RSSAn Inconvenient Truth Propaganda in the Classroom?
The problem with education today is not what is being taught, it is how it is being taught.
If you are molding the minds of young students and are an honest person, you need to take the information, make sure that you are not only instilling your own beliefs, and do your best to provide accurate and unbiased information. If you think this is going on in schools today, you have another thing coming.
An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gores film on environmental cataclysm, is being shown to students across the country as the definitive work on Global Warming and climate change. I do not care where you fall on the Global Warming debate, the film was created as a propaganda tool and even the most pro global warming scientists are uncomfortable with the presentation by Gore, a politician not a scientist.
But students across the world will take the film and believe it as fact. No explanation that this is theory, no explanation that the movie was made by politicians trying to paint the broadest and most dangerous picture they can, just the film and an explanation that it is the best source on global warming. If you are not going to provide balance to propaganda as a teacher you are even more guilty than the propagandists themselves.
And that is just wrong.
“I really don’t understand why they keep showing it,” says McKenzie (his parents asked that his last name not be used). “I’ve spoken to the principal about it, and he said that teachers are instructed to present it as a debate. But every time we’ve seen it, well, one teacher said this is basically a two-sided debate, but this movie really gives you the best idea of what’s going on.”
McKenzie says he has educated himself enough about both sides of the climate- change controversy to know that the Al Gore movie is too one-sided to be taught as fact. Even scientists who back Mr. Gore’s message admit they’re uncomfortable with liberties the politician takes with “science” in the film. But, McKenzie says most of his classmates are credulous. His teachers are not much more discerning. “They don’t know there’s another side to the argument,” he says. McKenzie’s mother was outraged to find out that Mr. Gore’s film was being presented as fact in her son’s classroom. “This is just being poured into kids’ brains instead of letting them know there’s a debate going on,” she says. “An educational system falls down when they start taking one side.” via the National Post
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8 Responses to “An Inconvenient Truth Propaganda in the Classroom?”
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All the messages in our culture of “consume, consume, consume” have been pounding us for years. To me, the Inconvenient Truth seems to be a miniscule balance against the unrestrained messages we have been pounded with in the media. These messages to consume are not only in the commercials, but in the examples set by individuals, both real and fictional.
Paul
Is the lesson in the classroom to have unbridled consumption? My guess is most likely not. That is the key point, schools and teachers should not get into ideological discussions and stick with the facts.
I will go the obvious place, but if the teacher personally felt white supremacy was correct, they should not teach that. Colleges are bad enough with their agenda’s, but high schools should focus on teaching the basic and the ability to think, not ideological perspectives on any subject.
== Tom
Thanks, Tom, for engaging me in a dialog.
Your response makes me think a bit about where I am coming from. When I stated the film balanced another view, it sound like I am considering it as a side of a controversy.
To me it seems that while there is some political leaning toward or away from the point of view in “An Inconvenient Truth”, that in itself it is not a political statement. It is just that some in the political parties have taken sides on it.
In that view, I see there IS some room for controversy over whether to show it it schools. For myself, I see it as not a political statement, but one that is indeed “Inconvenient” for some people and businesses.
I just don’t see where it is a political statement. Is it “anti-business” –I don’t think so, at least not in intent. Is it anti-Republican — I don’t think so. Is it Inconvenient — yes, I think so — at least it is for me.
I believe that there are Republicans that support the view that global warming is an issue to be reconed with.
Is it the truth — from what I have seen, it is, and the opposing points of view have been largely bankrolled by special interests for whom the Inconvenience is great in terms of $$$.
Global warming is not a theory. It is actually happening right now. I cannot understand how people don’t grasp the reality that our planet cannot continue to be abused year after year, decade after decade, and not experience some damage. Clearly, the Earth is suffering from our excesses, but people don’t want to be inconvenienced enough to do anything about it.
Our kids should be taught to respect and care for the Earth, because their parents were not, and this newest generation will have to clean up our mess, and try to save the planet. I’m glad to see this subject being brought to their attention. Maybe they won’t be so stubborn about seeing what’s really happening. It’s all around us, if anyone cares to take a good, objective look.
#4 are you old enough to know that just 30 years ago, it was predicted that we were going into an ice age? Did you know that other planets are also showing signs of “global warming” right now? Are you aware of 40 year weather cycles?
Our kids should indeed be taught to respect the planet they live on and conserve on non-renewalable resources. But if you based this teaching on inconvenient lies, they aren’t going to take notice of your real message. One needs to tell kids the truth and an Inconvientient Truth has been proven to contain many factual lies. It also presents one scientific thought that the warming we are experiencing right now is due to people’s actions. Problem is that it doesn’t present the other scientific thought – that indeed it is not people causing this problem but rather a simple natural weather cycle.
Neither one of these theories should get in the way of teaching conservation of non-renewalable resources. But when you feel theories with lies and unfounded speculation and hype it for all it’s worth – you lose your audience since once they find a lie they dump the whole theory.
The other important thing is not to overstate one’s message (Sheril Crow suggesting super duper conservation of toliet paper) and to practice what you preach. algore is the stupidest spokesperson one could chose for the global warming theory since he is one of the worst offeners. The whole idea of purchasing carbon credits is simply a ridiculous ripoff and suggests the rich can consume all they want while the poor (the least people who can afford it) should conserve to the point of making their lives miserable.
I am teaching this in my 7th grade classroom and it makes me really, really happy that it bothers you so much. That’s right, I’m one of those evil liberals polluting your children’s minds with crazy liberal mumbo-jumbo like protecting the environment and trying to make the world a better place. Bwahahaha!
I’m actually looking for a movie to show in my 7th grade classroom that takes a more scientific approach to the issues. In An Inconvenient Truth, the science is limited (likely not to gloss over it but to make things more understandable for the average person). I personally think that this movie is better suited for a social studies classroom, as it talks about social issues and reforming people and government. But…that doesn’t take away from the fact that climate change is real and people are making an impact…a significant one that we need to actively work on now. Anyone know of good movies to show that might include a more scientific viewpoint?
If you want to know why people are so resistant to teaching the propaganda of the global warming theory…why not research the other side before believing the first thing that “sounds good.”
Start here for the other side of Al Gore’s film. You will find top scientists from Greenpeace (the co-founder of Greenpeace), Harvard, Oxford, etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOEPOvR1YAM
Remember that someone who doesn’t buy the human caused global warming doesn’t mean they don’t care about the environment. I still want to see cleaner energy, less pollution, and sustainable living. But, we shouldn’t have to “demonize” mankind to take this sort of responsibility.