Al Gore was all passion, all morality and all metaphorical at last week’s Congressional hearings. “The planet has a fever,” said the vindictive Gore, cutting his hand through the air. “If your baby has a fever you go to the doctor.”

Not only is Gore a planetary crusader, but also a truly formidable wordsmith. Will he go for a Pulitzer Prize next?

Just in case the baby metaphor was not stirring enough, Gore also referenced the new box office hit “300” calling the members of the House and Senate the “535.” Now in possession of an Oscar, former Vice President Gore is truly embracing his thespian impulses.

It takes a lot of imagination to picture the members of the House and Senate even holding swords, much less using them to slay multitudes of Persians.

Isn’t this supposed to be about global warming? What do 300 well-muscled Spartans have to do with a baby’s fever?

Gore’s plan called for a multitude of legal changes, such as a tax on carbon emissions, incentives for home-based energy generation from renewable technologies and even a ban on incandescent light bulbs.

Gore passionately said “A day will come when our children and grandchildren will look back and they'll ask one of two questions: “What in God's name were they doing?” or they may look back and say, “How did they find the uncommon moral courage to rise above politics and redeem the promise of American democracy?”

Will Gore’s plan “redeem the promise American democracy”? Call me crazy but doesn’t that sort of grandiose language belong to events actually deserving of esteemed recognition?

Gore truly believes that banning light bulbs is an example of “uncommon moral courage.”

Uncommon moral courage is exhibited by those who risk everything. Those who stand up for a cause no matter what consequences they may suffer.

Those who hid and sheltered Jews during the Holocaust, blacks and whites who assisted fleeing slaves in the Underground Railroad, people who would have been killed and tortured for their valiant actions are the people that exhibit uncommon moral courage. A person does not belong among those ranks of heroes because they refuse to purchase incandescent light bulbs at Home Depot.

Hypocrisy leaves a bad taste in the mouths of all of those Gore is trying so ardently to convert. According to the Nashville Electric Service, Gore’s Tennessee mansion uses 20 times more electricity than the average American household.

Gore is scolding everyone for child neglect while he consumes almost 221,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity.

Al Gore wants to save the planet. No matter what your stance on global warming is everyone pretty much agrees that limiting pollution and reducing emissions of toxic gases are worthy of some

attention.

It is not, however, “morally imperative” and no matter what happens it will never “redeem the promise of American democracy” and has that promise even been forfeited? Gore’s theatrical antics are making him look like a clown rather than an expert.

Gore continuously repeated, “What were they thinking?” Is Gore thinking?

Columnist: Margeaux Corby - Photos: MCT Campus 04/05/07