School District Bans Books "Contrary to the Bible"

[Alecto]

http://blogs.pitch.com/plog/2011/07/mis ... t_bans.php

Remember when The New York Times' David Carr made an offhand comment about Missouri and Kansas being home to "the dance of the low, sloping foreheads," and everyone got mad at East Coast elitism? It's infuriating to feel like people are judging you based on your zip code rather than your merits, especially when those people are the ones you view as your cultural allies.

That said, this story is a perfect example of why people elsewhere look down on us. Because it's hard to remember the last time a NYC school banned a book because someone complained it taught "principles contrary to the Bible."

In Republic, Missouri, the Republic High School board has unanimously voted to ban Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five and Sarah Ockler's Twenty Boy Summer. The books were named in a public complaint filed last year, along with the Laurie Halse Anderson novel Speak, which managed to stay on school shelves

[twin2]

And the initial complainant's children are home schooled, yet he feels the need to tell the school board what is and is not appropriate, and the asshats listened.

Fundies, this is a prime example why I snark on you. You are free to not read these books for whatever reason, however, please give others the freedom to read them if they choose.

[Jessica]

Why does the disturbing story in Judges 19 keep popping into my head when I see this thread title? Hmm...

[tinuviel]

Oh my God.

That's just... Jeez. I think these fundies should be forced to read all of the crazy violent and sexual stuff in the Old Testament whenever they get all hot on book censoring.

[xDreamerx]

They know it's not the 50s right?

[duplessis3]

So who decides what is contrary to the bible?

[ladypuglover]

Oh, how would they feel if I as a public school sending mom told them what books they can use to teach their children? I am livid that anyone has the right to control my freedom of speech. :evil:

[Seven Severn]

In protest I'm going to buy Slaughterhouse Five at Costco this weekend. Seriously. I was going to do it anyway, but this will just make me do it harder.

Edit: Hey, I'm a Tater Tot! When did that happen?

[fundiefan]

I vote the general public files a motion to remove the bible from homeschooling. OK, maybe not that far, but...why do homeschooling folks get to have a say in public school education? Fair is fair and in turn, the public should get a say in the homeschool education.

I agree with twin2. This is exactly why these idiots are the subject of snark, and more. They freaking deserve it! Hell, they beg for it.

[twin2]

Here's another thing. I bet you dollars to donuts that this guy is all "big government is bad, it tramps on my freedom!" Yet he doesn't have any qualms about letting the government take books out of library.

Fundies are seeping with hypocrisy. They don't want the government to be in charge of social wellfare, but they want it to legislate "morality." Same thing with separation of church and state. They wail there is no such thing as seperation of church and state when they try and ban gay marriage because the Bible says its bad, but the second someone brings up Shira Law then all of a sudden they scream at the top of their lungs "SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE!"

edited because fundies make me riffle

[mirele]

I personally think that if your kids are not in the public school, you need to butt out.

I'm also thinking that if someone chose to file suit, that whole discussion about "books contrary to the Bible" will get the school board in trouble. That's why it's not creationism anymore, but intelligent design.

[GenerationCedarchip]

And the initial complainant's children are home schooled, yet he feels the need to tell the school board what is and is not appropriate, and the asshats listened.

Fundies, this is a prime example why I snark on you. You are free to not read these books for whatever reason, however, please give others the freedom to read them if they choose.

Yes - this. There were some huge book banning snits when I was a kid because fundies took over the school board and would then ban books their friends got all pearl-clutchy about.

[lilah]

I am sad the librarian and other teachers didn't fight the removal more. Of course a lot of districts have gotten rid of their librarians

[clibbyjo]

Interesting....My oldest homeschooled son is reading Kurt Vonnegut right now. (His choice, I had nothing to do with it)

I agree if you don't send your kids to school, BUTT OUT of what they are reading. (but you should be able to complain about that 4 million dollar new astroturf football field for a team that has lost for 30 years straight. How about some new SCHOOL equipment before football field huh? Although I do run on the new track :))

[Guest Anonymous]

I sent an e-mail to the writer of this blog announcing that "Montana Wildhack Lives!".

[Guest Anonymous]

This makes me want to scream my face off. Leave the freaking BOOKS alone, fundies.

[lilwriter85]

I hate book banning. I love twin2's post on how fundies are hypocrites. I love Seven Severn's idea for a counter protest. I wonder if there are a lot of people in the town upset about the book banning. I wish those who are upset would buy the following t-shirt in support of Slaughterhouse-Five and a great charity.

http://www.outofprintclothing.com/Produ ... ode=b-1012

[lilwriter85]

I loved the following comments from the comment section of the article

I say we take up a collection, and get enough of each book in paper back for each kid to have a copy. Then stand outside, like Gideons on the sidewalk, and give them away to any kid who wants them. Maybe add in a other frequently challenged books too for good measure.

So I assume the bible which contains rape incest, pedophilia and homosexual love scenes is also banned?

I think they've all but guaranteed that the kids will read those books first chance they get.

Protip: They made a movie of Slaughterhouse Five. Boobs!

So what you're saying is that since you are not teaching your kids the difference between right and wrong, you expect the books they read at school to do it for you? That's why you don't want books that are considered literary works of art on the shelves? Make sure to not let your children check out the statue of David the next time you take a tour of the Louvre on the internet you wouldn't want your sons to wonder what THAT is.

[maybeizfundie]

Interesting....My oldest homeschooled son is reading Kurt Vonnegut right now. (His choice, I had nothing to do with it)

Aaaah! I can't wait until my kids are old enough to introduce to Vonnegut. Man. I would have enjoyed English classes so much more in highschool (public) if he'd been part of our reading requirements.

Religious homeschooler chiming in to say: This is incredibly stupid for so many reasons.

I can understand parents wanting their kids to wait a few years on certain books. And I obviously can understand homeschooling. :) But I don't understand thinking that a homeschooling parent gets to decide for an entire school district what is OK for public school students to study in terms of literature.

[Antigone]

I can't get it either. I don't go around whining about what books are in the library. If your kid does not go to the school, i do not see how you get to have a say about what books are in the school library. I don't go to your home and bitch and moan about you having certain books on your bookshelf. I can understand the need of some boundaries - like not having Mein Kampf in an elementary school library, I doubt any elementary school age kid could read that thing- but outright banning/censorship? no thank you, allow me to practice my freedom of speech and tell you just what I think of that.... :twisted:

[Jessica]

[browngrl]

I've already read Slaughter house five but I've not read 20 Boy Summer. So I shall put this book on my library list (it's not really my thing but I'm going to read it in protest).

[lilwriter85]

I've already read Slaughter house five but I've not read 20 Boy Summer. So I shall put this book on my library list (it's not really my thing but I'm going to read it in protest).

I'm also going to read Twenty Boy Summer. It sounds like an interesting book and I might get the Kindle version. The paper and hardcover versions on Amazon are pretty cheap. I don't think this book was a best seller or extremely popular with the nation. But maybe it was popular at Republic High School.

[lilwriter85]

Yes - this. There were some huge book banning snits when I was a kid because fundies took over the school board and would then ban books their friends got all pearl-clutchy about.

I grew up a in mostly Catholic town and there were a small group of fundies in the tow, , there was a fundie man on the school board who tried to ban several books. The thing with him is that he wasn't interested in banning books in the high school library, his main interest was banning books in the elementary school library and the things he wanted to ban were Goosebumps books. He got laughed at by a lot of people in town and the other board members voted against banning.

[Rosa]

So, books counter to the Bible that *I* would like to ban. And since they're probably not taught in schools, let's ban them from being sent through the mail! That's a government service, too!

"To Train Up a Child"

"I Kissed Dating Goodbye"

the magazine Above Rubies

C'mon, let's get a new set of Comstock laws passed, we'll use Biblical exegesis to say what can't get sent through the mail to these patrios, and bust their "conventions" and "appearance" for what they are -covers for selling literature harmful to children.