Holier-Than-Thou Dad/Daughter Duo Seek to Ban Fahrenheit 451

I'm going to borrow a line from Albert Einstein and say that God made a mistake - God gave these people an enormous brain when a spinal cord would have sufficed.

Link

"The book had a bunch of very bad language in it," Diana Verm said. "It shouldn't be in there because it's offending people. ... If they can't find a book that uses clean words, they shouldn't have a book at all."
Alton Verm filed a "Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials" Thursday with the district regarding "Fahrenheit 451," written by Ray Bradbury and published in 1953. He wants the district to remove the book from the curriculum.
"It's just all kinds of filth," said Alton Verm, adding that he had not read "Fahrenheit 451." "The words don't need to be brought out in class. I want to get the book taken out of the class."

This uppity, goody two-shoes, know-it-all teenager, and her father (who shares her defects) are seeking the removal of one of the most important books of our time from a Texas school, because the reality it presents conflicts with their fantasy world. The book is Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, and the irony is painful.

In a perfect world, this girl would be ostracized by her fellow students, and would be forced to leave town and go live in a hole somewhere where she belongs. She doesn't want to see the sun? Fine. But for her to stand in the way of the erudition of her classmates is insane.

Her father is a special case. What the Hell is he thinking? He hasn't even read the damn book! Can he read? How old is this man, and shouldn't he know better? For that matter, did his daughter even read the book?

What is she going to do when she gets out into the world? Is she going to walk around with earmuffs, saying "LA, LA, LA, LA!" to drone out reality? Is she going to have her eyes surgically removed so she never has to see a naughty bit during mandatory, not-to-be-enjoyed procreation activities?

Where the Hell do we find these people?

Is this where we're headed? We don't even need Big Brother, we've got all these Little Morons ready and willing to control their fellow citizens. :shk:

This story has soured my mood for the whole day. I really loved reading that book in High School, I thought it was important, and interesting - it was the highlight of my Sophmore year, and I can't imagine depriving a whole school's worth of children that pleasure because of one delusional fanatic.

It's a true shame. The people are doing to themselves what the government might never have managed. Dark days are ahead of us if this is a sign of things to come...

[edit on 4-10-2006 by WyrdeOne]

They're attempting to ban a book about the banning of books?

Oh the irony!

"The book had a bunch of very bad language in it," Diana Verm said. "It shouldn't be in there because it's offending people. ... If they can't find a book that uses clean words, they shouldn't have a book at all."

The first sentence she utters , being gramatically bad in itself, proves she should read more.

It's scary the way things are headed.

"Bad language"??? What???
What about the concept behind the book, the implications of which are profound?
Nazis banned books. The communists banned books. Anyone who bans books is an idiot with rigid mindset that is not conducive to accepting new ideas.
This story is terminally sad.
I'm off to stomp around and mutter under my breath.

Oh, Goodie!

15-year old kids and their puritane parents will decide what is appropriate reading.

From the article
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.

Oh, my. I see more of this in any hip-hop video.

Maybe they should rewrite this book in Newspeak. Now that would be doubleplusgood.

Farenheit 451. Banned? Have they gone stark raving looney toon's? Ban a book that is about book banning, and thought control...the irony is priceless.

While we're at it...Good Earth by Pearl Buck. Huckleberry Finn. Catcher in the Rye. The Bible. The Koran. Grimms Fairey Tales. These, and others, have come before my local school board in the past, so that some wouldbe Puritan with dubious language skills would advocate the banning of a book comes as no surprise to me. Would that it did.

so let's say they manage to get this done. given the climate of christian conservatism in middle america today i'd say their chances aren't too bad.

let's say other sanctimonious little f***s like this girl and her idiot father start using this case as precedent in banning more and more books. before we know it, Orwell, Steinbeck, and Shakespeare are criminal minds.

within a few years' time we are left with a society that has tumbled to the bottom of the slippery slope of political correctness. we are terrified of our own thoughts (if we have them...) and spend our lives trying to hide our true thoughts behind a masque of quiet complacency with the system. those of us who fail are socially ostracized, and eventually we suffer state-sanctioned punishments for our wrong thinking.

so at what point will we, the free thinkers, stand up and stop this before it goes any further?

if this book is banned, it will be a long stride in a very dangerous direction. it will not be the first; already the political correctness meme has entrenched itself in our society. and it will not be the last... a lot of people have a lot of reasons to want a lot of books banned.

those few of us who can owe it to our descendents to preserve the freedom of thought and of expression in America.

I don't think it's the "bad words" that these people are concerned about.

What they want to shut down is any type of critical thinking!

I hate this word, but I'm gonna say it anyway. Sheeple personified.

This is just the beginning. Listen to Zappa's "Who are the thought Police" from the first Mothers album.

This Foley deal just might show the hypocracy in those that claim the moral high ground.

P, pointing out the hypocracy can be ammunition in our crusade to preserve freedom of thought and expression in this United States of America.

I have read this book several times in my life, though not recently. I swear I cannot recall anything that I found shocking in this book by way of language. The first time I read it I was like 12, and I think if it had been that shocking it would have stuck out in my mind.

Ray Bradbury is not known for writing with a lot of foul language. In fact, what does stick out in my mind about his writing style is that it was often somewhat dry and drawn out, rather boring in spots. He used to love to describe the smells of things in relation to stuff from his childhood.

I have a gut feeling this girl just does not want to do her homework and her father is playing along out of ignorance, or because he understands the irony and will get his 15 seconds fame over it.

It offends them what kind of bubble do they live in? What will she do when she hears her boss say a bad word someday? and just because it doesnt align with "her" religious beliefs doesnt mean that everyone else should be prevented from reading it! Sounds like a whinner, sees something she doesnt like or agree with, and complains about it instead of looking beyond her own perceptions or narrow view.

I bet they'll be more offended when the fireman come to burn their collection including their bible

some time earlier today, i came across on the net, that some mom in Georgia? is going after Harry Potter! Granted, Harry is not on the same level for signifigance as 451, but still! We have kids today barely pick pick up a book. And ignorant yahoos want to ban books that either teach and God forbid, THINK or encourages them to read.

You know, the Old testament is full of incest. Lets ban that!

I remember Fahrenheit 451 being the first Bradbury book I read at the age of 12 or so. There's absolutely nothing in there that corrupted my morals or wasn't age-appropriate.

How can anyone think of banning such a classic? Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to get rid of A Wrinkle in Time or James and the Giant Peach.

Oh, wait, they already have..

Originally posted by eaglewingz
I remember Fahrenheit 451 being the first Bradbury book I read at the age of 12 or so. There's absolutely nothing in there that corrupted my morals or wasn't age-appropriate.

How can anyone think of banning such a classic? Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to get rid of A Wrinkle in Time or James and the Giant Peach.

Oh, wait, they already have..

this was my favourite 'dangerous' book from the list: Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary by the Merriam-Webster Editorial Staff.

i heard it has LOTS of bad words in it. things like, 'unfavourable', and 'derogatory', 'ENGORGED!', and, 'penis!!!!!!'.

dirty, filthy dictionaries.
i ain't never need one afore.

i looked up 'irony', but i don't understand it.

Originally posted by The Parallelogram
let's say other sanctimonious little f***s like this girl and her idiot father start using this case as precedent in banning more and more books. before we know it, Orwell, Steinbeck, and Shakespeare are criminal minds.

I'm not sure but I think Orwell's 1984 is already banned in Florida.

Originally posted by yanchek

Originally posted by The Parallelogram
let's say other sanctimonious little f***s like this girl and her idiot father start using this case as precedent in banning more and more books. before we know it, Orwell, Steinbeck, and Shakespeare are criminal minds.

I'm not sure but I think Orwell's 1984 is already banned in Florida.

I know it was challenged in 1981 (in FLA) for promoting communism. I'm pretty sure it was overturned.

As usual, I'm guessing those that were challenging it never bothered to read it and see that it's a warning and not a promotion...*sigh*

I personally am growing weary of standing up in outrage of issues such as this and the erosion of our Constitution. I'm not sure how much more I can take. I take solace in ATS that there are others that share my disgust, but I feel "they" are wearing me down.

Fahrenheit 451 is a great book. I read it when I was fairly young, and at that age, I probably would have been shocked if anything even remotely resembling bad language had been in it. I remember nothing of the kind. On the contrary, I remember an excellent story and powerful message, on par with masterpieces like 1984 and Brave New World. If the girl doesn't want to read the book, fine, but calling for it to be banned is absolutely ridiculous, and possibly depriving thousands of children of a great work of literature.

I think they should ban the book.

Why? Because it will start sending your nation down that slippery slope.

Why would I want that? Because people need to learn a lesson. Sometimes the most siginificant lessons are learned the hard way.

What is that lesson? Tyranny starts from the bottom not the top.

That person at the top cannot become a Dictatorial Tyrant without the support of those at the bottom.

[edit on 5-10-2006 by sardion2000]

That's an awfully painful way to teach a lesson there, Sardion. No doubt it would work though, and you are right about tyranny starting at the bottom, not the top.

Banning books because they contain 'bad words". Well then sweetie, walk through life with your finger in your ears...or move into a convent and take holy vows. Because it is painfully obvious that you canna handle the real world.

Some interesting links on banned book

Link1

Link2

Link3

Yanchek. Good links. I am pleased to say that I've read quite a few of those "dangerous" books. Some I liked, some I didn't, and some didn't impress me in the least...just like other not so "dangerous" books.

I think that the real question is not whether the book should be banned, but whether or not a given book is suitable for a given age group or whether a book meets the community standards for decency.

It's hard to imagine that there are any standards for decency left, but to characterize those who are concerned about the content of the literature their children are exposed to as less than human is, well, not smart.