In today's WaPo, in an article titled "Gore Film Sparks Parents' Anger", I want to introduce you to Frosty E. Hardiman (yes, his name is "Frosty", and yes, he has seven kids).
We are not talking about slasher movies (gore = Saw II), we are talking about "An Inconvienient Truth", the movie funded by Al Gore (former Vice-President of the United States, and still, it seems, still capable of whipping wingnuts into frothy cappucinos):
Take it away, Frosty:
"Liberal left is all over Hollywood," he grumbled a few hours after the nomination [Gore's movie was nominated for an Oscar for "Best Documentary"] was announced.
"No you will not teach or show that propagandist Al Gore video to my child, blaming our nation -- the greatest nation ever to exist on this planet -- for global warming," Hardiman wrote in an e-mail to the Federal Way School Board. The 43-year-old computer consultant is an evangelical Christian who says he believes that a warming planet is "one of the signs" of Jesus Christ's imminent return for Judgment Day.
Needless to say, this whole thing blew up because a seventh-grade science teacher wanted to show the documentary to the class. "Frosty" swung into action, and now (you can see where this is going, right?), the documentary can be shown, but only with "conditions":
That means that "An Inconvenient Truth" may be shown only with the written permission of a principal -- and only when it is balanced by alternative views that are approved by both a principal and the superintendent of schools.
Hardiman was pleased.
"I am happy they are giving the kids as much information as possible," he said.
His daughter's science teacher, meanwhile, said she is struggling to find authoritative articles to counter the information in the Gore documentary.
"The only thing I have found so far is an article in Newsweek called 'The Cooling World,' " Walls said.
It was written 37 years ago.
Words fail me. Note, by the way, that "Frosty" believes that global warming is a sign of the Second Coming of Christ, and even if "Frosty" believed in Global Warming he would want to accelerate it (bringing the Rapture sooner), not stop it.
If "Frosty" (a somewhat ironic name, yes?) doesn't win the award for craziest wingnut, who does?
Posted by baltar at January 25, 2007 09:14 AM | TrackBack | Posted to Crunchy Nutbars | Culture | EcologyIf "Frosty" (a somewhat ironic name, yes?) doesn't win the award for craziest wingnut, who does?
You're not seriously proposing a contest here, are you?
Posted by: jacflash at January 25, 2007 09:59 AM | PERMALINKYou find me someone nuttier. The guy wants to increase global warming in order to bring the Rapture sooner. Top that.
Posted by: baltar at January 25, 2007 12:14 PM | PERMALINKOh, hell, he's far from unique -- there's even a site that tracks extreme environmental events on behalf of the endtimers. He's practically mainstream. (Why do you think Tom DeLay used to call the EPA the "Gestapo"? It wasn't just because he wanted campaign contributions from polluters. They were getting in the way of The Lord's PlanTM!)
And while you're hitting the indices, check out the Rapture Index, which appears to be at 160 this week. Note that levels above 145 fall into the "Fasten Your Seat Belts" category, and it seems to have been above 145 for over a year now. Better be ready.
(That site's "Interesting Email" page is aptly labeled, btw.)
How about Rev. Clyde Lott, who is attempting to raise red heifers so that folks can get on with building the Third Temple? There's a whole nest of fun folks there.
Of course, the world's biggest endtimes nutball is arguably Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But he's not quite the sort of wingnut you had in mind, I bet.