In Federal Way, Washington, a suburb of Seattle, in a region of America that is perceived to be Liberal, the school board has a poorly worded policy that is preventing the showing of "An Inconvenient Truth" in classrooms! From the Seattle Post Intelligencer:

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.

What is purported in this movie is, 'This is what is happening. Period. That is fact,' " Barney said.

Students should hear the perspective of global-warming skeptics and then make up their minds, he said. After they do, "if they think driving around in cars is going to kill us all, that's fine, that's their choice."

Asked whether an alternative explanation for evolution should be presented by teachers, Barney said it would be appropriate to tell students that other beliefs exist. "It's only a theory," he said.

Creationist-believing parent, Frosty Hardison, told the Federal Way (WA) School Board:

"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."

The father, clearly in the throes of religious fervor, sent an email to board member David Larson, an attorney, to propose the moratorium.

The Federal Way incident started when Hardison learned that his daughter would see the movie in class. He objected.

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."

Scientists say that Americans, with about 5 percent of the world's population, emit about 25 percent of the globe-warming gases.

Science vs irrational religious belief! In a parallel universe, it would just be the plot for a popular sitcom:

Crazy, irrational father of seven, overreacts and goes to school to throw tantrum, causing acute embarassment to his children and headaches for school administration. Cries of "Daa-aad!" abound. Crazy mother takes Valium and sleeps through this funny crisis! Watch as the father sees himself lampooned on the Daily Show, with John Stewart! Emmy material, for sure!

Alas, this is the universe we live in: Xianist father disrupts quality education by imposing his religious beliefs on the entire school system of Federal Way, aided and abetted by questionable school board policy.

…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."

Asshat Frosty Hardison knows that his "opposing view" is not "credible, legitimate" so he shuts the down the whole show instead! WOW! There it is, in a nutshell: I can't make you believe what I say, therefore, you will not hear what they say!

Equivilation in action, folks!

Why do we even bother…

Update: See Seattle PI again, U.S. is still in denial over global warming

(Why don't we have newspapers like the PI on the Right Coast? Or am I being unfair?)