Extreme distortion compounded by a bed of lies

You have to pay to visit the online site for The Sentinel, a local newspaper, so, well, I hope they don't mind that I am re-printing their editorial here in its entirety.

April 14, 2005

Montgomery Sentinel

Extreme distortion compounded by a bed of lies
Editor's Notebook
By Brian J. Karem

You really have to tip your hat to those who can sell you blarney with a straight face. My father had the gift. The saying about him in my family was he could tell you to go to Hell in such a way that you not only looked forward to the trip, but would send a postcard from Hades thanking my dad for the travel plans.

Once a fellow reporter asked me during a trial what it is my father did for a living. She already knew my two uncles were lawyers. I told her that my dear old dad sold cars for a living. "So, your dad sells cars, you're a reporter and your uncles are lawyers and state senators, is that right?" She asked.

"Yep."

"Couldn't anyone in your family find an honest way to make a living?" She asked.

My daily experience dealing with baloney, blarney and various degrees of fluff from politicians and other assorted scam artists has made me very wary of those professing to be the light and torch of anything.

So, forgive me if you will for wondering who the heck the Citizens for Responsible Curriculum believe they are fooling.

Not me.

The Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum (CRC)Web site, which can be found at www.mcpscurriculum. com, says the group's objective is to provide a "mainstream voice for fairness and scientific accuracy promoting tolerance and fact-based education."

If by science they mean the science of the Middle Ages, well, perhaps the CRC is telling the truth, but otherwise they're spreading nothing more than what goes best on the ground to fertilize my tomatoes.

The CRC, mind you, is the cute little group that wasn't above spreading "hate and fear," their words not mine, to prevent what they called a "homosexual agenda" in our public school system.

First, as a father of three children in the public school system from elementary to middle and even high school let me be the first to say that I can't fathom any agenda in the public school system - with the exception of testing and not leaving any children behind.

The idea that the public schools are pressing a pro-homosexual agenda is not only laughable, but ludicrous to anyone with an ounce of common sense.

Second, and perhaps even more important, the ends do not justify the means and never have. If you're pretending to be on the side of the Lord, then preaching "hate and fear" is contrary to your stated objectives and I, for one, find it hard to believe in the righteousness of any cause supporting "hate and fear" as a means to an end.

Not that there isn't plenty wrong with public schools.

The Maryland State Board of Education's policy on family involvement, for example says that "parents and family members will be expected to cooperate with teachers and school administrators in matters relating to their child's education."

Well, as a parent let me just say that it is the family, not the state that is the final arbiter of what is right, so I demand not expect the school board to cooperate with me.

And for starters I demand that the school board tell these people in the CRC who are trying to influence the school board to cease and desist.

Several years ago while covering the state legislature in Kentucky, I ran across a similar group who presented to the statehouse a list of movies they wanted banned - claiming they were pornographic and promoted a homosexual agenda.

When asked how the group determined that assertion, with a straight face a group member said, "well the executive committee got together and watched all the questionable movies."

So, why can't I?

And why should I listen to anything the CRC says?