Big Train
10-10-2004, 04:31 PM
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/politics/2839280
Ford, given your vehement replies to the other thread about elementary students seeing their current president in class, I'm curious how you feel about this....
Beaumont students watch 'Fahrenheit 9/11' in class
Associated Press
BEAUMONT -- A Southeast Texas businessman is upset that his son's English class watched Michael Moore's scathing documentary on President Bush and his handling of events after the terrorist attacks.
Michael Kurth, a veteran, said he was opposed to the film "Fahrenheit 9/11" based on its R rating and political partisanship. His son Matthew, 17, said that he put his head on his desk and tried to sleep through it.
"It bothered me," he said.
Moore's condemnation of Bush's actions regarding the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon became the first documentary to top the $100 million mark domestically. In the film, Moore examines the Bush administration's alleged financial ties to Saudi Arabia and the bin Laden family.
"It is spun to a very liberal viewpoint," the businessman said. "It is absolutely wrong for teachers to take a political position with some of these kids at legal voting age."
Michael Ryals, principal of Pathways Learning Center, said that he previewed part of the film before he allowed the teacher to show it in class Friday.
"I didn't hear anything that was offensive to me," he told the Beaumont Enterprise in today's editions, adding that he did not know of the R rating.
Ryals said one student told him of another movie that takes an opposing view and he urged the student to bring it Monday for review to see if it could be shown.
Pathways is an alternative school for students moved from their home campuses for disciplinary reasons. Kurth said his son is at the school for 40 days after having too many tardies.
Beaumont Independent School District spokeswoman Jolene Ortego said she spoke to Kurth and assured him the matter would be addressed by Monday morning.
School board trustee John Williams said R-rated films should not be shown without parental consent.
Kurth, 39, said he watched it to see all sides and decided he did not want his family to see it, then was "livid" to hear that his son's class was viewing it weeks before the general election.
Earlier this summer, thousands of people watched the documentary in Crawford, Bush's adopted hometown, where Moore's staff had made arrangements to send a copy after learning that no theaters in the Waco area had been showing the film. A Waco theater subsequently agreed to screen the film.
Ford, given your vehement replies to the other thread about elementary students seeing their current president in class, I'm curious how you feel about this....
Beaumont students watch 'Fahrenheit 9/11' in class
Associated Press
BEAUMONT -- A Southeast Texas businessman is upset that his son's English class watched Michael Moore's scathing documentary on President Bush and his handling of events after the terrorist attacks.
Michael Kurth, a veteran, said he was opposed to the film "Fahrenheit 9/11" based on its R rating and political partisanship. His son Matthew, 17, said that he put his head on his desk and tried to sleep through it.
"It bothered me," he said.
Moore's condemnation of Bush's actions regarding the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon became the first documentary to top the $100 million mark domestically. In the film, Moore examines the Bush administration's alleged financial ties to Saudi Arabia and the bin Laden family.
"It is spun to a very liberal viewpoint," the businessman said. "It is absolutely wrong for teachers to take a political position with some of these kids at legal voting age."
Michael Ryals, principal of Pathways Learning Center, said that he previewed part of the film before he allowed the teacher to show it in class Friday.
"I didn't hear anything that was offensive to me," he told the Beaumont Enterprise in today's editions, adding that he did not know of the R rating.
Ryals said one student told him of another movie that takes an opposing view and he urged the student to bring it Monday for review to see if it could be shown.
Pathways is an alternative school for students moved from their home campuses for disciplinary reasons. Kurth said his son is at the school for 40 days after having too many tardies.
Beaumont Independent School District spokeswoman Jolene Ortego said she spoke to Kurth and assured him the matter would be addressed by Monday morning.
School board trustee John Williams said R-rated films should not be shown without parental consent.
Kurth, 39, said he watched it to see all sides and decided he did not want his family to see it, then was "livid" to hear that his son's class was viewing it weeks before the general election.
Earlier this summer, thousands of people watched the documentary in Crawford, Bush's adopted hometown, where Moore's staff had made arrangements to send a copy after learning that no theaters in the Waco area had been showing the film. A Waco theater subsequently agreed to screen the film.