Grand Forks School Board rejects restricting J.K. Rowling book
December 11, 2012 at 10:17 am in Grand Forks Herald
By a vote of 8-1, the board rejected a recommendation from school and district review committees that copies of Rowling’s “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” be removed from elementary libraries or that parental permission be required for students in Grade 5 or below for access to the book. Continue Reading
I wonder if the parents in question have ever read any Grimm’s fairy tales? Snow White’s wicked step monster is not someone I’d care to invite to dinner. Or if they understand the meaning of “ring around the rosey” and where it came from?
We are so used to the Disney version of life we forget that to other people at other times, death was a part of life. Kids are smarter than we give them credit for. You do not help them by protecting them. In fact, the opposite is true.
Let the kid read the tale, if they have questions they will ask. If they don’t ask chances are they missed what you were worried about in the first place.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
51 
4
On the other hand these are the very objections that will help send the books off the shelf……Kind of makes you wonder if Rollings banks on this very reaction….
Like or Dislike:
13 
4
Whoops…Rowlings….
Like or Dislike:
11 
2
I have read Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and I do know the meaning behind “Ring Around the Rosey”; however, that doesn’t mean that I want my child to read the Grimm’s brothers tales. I don’t mind about “Ring Around the Rosey” because that has to do with history and the bubonic plague. By the way, I’m responding to your comment because, for some reason, the site won’t let me post, but this is not necessarily directed solely to you.
To the readers who have commented about banning books: I never expected the book to be banned. I only hoped that measures could be put in place that would restrict access to the book for grades 5 and below. For instance, if a book was questionable, it could be flagged so that parental permission was required for the student to be checked out. If a parent was okay with the child reading the book, then the child could check it out and vice-versa. A benefit to this solution is that parents would be given a heads-up to pay special attention to a book a child may be reading (if they have allowed it) and be sensitive to any questions or concerns the child may have. Other parents, of course, could disallow the book. Banning books for adults is wrong. Restricting access to books for younger children is responsible parenting.
Some people commented that I may not value education or that I leave parenting up to the school. I assure you that I do value education. I am a former English teacher with a Master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. I know a bit about education and my child’s education is very important to me. If I were to leave parenting up to the school or have a hands-off approach, then the issue of this book would have never surfaced. It came about because my child read to me because I was interested in what she was reading. If I didn’t care, I would remain silent.
I am not anti-Harry Potter or J.K. Rowling. I simply didn’t think that this book was appropriate for elementary level children. Kids may be able to read this book easily, but intelligence does not equal emotional maturity. It was my concern that children who read this book and were bothered by the images may not have parents to talk about it with or that some children may see self-harm or harm to others as an option. Yes, we should all know what is going on in our children’s lives and be responsible parents; however, the sad reality is that some kids just don’t have that support system.
With so many other good books, why do we need books–not just this one–in our school libraries that contain descriptions of suicide and murder? One comment said that I should not presume to parent thier child by imposing restrictions upon thiers. While I don’t think parental permission is really a harsh restriction, my question is this. If you want your child to read such books with gory and graphic detail, why can’t you buy them for him/her yourself? School libraries should be full of books that actually enrich the child’s education not ones that really have no redeeming social, educational, or moral attributes but contain violence and gore. I don’t care what individual parents do with thier own child, but I do care about the child that might read that book and may not have the emotional maturity to understand it as a collection of fantastical fables and may decide to emulate some of the characters.
Read the article again. I didn’t expect the book to be banned nor do I believe in banning books. Restricting access for certain age levels? Yes.
Hot debate. What do you think?
22 
26
I admire your courage and forthrightness for entering into a forum which is often times a lion’s den, no matter what the topic. Many of us bear the scars of numerous battles here. I think the central problem, and perhaps not one which you actually meant to champion, was the idea of book banning in general. It brings up images of the Inquisition, Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia, and Mao’s China. We tend to cringe at the idea of free access to books being limited by government fiat.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
25 
5
Thank you, Gene. I certainly did not mean to bring up the subject of book banning. My daughter is actually named for a character in Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451″ which has a lot to do with book banning.
There is a difference in banning a book for all students and in requiring parental permission for certain grade levels.
I’m certainly not Grand Forks’ most popular or loved person today so I think I’ll make this my last comment and leave the rest of you to debate.
Like or Dislike:
18 
4
You may be a victim of the Herald’s chronic incompetence in reporting a story. Anyone who would name their child after that Bradbury work, which not only has a lot to do, but is all about, book burning, deserves my sincerest apologies for my original opinions. Some of us operate here on hair triggers, and only realize we screwed up after we’ve shot. I admit that’s what I did in this case. Happy Holidays to you.
Like or Dislike:
11 
3
and thus, you have raised the argument about who determines “School libraries should be full of books that actually enrich the child’s education not ones that really have no redeeming social, educational, or moral attributes but contain violence and gore.” If the child does not have the support system at home but could approach a teacher to ask questions about what a theme or particular passage means, why restrict his/her ability to choose the book?
and by the way, it is their, not thier. Sorry, the old English teacher in me could not help but correct the misuse of that word.
Like or Dislike:
9 
6
Teachers and parents should determine what is in the school library. The teachers, parents, and students who were on the committees agreed with me to restrict the book.
Some children, for various reasons, may not be willing or able to reach out to a teacher or other adult.
Like or Dislike:
8 
11
And the school librarian – someone trained to evaluate books and be the lead person in this endeavor.
Like or Dislike:
10 
3
Of course….librarians and, perhaps, reading specialists also. Thank you.
Like or Dislike:
6 
5
My mother was a reading specialist for the GF schools. She thought Harry Potter books from a literary sense were junk. But her thought was if it gets kids reading they’re reading. As for restrcting the checking out of the book this really is not that restrictive. There are age limits for movies based on the same reasoning. Look at all the other things kids need parental permission for at school. I do not think Lucie is a nut case like usual in this case.
Like or Dislike:
6 
2
I’m curious. I assume you read the book yourself after you stopped your daughter reading it. Did you really find that it had no redeeming quailities? Now, it’s been some time since I’ve read it (I don’t remember anyone licking a heart, so clearly I need to find my copy and re-read) but do you really feel that there is nothing that a child could take away from the book? I found it to be like most fairy tales, each story having a moral to take away from it.
Like or Dislike:
9 
2
Perhaps I shouldn’t have said no redeeming qualities. Most books do have some redeeming quality whether we agree with the content or not. In the case of this book, I would say that the positive moral is that good triumphs over evil. It has been several months since I read it, and I really never expected much to happen. I brought it to the attention of the principal, filled out a form, and here we are.
Very few books are all bad. In my opinion some of them are just not appropriate for certain age levels.
Like or Dislike:
11 
7
Lucie other then your masters degree, which has nothing to do with this topic and something thousands of other people in the world have.. how are YOU qualified to make a decision about what MY child reads?
Like or Dislike:
14 
7
grandforksmom: I’m not qualifed to tell you what your child reads. I brought it to the attention of the principal and the district committee recommended that parental permission be required to check it out. I agree with thier recommendation. I never said that a child shouldn’t read it. I said that, due to the content, it would be wise for parents to be notified that thier child wanted to check out the book and the parent could make that decision.
As far as having a master’s degree….I shared that with the board because another poster had assumed that I didn’t care about education. Pursuing a degree in education is indicative that I do.
Like or Dislike:
9 
8
I know a bit about education and my child’s education is very important to me. If I were to leave parenting up to the school or have a hands-off approach, then the issue of this book would have never surfaced. It came about because my child read to me because I was interested in what she was reading
Welcome. Your voice is needed and encouraged. I never thought you were uninterested in your child’s education. I picked up right away that your child was reading to you. I congratulate you.
As Gene said, occassionally the boards become a little course. People do not always read as critically as they should (I know I have been guilty of that).
I have seven kids and two grandkids. I have never restricted their reading simply because I want them to read. That is a skill that is lacking in much of this generation. Why read when you can watch the movie or play X Box. Kids today have grown accustomed to others providing the image instead of forming it for themselves in their mind.
I applaud you for knowing what your kids are reading. I too kept close track. I never prevented them from reading whatever they wanted (no porn) but they knew I would ask about it.
Again, welcom to the group.
Like or Dislike:
12 
0
Thank you, flying nurse. The site wouldn’t let me post my own comment which is why I replied to yours–it was at the top–but my comment was directed generally to everyone on the board. As it was my first time on the forum, it was probably a matter of user error!
Like or Dislike:
10 
2
You say you wouldn’t want it banned or restricted but your lengthy explanation of your stance gives me the impression that when the book burning starts you’d be there with the match!
Like or Dislike:
1 
2
Typical “parent”. Doesn’t want to be bothered to actively supervise the kid, sends a note to the teacher to demand that the school system remove whatever she considers “objectionable” so that education becomes lowest-common-denominator.
Here’s a thought: If you don’t want your kid to read the book…don’t let him. But don’t think you have the right to inflict your standards on the rest of the kids.
I’m actively ashamed of Ohnstad, Whalen, Lein, Winter, and Lunn. These people are supposed to know better.
Hot debate. What do you think?
29 
20
Exactly – don’t limit my child because you want to limit yours. I can decide for my family whether or not something is appropriate.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
33 
8
Which all Lucie is asking for.
Like or Dislike:
8 
4
No Greatday – Ms. Pawlak was asking that children would have to ask their parents’ permission to read something – and then the parent call to release the book to them. Not that they could pick it off the shelf and read it. Rather than that, maybe Ms. Pawlak should go to the library and create a list of what she does not want her child to read.
Like or Dislike:
4 
4
What about the children whose parents won’t take the time to do that? What about the kids who have disinterested parents who don’t care about what they watch, read, or do? It’s easy to say that we should just leave it up to the parents because parents should parent well but some don’t.
Restricting a book is, as another poster suggested, like restricting what kind of movies a child watches at school. I don’t think anyone would want a teacher showing a child in elementary school a rated R movie or having full access to the web in the classroom. Same goes for books.
Also, the district committee found that the readability level was beyond elementary. J.K. Rowling writes books for young adults. Sure, my child and probably many, many others can read the book in question with ease. Intelligence or reading ability is not the issue. It’s emotional maturity. That is why her books are targeted to the young adult audience. K-5 is not young adult.
Like or Dislike:
4 
0
So then you would have no problem with your 14 year old daughter having an abortion without your knowledge? Or your 10 year old son your watching porn everyday? Hey who is anyone to tell you that this might not be in childs best interest.
Like or Dislike:
1 
7
Schurkey, the parent was actively supervising her child. Her daughter was reading to her in the car. She stopped her daughter from reading because the story was objectionable. She was concerned about other students reading the book. Not many parents pay attention to what their kids read.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
21 
4
Schurkey, I agree with your second paragraph in theory, but that’s not what happened here. If you read the article, you would clearly see that she was not asking for the book to be banned, just that a child should have parental permission to check it out. I don’t agree with her, but she’s hardly a book burner.
Like or Dislike:
14 
1
That’s not the way it happened. I never even talked to the teacher. How could I not parent yet still know exactly what my daughter was reading. Please don’t assume.
Like or Dislike:
14 
4
Schurkey, perhaps you do not realize that Pheonix is an elementary school and that 4th graders are 9 and 10 years old. There are many books availabe at the public library that are not stocked at the schools, just as there are many books at the school that are not stocked at the local college. The books available should be bought and stocked according to various reasons, including maturity levels.
Like or Dislike:
8 
1
I think this boils down to parent your own children and let me parent mine… While you may find it objectionable, I choose to parent differently. My children have long since left the nest, but I am glad that I was able to expose them to as much of the world as I could.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
35 
7
Book banning, if not burning, has enjoyed a long and glorious history since at least the 1570s, when the Inquisition published its list of prohibited books. In more recent decades it has included “Catcher in the Rye,” “Slaughterhouse Five,” and “Huckleberry Finn” (the unbowdlerized version). Let’s not forget “Dr. Zhivago” was prohibited in the Soviet Union, and “Lady Chatterly’s Lover,” “Tropic of Cancer,” and “Tropic of Capricorn” in the US.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
17 
1
I saw the word penis and vagina in the dictionary does that mean we should ban that book and make the Webster guy register as a sex offender for exposing children such things.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
22 
6
Definitely. The correct terms are “Little Mr. Happy” and “Up There.”
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
20 
3
Thank you, Gene, that was the laugh I needed today!
Like or Dislike:
6 
1
;-{D}
Like or Dislike:
5 
1
I don’t get it. Maybe it’s best I don’t.
Like or Dislike:
3 
1
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
11 
25
As I understand it, no student was “required” to read it. The parent didn’t want it in the library, period. My bet is that if all parents had the power to determine holdings, the shelves would be empty. My point is that if a book is not available, it is tantamount to burning it.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
25 
5
The recommendation of the district committee was to allow the book to be available with parental permission. You’re blowing smoke with your book burning comment.
Like or Dislike:
9 
8
I think where the system has failed is that parents no longer take the time to discuss with their children what all this means rather than we are reading it.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
22 
1
Shouldn’t be surprising since some parents have dumped their kids off at daycare at age 5 days, while others depend on the schools to feed them.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
19 
2
and use x-box and the internet to raise them.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
17 
1
superduper, how many parents ever took the time to discuss what their children were reading. You’ve created a mythological “good ol’ days” past that never existed.
Parents, for the most part, have always trusted teachers. Now parents know that they can’t any longer because the teachers know they’ll be over-ruled by the school board, at least in Grand Forks.
Like or Dislike:
8 
3
I guess I was one of the lucky ones – I had parents who cared about what I was learning and took the time to find out. The people I have chosen to make friends with and my own choices as a parent reflect that lifestyle, too.
Not trying to pick a fight here but I do have one question for you – As an educator, how often did you engage parents in your classroom? Invite them in for a family reading or ask them to share a book list? You had the perfect opportunity and much often lament on the slippery slope we are sliding down.
Like or Dislike:
6 
0
Hell Glenn…..The “Good Old Days” of our generation the parents had enough trust in the teacher that if you were told you were screwing up the parents usually believed the teacher over the parents. Somewhere things got twisted to a point that the parents seem to often look at the educators as an enemy force or something. I could never ever last long as an educator for anything under college level. I’d have too much of a tendency to tell pain in the arse parents the truth and to file it where the sun won’t get at it. I for one think the real problem with the education system today is the parents and the load of crap they’ve bought in to over the years regarding educators and especially those in unions….
Like or Dislike:
9 
0
Glen, I do believe that the book has “socially redeeming value.” I think you should read it before you judge it as worthless. It may not be your cup of tea, but that doesn’t mean that it’s worthless.
Like or Dislike:
5 
0
Glenn et al. Did you realize two states determine what is in your child’s textbooks? What they learn of literature, American history, & science is by & large determined by a group of Fundamentalist rednecks in TX & beaurocrats in Sacramento.
Textbooks are expensive to produce, so the two biggest markets determine what the other 48 states get to learn. So much for local control over learning.
During the library debate we discussed e readers & the like. Old farts with bifocals like me hate them, where the kids prefer them.
There is no better reason to buy every school child a Kindle or Nook than access to a broader range of textbooks than the paper publishers are willing to sell.
I checked out one of my kids history text & threw up in my mouth. It was pathetic. How do you make the Civil War vanilla? They managed to pull it off. Reading this book you would have thought it was a highly contentious soccer match instead of the second American Revolution.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
23 
0
” How do you make the Civil War vanilla?”
Same way you reduce the Vietnam War to one paragraph.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
23 
0
fyingnurse, yes, I know about the textbooks. My wife and I have nearly 80 years of teaching experience between us.
I used to teach U.S. History to eighth graders. I showed the movie “Glory” either before or after covering the Civil War. No “vanilla” there. “Glory” is R rated due to language and violence. In many years of showing it, I never received a single parental complaint. It’s impossible to cover war and eliminate violence.
I have NEVER been accused of being a prude. In a list of several thousand adjectives, people who know me would likely rank “prude” close to the bottom. However, Rowlings book was evaluated according to the district’s policies. It seems to me that it got a thorough review, but the opinions of the “gate keepers” were overturned by the school board, who evidently have no faith in the judgement of the professionals, parents, and students on the committees.
I began my teaching career teaching fifth graders. I read hundreds of children’s books. Many were superb, much better than the ones I read in fifth grade back in the 50s. Some were worthless but harmless. About 25 years ago I started noticing children’s books that were similar to what Rowling’s book is. I didn’t censor the books, but I certainly didn’t encourage students to read them. Since then there seems to be more and more books of that type.
The results of the fascination with violent, gory literature and movies should be apparent to all. It seems to me like the story about the frog in a pot of water. Increase the temperature gradually and he’ll never jump out. (That analogy works better than the slippery slope.)
Like or Dislike:
12 
6
Even so. I remember how people were praising Rowlings books because they did something that nobody esle has been able to do very well…..Get kids interested in reading again. If the books have to be as exciting at the video games, movies, and tv shows before they get interested, then so be it. If they get interested in reading once again then as they mature then hopefully so will their tastes.
In a way those of us coming from an era with very limited choices of outside entertainment (3 or 4 channels on the tube, no videos, and generally only one or two movies per month) end up being the more fortunate because many of us spent more time reading just to let our imaginations entertain us. When I see the lack of real creativity in Hollywood scripts these days I can’t help but wonder if we’re raising generations of young people with stunted imiginations….
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
19 
0
“Get kids interested in reading again.”
And yet you still had the uproar about the inclusion of magic, the supernatural, paganism…For some, that is only permitted if found in the Bible.
Like or Dislike:
15 
1
Nice catch Gene….I forgot about that
Like or Dislike:
10 
0
Ahh the Bible. Stories of fantasy, incest, mass murder, graphic revenge, talking snakes, etc. Instructions on how to sell your daughter into slavery , kill your children for disobedience, etc. Those same parents that want to ban books are quick to ignore all the “interesting” things in the Bible.
Like or Dislike:
2 
1
As to “stunted imaginations”– Exactly what type of imagination is being stimulated by the book in question? Are we trying to create several more Jeffrey Dahmers?
BTW- I read the first three Harry Potter books. I read the first one on the recommendation of my adult daughter. I read the next two to see whether the criticisms of the series had any validity. (I thought the criticisms were over-reactions.) I started the fourth and quit because I got bored with it. It seemed repetitious of her first three books. “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” seems to go to the next level, though.
Like or Dislike:
4 
5
I think that goes along with the myth of violence in TV, movies, and video games causing kids to be violent. I can attest that All Star Wrestling had a definite effect on me and my buddies growing up. (We didn’t realize that the body slams were done on hard canvass and not hard ground, but we found out quick enough), but we played army with plastic guns all the time just like the movies we saw…..As far as I know the only friends who killed anyone did it in real war zones.
Hell Glenn….You should know better than most that the best way to assure kids will want to get to something is by making it restricted. Sometimes we have to for safety reasons, but I think it’s the wrong approach when it’s because of ideology.
Like or Dislike:
10 
1
Good old AWS. Who’da thought an Altzheimer-plagued Vern Gagne would have killed his roommate at the home?
Like or Dislike:
2 
0
I just remembered that there was a book I read in third grade that indeed had a troubling influence on me. A book that actually gave me ideas that turned out to be somewaht harmful in the end. The book was Edgar Rice Barrows: Tarzan Of The Apes. After reading the book I just knew I had a inner Tarzan just waiting to show itself to the world. What I discovered in reality was that even though your parents and others might say you climb like a monkey…..Little boys are fairly limited when it comes to having actual ape like abilities…..And when Jonny Weismuller swung on vines or from tree branch to tree branch it was actually ropes and steel bars (Which is pretty obvious if you watch them when you’re older)…Real branches aren’t as easy to swing to. How I didn’t manage to break something (Including my neck) is a wonder. None the less I did manage to have a few good falls before I decided to be something easier…Like Zoro…No flying…Just sword play….
Like or Dislike:
7 
0
Creating more Jeffrey Dahmers takes a lot more than someone reading a couple of sentences in a book. Psycho-pathology can not be traced to exposure of this nature. If that were true, we’d have a lot more cannibals and sadists running loose. Tramatic and sustained physical child abuse is usually at the core of severely anti-social behavior in adults.
Like or Dislike:
8 
0
I wish my kid had had you Glenn, the book I reviewed was from Red River. Now I admit my degree is in history so I am a little biased. I expect a little substance. This text was simply a hard copy version of the history channel.
In its defense, at least it was not the boring recitation of dates that my HS history text were.
In both cases the meaning was missing. Both told the story, but they skipped over what it meant. That is why I said vanilla.
The text never used the term “War of Northern Aggression” or “Second American Revolution,” or even “the last battle of the American revolution.” Abraham Lincoln was Moses (agreed) but they totally skipped he did away with Habeas Corpus and contrary to the myth did not think African Americans were equal to whites.
It is high school, 90% of the students could care less, I get that. I just hate discussing something that large and having the lesson come out meaningless.
Like Gene said: Vietnam in a page.
Like or Dislike:
9 
0
“One had a person holding a heart … and was licking it….” Now I’m intrigued.
Like or Dislike:
4 
3
I knew ther was a reason I liked you Devil
Like or Dislike:
3 
1
I bought this mini-book while out running errands this morning. I read it in about an hour. I enjoyed it from start to finish. I found out JK Rowlings donates the profits from each book under this title to the Children’s High Group Foundation, which enables British children to get a good education.
Like or Dislike:
9 
3
Thank you, GF School Board for not over-reacting!
Like or Dislike:
14 
4
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
2 
13
Given the contents of the Bible, it likely shouldn’t be on elementary school library shelves.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
16 
1
I think the 8-1 vote speaks for itself. Reasonable thinking prevailed.
Like or Dislike:
10 
4
Actually the building committe voted 4-0 in favor of removing the book from the elementary school. The district committee voted 13-0 in favor of removing the book or restricting access in grades 5 and below. If you look at the documents attached to the article you’ll see the process. So 18 people agreed with me and 8 did not.
Like or Dislike:
8 
1
In agreement with another user, maybe you should parent your child and we will parent ours. If the worst thing my child reads in her life is Harry Potter, I will be happy happy happy.
Like or Dislike:
10 
8
I don’t see how a phone call from the school librarian asking you for permission to let your child check out a book is so incredibly harmful. That is not me telling you how to parent your child as you would have the ultimate decision.
Also, I am not anti-Harry Potter. This isn’t about the Harry Potter books. I’m wondering why you and other posters that vehemently disagree with me were not at the school board meeting. From my understanding, the agenda is made public and citizens have a right to be there to have thier voices heard.
The only people at the school board meeting at the time the book was discussed were a reporter, the district media specialist, the school board members and myself.
Like or Dislike:
9 
6
This isn’t about us trying to “parent” your child. This is about age-appropriate literature in an elementary school. And before you get your undies in a bunch, please think about everything you don’t want your 10 year old to have available at school. Someone decides what web-sites they can visit, what movies are shown in school, and yes, what books are stocked. I would not be offended to have a call asking “can your daughter check out ‘How to sacrafice lambs to Satan’?”. And I thank parents like Lucie who are observant rather than b!tch at them.
Like or Dislike:
12 
5
Nice job of doing the old standard of taking one thing and accelerate it to a totally strange freak out zone…Much like you do when it comes to gays by eventually ending up making comparison to beastility. You religious types need to learn how to debate logically…Statements like yours basically shoot down any realistic point you might have had.
Like or Dislike:
10 
8
Tundrabeast: you’re right, I did take it to an extreme. In my defense it seems that a lot of you didn’t stop to think about the subject before typing your response. A more realistic book might be “Clan of the Cave Bear”, great book–I’ve read it at least 20 times. However, as much as I enjoy it and despite the fact I read it when I was 11, it is not appropriate for my daughter (age 10). Again, I would not be offended should a school employee take the time to contact me.
Like or Dislike:
6 
0
Lucie any point you attempt to make right now is moot. You lost.
Like or Dislike:
5 
11
I know I lost. I was there. I was not trying to “win” an argument but merely trying to explain the thoughts behind my actions. Clearly you are not interested in understanding any viewpoint but your own.
Like or Dislike:
12 
4
That’s kind of harsh. There are people here calling her a book burner and you imply that she shouldn’t defend her position?
Like or Dislike:
7 
0
Too bad there are not more parents like Lucie out there. I think the School Board acted more out of worrying about potential legal action from an outside group than anything. I wonder if Harry Potter books are available in Tennessee schools? Those Baptists get a little out of hand down there.
Like or Dislike:
7 
2
Everyone, page 186
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT7GkureYiE&feature=g-hist
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Ah lece n tis un te mean an wamen iz settin tegter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaET8SQ-RAU&feature=endscreen&NR=1
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
Well….Once again we seem to really get into the old “Tis the season” spirit. Then again if we didn’t argue over something that amounts to a gnat chewing on a horses arse in importance…I guess we’d be arguning about something important…And those usually can get really nasty and very far away from the “Tis the season” spirit…….Merry, Merry, Happy, Happy…….
Like or Dislike:
4 
0
Bah humbug you miserable ol’ fool.
Like or Dislike:
4 
0
Off to Whoville where my heart just might grow….According to legend that is…We still like the good Doctor Seuss right? Or is his liberal writings too hot to handle any more too?
Like or Dislike:
5 
0
One thing before you go. I saw on the Weather Channel today that they changed the driving technique regarding black ice. Apparently now you are to slam on the brakes if you hit a patch. Drive Safe.
Like or Dislike:
2 
0
Road gets like that I drive by ear anyway. No “Thumps” usually means I’m guessing right…..Or missed the road completely….That can happen when the ditches are full and snow blowing across the road so you can’t tell where the hell it is……”More than just a job…..It’s an adventure
Like or Dislike:
4 
0
“The Texas State Board of Education in 2010 adopted a statewide social studies and history curriculum that amended or watered down the teaching of the civil rights movement, religious freedoms, America’s relationship with the United Nations and hundreds of other topics. The Board also adopted a resolution in 2010 that sought to limit references to Islam in Texas textbooks, claiming that the materials were “tainted” with “pro-Islamic, anti-Christian distortions.”
This from a story about Texas & their K-12 curricula. In fact an anti Islam bias was found.
Remember it is these jokers, not Barry or Congress or your state or local authorities who ultimately end up deciding what your children learn.
I was one of the few which encouraged TX leaving the union before the last election. This is just one of the reasons why.
Rednecks are like slinkies, they are fun to watch fall down the stairs, but we don’t want them forming public policy.
Like or Dislike:
5 
0
FN, this has been going on for decades. TX and CA represent millions of texts sold. Publishers know that, and hire authors and edit texts accordingly. My daughter’s first world cultures book dedicated 1 paragraph to Plato and Aristotle. Her history book, as I said, one paragraph to the Vietnam War.
Like or Dislike:
3 
0
I know and I agree. That was the whole purpose of my original post. People like you and Glenn are up to speed, but the average citizen has no clue.
We are arguing over what books should be open to all in the school library, when we are completely ignoring what their textbooks (required reading) have to say.
The worst part is it is not some big bad right/left wing conspiracy to indoctrinate our children, it is simple economies of scale putting way too much power in the hands of way too few people.
Like or Dislike:
5 
0
The only good news is that comparing the impact of school textbooks versus the impact of peers and the overall social environment, the latter wins hands down. Textbooks are not held in high esteem among kids. Anything they learn from them is easily diluted by the real world.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
So true, flyingnurse. We are originally from Texas. The schools down there are horrible compared to what they are here. Certain parts of Texas are even worse–West Texas for example. When my oldest daughter was in sixth grade we moved to West Texas and they were doing the SAME things that she had already done in grades 4 and 5 particularly in math. It’s really bad, and you’re absolutely correct in your statement about the unfairness of two states steering the policies of the other 48. But….we’re not ALL rednecks! lol
Like or Dislike:
3 
0
No wonder they vote Republican.
Like or Dislike:
2 
2
Too many times parents have been taken out of the equation and are therefore not even given a choice in matters regarding such issues. Today’s youth are being negatively influenced to believe that their parents cannot tell them what to do or not do because that takes away their “equality as human being”. They are being negatively influenced to question everything, including the guidelines their parents set forth. They are being negatively influenced that the rights associated with the ammendments apply to them, especially the 1st Ammendment. As a result we have children who are making the decisions at home, telling their parents the way things are going to be, staying out way past the curfew their parents set for them, saying anything and everything that is disrespectful to their parents, etc.
And people wonder why we have a problem with youth today. It is scary to think that these are the leaders of tomorrow.
Like or Dislike:
2 
1
P.S. If you talk to any law enforcement officer, they will tell you and your child that they do not have rights as given by the amendments in our Constitution until they are 18 and out of their parents’ home.
P.S.S. Raising kids is NOT about making them feel good or equal or that you are their best friend. It is about molding young people into the [hopefully respectful and responsible] adults that they will one day be and fostering their potential.
P.S.S.S. Telling your kids “no, because I am the parent and I said so” is NOT going to hurt your child’s feelings or traumatize them. What will impact them is when they are given everything they want, when parents dcon’t take the time to correct them, when parents don’t tell their children no for fear they might upset their child.
Parents need to start being the parents and stop letting their children and people outside of the family how to do their job or what their role is.
I give kudos to the mom who started this whole thing. She took a stand that many parents won’t take. If only more parents did this.
Like or Dislike:
4 
0
Well said… personally my take on all of this is whats the big deal? School administrators should be able to make a call ON THE SPOT as to what books are inappropriate or not…in the elementary school library that is. If parents or children want to read this book, they can partake of it at the public library or via the internet. I bet Amazon has it for download or purchase! Controlling what children are exposed to at the elementary level isn’t censorship…its parenting.
Like or Dislike:
2 
1