Posted on 10/14/2017 11:31:15 AM PDT by EdnaMode
The Biloxi School District got complaints about the wording in “To Kill A Mockingbird” — an American classic being taught in 8th grade English Language Arts classes — and pulled it from the curriculum.
It was an administrative and department decision, a member of the school board said, and not something that the school board voted on. It happened Wednesday or Thursday.
Kenny Holloway, vice president of the Biloxi School Board said, “There were complaints about it. There is some language in the book that makes people uncomfortable, and we can teach the same lesson with other books.
“It’s still in our library. But they’re going to use another book in the 8th grade course.”
When asked Thursday morning if the book had been pulled from the course, Superintendent Arthur McMillan issued a statement five hours later that said: “There are many resources and materials that are available to teach state academic standards to our students. These resources may change periodically. We always strive to do what is best for our students and staff to continue to perform at the highest level.”
McMillan did not answer any questions on the issue.
Sun Herald received a email from a concerned reader who said the decision was made “mid-lesson plan, the students will not be allowed to finish the reading of ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ .... due to the use of the ‘N’ word.”
The reader said, “I think it is one of the most disturbing examples of censorship I have ever heard, in that the themes in the story humanize all people regardless of their social status, education level, intellect, and of course, race. It would be difficult to find a time when it was more relevant than in days like these.”
The current themes for 2nd term language arts classes in Biloxi this year are the Golden Rule and taking a stand. With “To Kill A Mockingbird” specifically, the teens were slated to learn that compassion and empathy are not dependent upon race or education, according to the school’s website.
The book is listed on the curriculum as core text for 8th grade ELA, the Common Core state standards for English Language Arts.
One 8th grade teacher on the school website described it as: “Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, “To Kill A Mockingbird” takes readers to the roots of human behavior — to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into 10 languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.”
A Southern gothic novel, it was published in 1960, won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction the next year and was adapted into an Oscar-winning film in 1962.
The plot deals with rape and racial inequality in a small Southern town. The events and characters are loosely based on author Harper Lee’s observations of an event that happened near her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, in the 1930s, when when she was young.
Monroeville has recently looked at ways to develop new attractions and draw more tourists based on its association with the book.
The American Library Association lists “To Kill A Mockingbird” as No. 21 in the most banned or challenged books in the last decade.
Gutless cuck nazi twits.
There is language in the book that “makes some people uncomfortable”
That encompasses about half the books ever written.
Shortly to be followed by the “BURNING OF BOOKS”.
It worked so well for the last nation that tried it, and within my lifetime.
Easily solved. Just enunciate the naughty bits in the style of a rapper, ‘cause they can say that all day and it’s ok.
Dr Zuess apparently makes some Librarian uncomfortable.
the reason why is that this book is a not the progressive view of race relations. and creates problems when it comes to indoctrination. a child reading this gets an idea what real racism is rather then the one being dreamed up by the black studies professors.
Biloxi gov sucks. I am wondering if there will be protests at the fall muster next weekend at Beauvoir. I shall see first hand.
It’s hard to convince people “things are worse now than ever” if students are allowed to learn about the past.
In the last 25 years, any threat to freedom of speech I can think of has come exclusively from the left. They have long lists of books they want banned, including many books that were once considered rather liberal. But only things that promote the narrow Marxist party line are acceptable to today’s left. Nowadays, more and more leftists will come out and say that they think freedom of speech is a bad thing and they want a dictatorship to control everyone’s words and thoughts.
I think that "Mockingbird" is a pretty "adult" work...certainly a disturbing one.I'm tempted to think that it's "adult" enough and disturbing enough that it might only be suited for college and beyond.
Just my 2 cents' worth....
Banning books, destroying statues, revising history...
All Democrat goals.
All right from the writings of George Orwell 72 years ago.
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered.
And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped.
Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.”...George Orwell, “1984”
Maybe the LIB retrogressives ban books because they are unable to comprehend anything they read.
Because Biloxi is in Mississippi and the book takes place in Alabama?
No problem. If the kids have gone through public school, they probably can't read anyway.
Spot on!
Familiar with The Frankfurt School, from the late 1940’s, and its plans?
Every FReeper should be.
There’s white people in it, it’s gotta be waycisss.
This is crap. The mistreatment of various people in the book is a good illustration of why racism is wrong. It does anything but glorify. I utterly despise this idea of not showing hate at all in a book. That’s the wrong way to go about it.
Book burning liberals.
Much like statue stealing liberals.
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