Sound familiar? Let's see, who else wants to make everyone live by their set of values, and actively tries to ban books such as Harry Potter? Well, here's a list of books some fundie wacko wants banned in her school district:
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
- The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
- The Awakening by Kate Chopin
- Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
- The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
- Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
- How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
So this kid in Texas (you know, land of the big dumbasses which gave us Bush) gets assigned in class to read Fahrenheit 451. But not even halfway through the book, she refuses to continue. Why? you ask. From the news:
Here's a clue for all you others who decided reading a particularly great book about book banning: They burn all the damn books, not just your precious bible!!! Catch that: All books in the story are burned. But apparently this kid didn't inherit the necessary amount of brain cells to continue to see how the story would unfold, so she goes crying home to mommy and daddy about the "evil, evil" book that burns the bible and takes god's name in vain. And you know how this girl got her lack of brain cells? Listen to her father:
But Diana Verm stopped after a few pages. She said she was offended by "the cussing in it and the burning of the Bible."
Oh, dear dumb dad... There's a lot of killing and murdering and sex in your book, but I don't see you pushing to ban that from Sunday school, now, do I? God forbid something challenges you to think about something, I mean, holy hell! You want to ban a book that speaks of the dangers of banning books? Stupid much?
Diana complained to her father. She was given an alternate reading assignment, but her dad is pushing the issue. It is ironic in the truest sense that a fictional book on book banning is now the target of a request to remove it from school curriculum.
"With God's name in vain being in there, that's the number one reason," said Diana's father Alton Verm. "There's no reason for it being read."
[...]
In the complaint filed against the school by Alton Verm, he listed each objected item line by line, complete with individual page numbers. Besides bad language and violence, Verm lists "downgrading Christians" and "talking about our firemen" as reasons the book should be banned. The school committee is expected to meet about the book.
Luckily, not everyone in Texas is as dimwitted as Bush or this particular family.
Some people just don't get it...
But students are now circulating a petition in support of the book. They plan to wear t-shirts on Friday voicing their opinions.
"This was probably one of the greatest eye openers that we've had in our school curriculum," said student rally organizer Darrell Lee. "A lot of the people who did sign said that of all the books they had to read, this was the one they enjoyed. It really makes you think about the situation."
Coincidentally, this book was assigned during National Banned Book Week.
[...]
He looked through the book and found the following things wrong with the book:
discussion of being drunk, smoking cigarettes, violence, "dirty talk,"
references to the Bible and using God's name in vain.
5 comments:
hello jason! :) your favorite mother here again. :) did you hear about the teacher (i forget where from) that was fired she thinks because she took her 5 or 6 graders to a art museum that showed art with nudes in it? i do think parents and kids should have a choice in all these matters. maybe they do. if i remember right even with me growing up we could decide if we wanted to go on field trips or not and it should be that way with the books. give choices of the books out there for the different views of the kids and parents. i think as a parent you can only do so much since kids will find how to find a way to get to the stuff that parents make a BIG NO out of. i remember way back when i had this big old red and gray batterey operated radio that i got i think from my uncle and tried to tune in to my favorite rock station when i went to bed. :) back than we heard if you played our records backwards you would hear evil things coming out of the music! some rich person did that i am sure since i did not want to ruin the few records i did have to hear and when i finally did one or two it all sounded like a record playing backwards! :) well, anyway, there should be choices since we live in America and if you don't like something just turn the knob or get rid of the tv or radio or your kids. :) maybe not your kids since they help you grow sometime. :) and they help with your house sometimes. :) and they give you cool presents on those special days. :) but than agian i only love my kids like they love me between certain times at night during our favorite tv shows. :):) :) and really hate you all in the middle of the night when i sleep!! :) :) :) well, i got to get the kitchen table cleared off from all my junk i took off the walls so dad can make more sawdust for me to clean up. you know i don't think i had a choice in this whole thing! i guess its to late now. thank goodness i have a sweeper!! :) love and prayers
hello again jason! you know you should read this since your mom actually stopped in the middle of her cleaning and listening to x country to come ALL the way up to the loft to type this.(and you know how much she likes to clean and listen to her music loud) with all this talk about the Bible having all this r or x rated stuff in it don't you all think it should be your favorite book?? AND since God was like a ghostwriter in writing this book you should find Him interesting enough to follow Him?? just a thought. maybe this is worth 5 cents. :) you know i am 2 HIP for myself. :) going back to cleaning and some more thinking which could lead to trouble so i will just sing while i clean! :) love and prayers
hello jason! :) your favorite mother here again. :) did you hear about the teacher (i forget where from) that was fired she thinks because she took her 5 or 6 graders to a art museum that showed art with nudes in it? i do think parents and kids should have a choice in all these matters. maybe they do. if i remember right even with me growing up we could decide if we wanted to go on field trips or not and it should be that way with the books. give choices of the books out there for the different views of the kids and parents. i think as a parent you can only do so much since kids will find how to find a way to get to the stuff that parents make a BIG NO out of. i remember way back when i had this big old red and gray batterey operated radio that i got i think from my uncle and tried to tune in to my favorite rock station when i went to bed. :) back than we heard if you played our records backwards you would hear evil things coming out of the music! some rich person did that i am sure since i did not want to ruin the few records i did have to hear and when i finally did one or two it all sounded like a record playing backwards! :) well, anyway, there should be choices since we live in America and if you don't like something just turn the knob or get rid of the tv or radio or your kids. :) maybe not your kids since they help you grow sometime. :) and they help with your house sometimes. :) and they give you cool presents on those special days. :) but than agian i only love my kids like they love me between certain times at night during our favorite tv shows. :):) :) and really hate you all in the middle of the night when i sleep!! :) :) :) well, i got to get the kitchen table cleared off from all my junk i took off the walls so dad can make more sawdust for me to clean up. you know i don't think i had a choice in this whole thing! i guess its to late now. thank goodness i have a sweeper!! :) love and prayers
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