A recent news article cited the concern that a NJ student had raised about an
American Government/Civics textbook...

I believe that it's the first time that I've seen the authors' political affiliation cited concerning a questionable textbook. Of course this was because these authors who co- wrote the book were cited as "conservative". Heaven forbid that a conservative write a textbook used in our public schools. I'll only deal with one of the questions raised about the book - that of its approach to the man made global warming issue. The other issue concerned banning prayer in the public schools.

The statement in the book that "science doesn't know whether we are experiencing a dangerous level of global warming or how bad the  greenhouse effect is, if it exists at all" is totally true. But this statement is anathema to James Hansen, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, who was brought into the fray. Dr. Hansen is a known global warming zealot who has resorted to smearing any scientists who disagree with his global warming theories. Our governments have also seemingly accepted this theory. And how did Mr. Hansen get brought into this dispute?

The article stated that the issue was referred to the Center for Inquiry in Amherst, NY. Now it so happens that a Mr. Stuart D. Johnson, also of the Goddard Space Center is on the staff of the Center for Inquiry and has written a piece on guess what? - global warning which mirrors James Hansen's views. Is it just by coincidence that Mr. Hansen took up this cause and wrote to the publisher concerning the book's view of global warming? I don't think so.

There are hundreds of scientists and climatologists world wide who disagree with Mr. Hansen's and other man made global warming zealots' theories. Several have invited Dr. Hansen to a debate on this issue and he refuses to do so, as does Al Gore. If they are so certain that their "facts" are so solid why not a civil debate on the issue?

Mr. Steven Milloy of Junk Science.com has offered $100,000 to anyone who can offer definitive evidence of man made global warming and so far no takers. I believe the offer was recently increased to $150,000. So the textbook is perfectly correct on this issue. The sad part is that a student has been so brain washed concerning this subject and apparently more will  be in the future as the publisher kowtows to this criticism. Two editions of this textbook are currently being used in local school systems. So you parents of high school students should be afraid, very afraid!