Monday, January 15, 2007
King of Hearts
The appropriately named Frosty Hardison doesn't believe in global warming. Frosty, a parent who supports the teaching of creationism and opposes sex education in Federal Way (Washington) schools, knows the truth about climate change.
"The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up," says Frosty, "but that perspective isn't in" the Al Gore film "An Inconvenient Truth."
And that's why students in Federal Way won't be viewing any inconvenient truths anytime soon. An e-mail from Frosty to the school board prompted a moratorium on showing the film there.
"Somebody could say you're killing free speech, and my retort to them would be we're encouraging free speech," says David Larson, a lawyer and school board member who proposed the moratorium. "The beauty of our society is we allow debate."
Larson, obviously, is up on his Orwell.
The whole thing reminds RSR of the lyrical 1966 Philippe de Broca film, "King of Hearts," staring Alan Bates. In the film, the retreating German army booby traps a small French town near the end of WWI . The residents flee to safety leaving behind the inmates of the local insane asylum. The lunatics escape and take over the town confusing a Scottish soldier played by Bates who has been sent to defuse the bomb.
De Broca's film asks who's crazier, the lunatics or the soldiers on the battlefield. RSR would like to know, who's crazier, Frosty or the school board? Religious fanatics or the country that allows them to make decisions like this for the rest of us?
"The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up," says Frosty, "but that perspective isn't in" the Al Gore film "An Inconvenient Truth."
And that's why students in Federal Way won't be viewing any inconvenient truths anytime soon. An e-mail from Frosty to the school board prompted a moratorium on showing the film there.
"Somebody could say you're killing free speech, and my retort to them would be we're encouraging free speech," says David Larson, a lawyer and school board member who proposed the moratorium. "The beauty of our society is we allow debate."
Larson, obviously, is up on his Orwell.
The whole thing reminds RSR of the lyrical 1966 Philippe de Broca film, "King of Hearts," staring Alan Bates. In the film, the retreating German army booby traps a small French town near the end of WWI . The residents flee to safety leaving behind the inmates of the local insane asylum. The lunatics escape and take over the town confusing a Scottish soldier played by Bates who has been sent to defuse the bomb.
De Broca's film asks who's crazier, the lunatics or the soldiers on the battlefield. RSR would like to know, who's crazier, Frosty or the school board? Religious fanatics or the country that allows them to make decisions like this for the rest of us?
