Posted on 04/10/2005 6:42:44 PM PDT by Texasbock
Pasadena Independent School District superintendent Dr. Rick Schneider has banned the book "Forever" by popular children's author Judy Blume from the shelves of libraries within the district.
The book had previously been found in the collections of one intermediate and three high schools. Advertisement
"It is never an easy decision to pull a book from the shelves. The superintendent has the responsibility to put materials in the system that are educationally suitable and appropriate. In this particular case, after reading the book, he felt that, though the theme is not unsuitable certain passages are and decided to remove the book," said district spokesperson Kirk Lewis.
The complaint was initially lodged by a parent at Thompson Intermediate School.
According to district policy process, a campus review committee was formed to study the book.
The issue was next studied by a central office committee comprised of administrators, instructors and parents and then by Schneider.
Though an initial committee recommendation was that the work be removed from only intermediate and not high school libraries, it was ultimately decided to withdraw "Forever" from the district library system completely due to what was deemed "sexually explicit content.
"Certain passages were not appropriate for any students of the school district," continued Lewis.
The novel, first published in 1975, is self-described as "a moving story of the end of innocence."
According to the American Library Association, it is the eighth "most frequently challenged" book.
A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom received a total of 547 challenges last year. According to Judith F. Krug, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom, the number of challenges reflects only incidents reported, and for each reported, four or five remain unreported.
Please start with that pornographic book, the King James Bible, as it has that nasty Song of Solomon section and unspeakable acts between Lot and his hussy offspring.
Do they still assign "Tea and Sympathy?"
I remember being assigned this play, I think it was, in high school back in the early 60's. A play about a teenage boy losing his virginity when an attractive female teacher gave him love. Come to think of it, it was adultery as well.
Anyhow, I don't remember any harm at all being done to the kids, it just made us all even more horny than we already were. Which was very.
LOL!
I loved "The Outsiders."
My 15 YO was required to read the terminally boring "Our Town" this year. What a yawner. First year teachers are always wide-eyed about Thorton Wilder.
That's right. It is still working, and with vigor.
>>BLAME IT ALL ON BRITNEY SPEARS!!!<<
LOL!
Nope, I have to blame it on absentee parents!
Now that I have read through this thread and realized you didn't include me - I've had my stamping of the foot tantrum and am now able to speak.........
I've never read Blume's work.........and I read anything I could get my hands on when I was that age----including my history books!!!!
But all kidding aside - it seems to me the school did what the school should do - parents objected, the school looked into the objections and acted upon the objections. Regardless of the outcome - they at least are paying attention and working with the parents of the children they are teaching. At least that is the way this is coming across to me.
LOLOL!
That's pretty simple. It's representative government. They are not violating any rights, first or any others. Anyone who wants the book can buy it and read it to their children...but they do not have the right to make it a part of everyone's currculumn if they object to it.
That's not myopic, that's common decency and respect for the views and rights of others and their children. If you can't communicate "don't: without going into graphic detail on a matter such as this, then perhaps a different swriting style for this age group is in order, that's just my opinion.
...and if the people in that schoold district feel this way about it...then what we just witnessed IMHO is our government workiong the way it should work.
There you go again, interrupting a perfectly good snit with a stupid, rational question.
And you are correct.
Doing laundry today I relegated a stack of T-shirts and polo shirts to the "play-clothes only" draw - they no longer can be tucked into a skirt or pair of slacks and so do NOT get worn to school.........playing in the yard is one thing - out in public is something entirely different.
Me, I defecate on belfrys; makes me dizzy sometimes, have to slow down soon.
So, the Blume is off the rows?
Thanks for that post.
That is so bad - it's good!!!!!
You are operating on the same principle as the Earth First guys who damage property that they don't approve of.
Not bad...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.