And Then They Came for the Literature

Book Banning is in!

A school district in California is leading the way by banning certain books from their curriculum as being "problematic".

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee
Of Mice And Men – John Steinbeck
Roll Of Thunder, Hear My Cry – Mildred D. Taylor
The Cay – Theodore Taylor

So here are the infamous bad boys of the book shelf that are just beyond the pale for Burbank. No big surprise to see Huck Finn on there. It's been on the chopping block for years now. But what about Roll of Thunder? It's about as diverse as you'd want to get you'd think. It's a book about racism and how bad it is and was being about the life of people of color in the Jim Crow south written by a black author.

You know why it was banned?

One of the examples held up as a cause for the book ban was a mother who cited an incident in which her child was confronted by a white student with racial slurs that had been learned from Roll Of Thunder…

A white student learned slurs from it and called some other kid bad names. So instead of this being a teachable moment, we're banning the book to avoid bad feelings.

I haven't read all those books fully, but I've read a couple chapters. Seems like a little bit of self control could go a long ways.

Here's what I don't understand, why are people ready to get their hoohaws primed to dox and attack some nobody across country, but when it comes to their immediate surroundings, the response is to get rid of it as quickly and quietly as possible then go back to trending page on Facebook or Twitter?

Don't like or agree with this sh#t one bit! for anyone anywhere.

Only Tyrannical ideologies need censorship.

Ideas with merit stand on their own ground, not on their ability to silence.

Another nail in the inevitable coffin of the "progressive", globalist collaborator new left.

a reply to: ketsuko

And here just today another comment made me think of farenheit 451...now there's some literal book banning being discussed...

So do we ban rap music as well? A lot of those racial slurs used there.

P.S I like rap.

I don't understand why reading about the truth about how things were in history is so offensive. We need to learn about it so we understand why it's wrong and learn from the mistakes of history.

All of these books are good jumping off points for that understanding for everyone even with their offensive language.

originally posted by: ketsuko
Book Banning is in!

A school district in California is leading the way by banning certain books from their curriculum as being "problematic".

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee
Of Mice And Men – John Steinbeck
Roll Of Thunder, Hear My Cry – Mildred D. Taylor
The Cay – Theodore Taylor

So here are the infamous bad boys of the book shelf that are just beyond the pale for Burbank. No big surprise to see Huck Finn on there. It's been on the chopping block for years now. But what about Roll of Thunder? It's about as diverse as you'd want to get you'd think. It's a book about racism and how bad it is and was being about the life of people of color in the Jim Crow south written by a black author.

You know why it was banned?

One of the examples held up as a cause for the book ban was a mother who cited an incident in which her child was confronted by a white student with racial slurs that had been learned from Roll Of Thunder…

A white student learned slurs from it and called some other kid bad names. So instead of this being a teachable moment, we're banning the book to avoid bad feelings.

Read all of those in the Accelerated Reader program in elementary -- even bought The Cay and have a copy on the fireplace bookshelf next to Plato & Shakespeare. A good, thought provoking story is a good, thought provoking story no matter who wrote it or when.

What are they going to tell kids they can't read next, Bridge to Terabithia because one of the kids died? Steal Away because a white kid helped her slave escape?

Dumb asses.

originally posted by: IAMALLYETALLIAM
So do we ban rap music as well? A lot of those racial slurs used there.

P.S I like rap.

Racist.


Amirite?


Guys.....?

a reply to: Nyiah

Do they still let kids read Island of the Blue Dolphins? Wasn't the whole reason she was alone on the island because her Indigenous people are first brutalized by Russians and then forced to move to a mission by white folks?

I used to be against banning these classics for kids, until I recently re-read them. Even the Hardy Boys — while looking for classics for my grandson.

I have changed my mind after reading them.

With millions of books at our disposal, there is zero reason to subject today’s children to these antiquated thoughts, ideas, and prejudices.

Who cares if someone deemed them classics —they are not necessary.

The debate within the district comes after a summer of mass protests calling for an end to the unjust treatment of Black people. As a result, many institutions and school districts like BUSD are taking a hard look at themselves, their policies, curriculums and practices, in many cases publishing antiracist statements. And while book banning has a long history in America, the situation in Burbank — once a sundown town that practiced racial segregation — is freshly complicated. www.latimes.com...

a reply to: Annee

You're right.

We should all apply our hands to fire because the antiquated idea that fire is hot is ludicrous.

I find this to be Double Plus Good!

/sarc

All these were required reading in my elementary school GATE program....

a reply to: Annee

Then why are we still teaching them about all the horrors of it in history? Isn't that equally about all those "anitquated" ideas and prejudices?

Additionally, reading about in a good story makes the idea far more "human" than simply learning the dry fact of it in history. You feel what the characters felt meaning you feel the horrors of being segregated, a slave, etc.

a reply to: IAMALLYETALLIAM

It's cool, they're just taking the word back.

I always enjoy the work around the white rappers use.

Mah #a
Homies
Brothas
Bruhs
Peeps
Eminem uses honkey in his everlast diss using tupac's hit em up beat and a parody of his lyrics


From limitation comes creativity.

Getting to call everyone a nigga makes you lazy.

If you're not allowed to say it, you've gotta be a bit creative and come up with some synonyms.

Though...
My favourite's gotta be this...

Huh...

Well there used to exist a video of a white guy rapping # tha police by NWA where a random black dude cut in everytime 'n-word' came up in the lyrics....

Can't seem to find this on youtube any more...

It was real...I swear...I watched it...

I guess it wasn't politically correct enough...

Man that was like the funniest cover of a song i've seen.

Almost Weird Al level good. The video was great.

a reply to: Annee
How do I get to be the Thought Police? Your job sounds cool

originally posted by: slatesteam
a reply to: Annee
How do I get to be the Thought Police? Your job sounds cool

Mandatory reading.

Do what you want on your own time.

originally posted by: Annee
I used to be against banning these classics for kids, until I recently re-read them. Even the Hardy Boys — while looking for classics for my grandson.

I have changed my mind after reading them.

With millions of books at our disposal, there is zero reason to subject today’s children to these antiquated thoughts, ideas, and prejudices.

Who cares if someone deemed them classics —they are not necessary.

The debate within the district comes after a summer of mass protests calling for an end to the unjust treatment of Black people. As a result, many institutions and school districts like BUSD are taking a hard look at themselves, their policies, curriculums and practices, in many cases publishing antiracist statements. And while book banning has a long history in America, the situation in Burbank — once a sundown town that practiced racial segregation — is freshly complicated. www.latimes.com...

No offence Annee but with the commentary I see from you, you're hardly a yardstick of reasonable thought.

Why not let the kids be exposed to historically offensive language to start the conversation around why it's wrong today, why we no longer use it and discuss how we move forward and treat people?

Banning and cancelling everything is the mindset of children who lack the IQ points to departmentalise and properly analyse sensitive issues.

It's the cowards path to simply stick your head in the sand.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Nyiah

Do they still let kids read Island of the Blue Dolphins? Wasn't the whole reason she was alone on the island because her native village was forced to move by outsiders?

Now there's a title I haven't heard in years. I have no idea if that's still an AR program book (or whatever the current version of AR is) but I'd be willing to bet it's been scratched from reading lists because delicate sensibilities.

I know Summer of The Monkeys isn't anymore, because Jay gets drunk with the monkeys at the still.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Annee

Then why are we still teaching them about all the horrors of it in history? Isn't that equally about all those "anitquated" ideas and prejudices?

Additionally, reading about in a good story makes the idea far more "human" than simply learning the dry fact of it in history. You feel what the characters felt meaning you feel the horrors of being segregated, a slave, etc.

I don’t agree children need this shoved in their face at school.

They deal with it enough in real life.