Virginia high school banned “To Kill a Mockingbird” “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”

a reply to: Spiramirabilis

the books have been pulled
the discussion is to see if it will stay that way

originally posted by: kaylaluv
a reply to: jjsr420

You're right. I don't know why schools don't include Delta of Venus by Anais Nin. Yes, it's a group of hardcore erotica stories, and yes, it includes a story about a father raping his daughters AND his son, but why shelter kids from that? After all, it is considered classic literature.

www.barnesandnoble.com...

Weakest response ever. You loose all credibility when you can't make a non-extreme example.

I'll bite though. Why should the book be banned? Because it covers a controversial topic? Because reading it will turn someone into a violent, conceptual rapist? Doubtful on either account.

Do you, as a parent (if you are) not pay attention to your children? I'm a father of four myself. I know what books my kids have, in fact To kill a hummingbird is on our "to read" list this year, not as a part of school, mind you. Before he reads it, I will sit down and have a discussion with him, and explain that this book was written in a different time, when,things were different. I'll explain that he will read some very bad things in this book, and that those are how things used to be, and furthermore I will tell him that much of that is unacceptable in our modern society. He is very intelligent for 11, but my method of parenting speaks for itself.

My son has manners. Impaccable manners. Sir, ma'am, thank you. Even Hilda doors for his elders. Doesn't get in trouble at school, is in all advanced classes, and recently got an award for standing up for a disabled kid who was getting bullied.

I don't censor what he reads, plays, or any of that. He has played Grand Theft Auto.

It's not the content that has the problem, is lack of parenting skills.

a reply to: TinySickTears

That's the way I see it.

If a parent has a complaint, discuss it.

But this knee-jerk move to pull the books THEN have a discussion is crap.

In my opinion.

a reply to: Annee

Have you read either of these books? To say they promote white supremacy is completely and utterly wrong. Ffs people.

I'm gonna leave that auto correct fail for all to see. To kill a MOCKINGBIRD. Not hummingbird lol!!!!

a reply to: TinySickTears

the books have been pulled the discussion is to see if it will stay that way

I wonder which way it will go? :-)

In the meantime, nothing has been banned. None of these kids are being denied their first amendment rights. The authors are not being denied their first amendment rights

These books are available everywhere

But, please do get overly worked up about it. Somebody ought to go to jail probably - right?

originally posted by: jjsr420

I'm gonna leave that auto correct fail for all to see. To kill a MOCKINGBIRD. Not hummingbird lol!!!!

I thought you had an unpublished Harper Lee manuscript that I was going to try and finagle from you for a lowball price.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

You sir, need to come clean the soda you just made me spew all over my screen with that response.....or....my feels May get hurt. (kidding, obviously)

Oh gosh I really want to say something that I likely shouldn't but, will anyway.

Don't parents need to take some responsibility in having conversations with their children about what they are doing or reading in school? Shouldn't the parents already be aware of any curricula taught in the public school that their child attends?

The schools in my area send home very detailed lists of what will be covered as well as permission notes for certain books and movies or events.

Children, and at a very young age IMO, are going to be exposed these days to a lot of things that will need to be explained/discussed, or guidance given regarding these things by the adults in their lives.

That should cover the internet, books, music, movies, videos, news, etc.

It seems very simplistic to me and reasonable that parents would just be able to explain the history of the book, the words used as well as the bigger 'moral of the story', to me.

a reply to: jjsr420

The point is, what is extreme or non-extreme is subjective, depending on the parent.

Personally, I wouldn't have a problem with my daughter reading classic erotica as a teen, to understand a different genre of literature, and to understand that we are sexual beings. Other parents would have a pretty hard time with a book like that being read by their 13/14-year-old in a Freshman English class.

My point is, public schools are put in difficult situations when parents complain about their subjective "line in the sand" regarding what they feel is acceptable for their kid.

originally posted by: TNMockingbird
Don't parents need to take some responsibility in having conversations with their children about what they are doing or reading in school? Shouldn't the parents already be aware of any curricula taught in the public school that their child attends?

The great Kinky Freidman, who coincidentally should be taught in school, famously said, 'Treat children like adults and adults like children'. Meaning, your kids are smart enough to differentiate that this is fiction, so take a clue from them you whiney big babies.

a reply to: DBCowboy

That's the way I see it.

If a parent has a complaint, discuss it.

But this knee-jerk move to pull the books THEN have a discussion is crap.

Why didn't you say that in your OP?

You said they were banned

originally posted by: Pandaram

originally posted by: Martin75
a reply to: Pandaram

I ask not to be rude...just to see where you are coming from.

How old are you?

38. Never heard of the book untill now btw.

But you are sure they are stupid

BTW both books basic idea is same: Racism is bad. I read them at elementary school. High school kids should be OK.

a reply to: kaylaluv

I gave you a star for that. Good post.

My point was that the blame isn't with the books, or games, but people not being able to effectively parent. I get what you're saying, though.

a reply to: TNMockingbird

This. So much this.

a reply to: kaylaluv

Contrary to what I'd love it to be, this site isn't the be all end all of the opinions of people.

If it's escaped your notice, the members of this site tend towards the reactionary end of the spectrum.

a reply to: seagull

Unfortunately, it hasn't escaped my notice at all what end of the spectrum the members of this site tend towards.

a reply to: seagull

Contrary to what I'd love it to be, this site isn't the be all end all of the opinions of people.

I do love opinions :-)

It helps to remember that they're just opinions

Helped that you said that

a reply to: kaylaluv

...and yet, here you are. Almost as much as I am.

originally posted by: Annee
The books can be modernized.

The entire point of the 'n word' in both books is to illustrate the stupidity of racism.

I'm not sure how you 'modernize' the Ewells and retain the symbolism that Lee (or Capote, I suppose) was using to present her/his argument.

Similarly, you can't really transform the character into 'African-American Jim' and still understand Finn's slow but inevitable epiphany that he and Jim aren't just equals, but Jim is his superior in many ways, and that the whole slave thing was insanity.