I am a high school instructor who was placed on suspension for opposing Al Gore Global Warming theory?

Question

As an educator/tutor I believe it is my responsibilty to provide a variety of opinions (pros and cons if you will) for my students. I feel this provides them a broader understanding of world situations and also to make their own decisions. Why should I be punished for doing so? The majority of my peers agree with me, but have refused to take a stance on the subject. I thought the U.S. was a place of free speech?

TO DON C: I have no such soapbox. I merely provided an alternative to the single-minded mentality that is being imposed on my students!

AN ADDENDUM: A timely call to the teacher's union paid dividends. My punishment has been revoked. The only catch is that I must desist from subjects of a controversial political nature. Hmmm...I can't think of any subject that has yet to be politicized. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR INPUT!

Answer 1

I think you did the right thing ... like it or not, Gore has politicized global warming ... That being said climate change is real, and nobody has questioned that. The argument is whether it is attributable to human activity. In the last analysis, why does that matter? It is probably not solely attributable to what we are doing, but can anyone doubt that we are contributing to the problem?

Underlying the problem are the twin malignancies of pollution and overpopulation. The poor planet cannot deal with exploding billions -- billions -- of occupants with an insatiable thirst for raw materials, energy, water, and, of course and ultimately, economic advantage at any cost.

there are many question we should ask and theories that need to be challenged if it is truly our goal to be smart about this issue ... you have my support

Answer 2

you're incorrect in pointing out that international warming replaced into beleived in the past Gore replaced into born. there replaced right into a warming type from 1890 to 1935 or so (extra severe than the single we are in now) and then a cooling era till the late Nineteen Seventies. the comparable environmental alarmist communities that are warning of world warming have been predicting the inevitable ice age and "international Cooling" interior the 60's and 70's by way of cooling type. So while Gore replaced into born fowl Little had claimed an ice age replaced into the drawing near danger, no longer warming. however the sky,you spot, is often falling. take word that the warming type from 1890 to 1935 occurred earlier to the business revolution's greatest carbon emmissions, and the earth cooled after that era. there is no scientific info that guy is in charge. The medeival era replaced into even warmer with even abundantly efficient crop seasons in Greenland in the process the time....and that they didnt even have Al Gore flying everywhere in a private jet returned then.

Answer 3

Sorry to hear your dilemma Dr. M. It seems our society is hell-bent on political correctness and less interested in factual information to support a contrary point of view. I'm not surprised that your fellow instructors turned tail in your time of need though. Free speech is on trial today as well. Look at the politicos taking issue with talk radio. My biggest question is where does the ACLU stand on The First Ammendment? Oh, I forgot-they are too busy supplying legal help for captured terrorists and child molesters!
FOR JEFF P:Since when isn't it appropriate to provide both sides of a debate? Read between the lines. It wasn't a matter of denying Global Warming, just stating that there was evidence from a majority of meteorologists and climatologists that Gore's "facts" were less than accurate. His (Gore's) statements were made to establish a political agenda! So cancel your subscriptions to MoveOn.org and the New York Times and get a less biased frame of reference.

Answer 4

If you call it "Al Gore Global Warming theory" then you shouldn't be teaching the subject. Leave it to somebody who understands the science. You sound like a politics teacher, not a science teacher.

If you want to teach the science behind global warming, then go for it. But do a good job of it - don't just feed the kids a bunch of propaganda for the sake of showing them "both sides". Science is about empirical evidence, and that's what the kids should be exposed to. They don't need to hear your political views about a scientific topic.

Answer 5

How dare you oppose the fuhrer and the status quo! I can't believe you willfully embellished the idea of free thought and deliberately gone against the grain of our god given conservative republic! Do you know what hazards you could cause by bringing up (another) point of view? Do you hate this country that much in bringing up your own unique individual opinions in a classroom setting for discussion of the pros and cons of a subject? You even attempted to use your Constitutional rights?!.... er...
......forget the last part!

(psych) I'm all for you, keep up the good work!

Answer 6

No offense dude but honestly, is this for real? I can't believe a teacher will be suspended for going against a theory. This is not the time of Galileo Galilei. Maybe it was an offensive remark you made to your students that lead to your suspension. In any case get a good lawyer.

Answer 7

At first I thought your post was a joke, but I see you are really from Africa and live in Atlanta, Georgia.

Here is my recommendation: watch this movie and take good notes: http://blip.tv/file/227958

Any reasonable person who watches it will immediately doubt the theory of Man Made Global Warming. Schedule a meeting with those who suspended you, and show them the video. They owe you a huge apology.

I think once they see the video they will be a lot less strident in the future. The one thing to remember is this: CO2 in the atmosphere has never been shown to be the driver of temperature. It has always lagged behind, often by many hundreds of years.

We are just in a warming cycle. Russian scientists predict that in 2012, we'll be entering a time of global cooling.

I now live in the Czech Republic, and the President here is strongly against the theory of man-made Global Warming.

If you feel your job is in danger, do this: contact Bill O' Reilly or Sean Hannity at FOX News, the cable tv station. They would love to do a story like this, and once your story has been aired, they don't dare fire you, because the consequences of going up against Bill O'Reilly are huge. No school administrator would want to defy him, because Bill will personally make sure they are put under a spotlight.

Are these school officials saying they know better than the U.S. Senate? Read their report below. They conclude that the theory of man made global warming is unfounded.

My best advice is, watch The Great Global Warming Swindle. When you show it at school, put it on FULL SCREEN view, and it's just like watching tv.

Let me know if there is anything I can do. I love fighting against stupidity like this.

Answer 8

That was an unfair suspension in my opinon. I peronsally opose Al Gore too. America is supposed to be a place of free speech. Also it was very good that your provide differnet opinons. It is similar to evolution you know people have differnt ideas. It is also kind of sad that your peers did not take a stance on it. opinons are meant to be shared.

Answer 9

That is ridiculous. What state are you in? As long as you attempted to introduce both sides of the issue, that is fair enough. Public school is not the place to preach your values and beliefs, but it's ok to show both sides, especially on this issue.

Answer 10

Good for you and that explains a lot about the extreme left wing liberals in our education system. I used to teach myself but I realized I didn't fit in with the educational liberal losers. Your opinion should have anything to do with your job. One of my ex girlfriends had a father who taught English and he was canned for saying "Let me be the devil's advocate". They actually took him to court over it. The liberal education system is screwed up beyond words these days.