Parents of first-grade girl angered by children's book about gay princes

Star Tribune ^ | March 18, 2004 | Associated Press

[wallcrawlr]

WILMINGTON, N.C. -- The parents of a first-grader are fuming over the book their daughter brought home from the school library: a children's story about a prince whose true love turns out to be another prince.

Michael Hartsell said he and his wife, Tonya, couldn't believe it when Prince Bertie, the leading character in ``King & King,'' waves off a bevy of eligible princes before falling for Prince Lee.

The book ends with the princes marrying and sharing a kiss.

``I was flabbergasted,'' Hartsell said. ``My child is not old enough to understand something like that, especially when it is not in our beliefs.''

The 32-page book by Linda De Haan and Stern Nijland was published in March 2002 by Tricycle Press, the children's division of Ten Speed Press of Berkeley, Calif. A follow-up, ``King & King & Family,'' was recently published.

The publisher's Web site lists the books as intended for readers age 6 and up.

Barbara Hawley, librarian and media coordinator at Freeman Elementary School, said the book has been on the library's shelves since early last year.

``What might be inappropriate for one family, in another family is a totally acceptable thing,'' said Elizabeth Miars, Freeman's principal.

Hawley said she couldn't comment on the book because she hadn't seen it. She declined to say whether she knowingly selected a book on gay marriage.

The Hartsells said they are keeping the book until they get assurances it won't be circulated. But Hawley said all county schools have a committee that reviews books after their appropriateness is questioned, and the Hartsells must make a written complaint and return the book for review.

The Hartsells said they intend to file such a complaint and are considering transferring their daughter.

[fml]

SICK SICK SICK!!! Remind me never to have kids!! How parents can raise normal children these days is beyond me.p> No body ever said it would be easy!!

[ladyjane]

I'm not sure that's the room mate. I also had assumed the father would be sitting next to the kid - but look at the red hair. The father (who looks like Clinton) is sitting in the back of the boat. It's the room mate who is sitting next to the child.

[Quix]

I'm not sure there's an island big enough for all the terrorists and homosexuals.

But the idea does have a certain . . . attraction.

Probably the terrorists would be happy until the selfishness and rebellion reached a certain uhhh

fever

pitch.

But hey, so they shred each other wholesale. More food for the sharks.

I have a lot of compassion for the mangled from mangled homes and parenting who genuinely want out of such junk.

But those who glory in the crud have no sympathy from me.

And the terrorists deserve what they give in spades.

[TC Rider]

Ah, the Kingdom of the Rump Rangers!

"Oh, Prince Bertie, it's time to roger me royally!"

"Sigh, once a King, always a King, but once a Knight is enough!"

[tractorman]

My kids also go to WELS schools and love it. My wife is the librarian at one of them and she knows about every book they have. I wish the government would just get out of the education business altogether.

[Redcloak]

...or how about The New Daddy Kaitlin's Mom Found Tonight at the Dew Drop Inn?

[fml]

These parents are taking the first step but they need to get some backbone and take their kid out of public school. It seems to me to many parents, especially parents with conservative values, dont inquire or dont care what goes on in public schools.

How about the backbone it takes to be pro-active and correct the problem and get these books out of the public school? Its easier to run and only care for your own, then rail against the system, than it is to actively take part in trying to fix what ails it.

[Lady Eileen]

I wish the government would just get out of the education business altogether.

Amen to that one...Separation of School and State.

[daybreakcoming]

What's next? Probably a ban on marriage between man and woman.

[nmh]

IF these perverts get their way via "marriage" or "civil unions", then EXPECT this to be REQUIRED READING so potential "hate crimes" will be stopped. Imagine how thrilled the liberal elite will be to push this on innocent children and IF they decline, then they are "homphobes" and potential "hate crime" offenders.

[Sender]

...and the royal jewels were kept brightly polished, and they all lived happily ever after.

[nmh]

Homeschool them or put them in a private fundamental Christian school.

[wingster]

H-O-M-E-S-C-H-O-O-L!!!

[dljordan]

Oh, that's perfectly sick. They are actively brainwashing our children.

[Lady Eileen]

This something I posted on another thread:

Two liberals I know from New York came to visit me recently...they asked me if I thought "gay marriage" would be accepted in America...I said most Americans do not agree with gay marriage(mirage)....The liberals said the reason most of middle America don't agree with it is because they are just plain stupid,ignorant and narrow-minded...They said that American children have been brainwashed by their parents.... I said it is not that they are stupid...they have a moral conviction that it is wrong...they said that most Americans are dumb and need to be reeducated...I said how to you propose to do this. They said it is already being done in the public schools.

[azhenfud]

"Surely there can be standards the majority of Wilmington would accept and not."

Seems I'd read Wilmington was in the top ten most crime-ridden cities of America. Every day, there are multiple shootings, robberies, and larcenies.

I'll see if I can find a link - I may have my number wrong.

[dano1]

The gays are rapidly becoming the Jehovah's Witnesses of the culture wars. IMHO, they need to be constantly pushing their lifestyle as of means of reconciling their own internal insecurities.

[wbill]

Yup. Banned. Mentions S-E-X, you know.

I think that Catcher in the Rye was banned because it talked about Masturbation. Teenage Boys certainly don't know anything about that.....

I was in HS before this 'Heather has 2 Mommies' crud hit. Dunno what kind of a stance that they'd take on books like that. Probably negative, I came from a very conservative small town.

Goes to show what a slippery slope book banning is. Once common sense goes out the window, you'll never know what you'll get. For instance, talking about homosexual sex to a 6-year-old seems utterly ridiculous to me. But, forbidding 17 and 18 year olds from reading a classic that has sexual content in it seems equally ridiculous.

[azhenfud]

http://houseandhome.msn.com/Move/BestandWorstCitiesforCrime.aspx

[wbill]

IMHO, they need to be constantly pushing their lifestyle as of means of reconciling their own internal insecurities.

You nailed it. Gay marriage is not at all about civil rights. It's about Gays saying 'Hey! We're normal just like you, too!'. Goes as well to educating young children that being gay is OK. They're looking to normalize their lifestyle and think that if enough people believe that it's OK, then it will be.

Unfortunately, wishing will not make it so.

Also, I would add that I think that education does not equal recruitment. That's a position that is often taken on this site and I disagree with it. I just think that gays are looking for justification and acceptance of their lifestyle.