Way, WA:

• A showing of Thank You for Smoking balanced out by a real live doctor who argues that cigarette smoke is in fact good for you.
• A showing of The Passion of the Christ balanced out by atheist historians who argue that Jesus of Nazareth was in face merely a communist homosexual with schizophrenia.
• A showing of The Path to 9/11 balanced out by those conspiracy theorists who insist the whole thing was an inside job by the Bush administration to justify permanent war.

“Fair and balanced” does not mean elevating the opinion of the 1% fringe to a footing of equal time, you reactionary thought police. Reality has a liberal bias, so you’d better get used to it.