Entry: Censoring what's never been written

Two things:

Taking a book off of a required or even recommended reading list does not equal censorship.

Parents should have some say in what the schools are telling their children to read.

OK, three:

It irritates me, too, when news articles get easily-checked facts wrong and when serious matters are treated lightly. It makes me wonder whether I can trust anything in the article, including quotes.

Posted by Laura at July 17, 2005 8:09 PM

Parents should have some say, but teachers and administrators should have the final word.

I suppose I always wonder what parents will think might happen to their children if a book contains off-color language, sex, or violence. Many of the people I know lost their virginity in high school; and my high school was a very violent place at times. But none of these slags and thugs were too much into reading. I imagine for many parents, it's a scenario straight out of mid-century anti-drug propaganda: one puff of Henry Miller and innocent little Mary will be flashing her training bra on *Girls Gone Wild 41*, while a snort of John Webster will turn gentle Billy into a sadistic, torture-hungry hooligan straight out of Burgess's worst fantasies.

That's why I think all kids should listen to Richard Pryor's *That Nigger's Crazy* and read William Burrough's *Naked Lunch* at the age of 10, if only to scare nervous parents even more.

Posted by Luther Blissett at July 18, 2005 5:05 PM

"Parents should have some say, but teachers and administrators should have the final word."

I disagree. I never signed my child over to strangers to instill with whatever values they felt like, even if they conflicted with mine.

As to the Richard Pryor thing, what about kids who listen to that and then repeat the "n" word in front of the wrong person? I think some inhibitions are a good thing. Some are necessary for self-preservation.

Posted by Laura at July 18, 2005 7:27 PM

"I never signed my child over to strangers to instill with whatever values they felt like, even if they conflicted with mine."

But most schoolboards are made up of elected officials, aren't they?
And shouldn't a parent make some effort to know who's teaching their children?

My point is that the "strangers" are hardly random people, full of horrible ideas.

And they aren't really instilling "whatever values" they wish--most schools are trying to educate--and sometimes that means exposure to ugly things (like the Holocaust or the many wars throughout history).

Kids are exposed to sex, drugs, and violence when they venture out into the world (whether they partake in these things or not) and I'm willing to bet that they see or hear of things just as bad as in _The Color Purple_. At least in a classroom a teacher can provide some guidance.

Posted by jason at July 18, 2005 8:51 PM

I suspect we are going to have to agree to disagree.

My daughter is 18 and she can read what she chooses. I won't be going off to college with her to scrutinize her reading lists. But I did scrutinize them in middle school, and if there were any books on the lists that I didn't want her to read, I would not have let the teachers have their way against my judgement. Maybe you would, but I would not.

Posted by Laura at July 18, 2005 8:57 PM

The (generally elected) school board is the final say in a district. They need to reign inthe teachers and administrators here and there (probably more often that they do in practice).

Posted by krm at July 19, 2005 7:33 PM

Well, "The Color Purple" definitely has a place on a high school reading list but I feel that placing it on a rising freshman summer reading list is ill advised. The extensive use of dialect and "adult themes" are both good reasons to move it to a later time.

Probably, a better reason is that the parents may not be mature or comfortable enough to handle discussions which may (and should) result from the reading of this book. :-) The parents (including myself, 3 daughters and a son) desparately want to maintain the illusion that the world is safe and largely good. Issues of rape, incest and ill treatment of women by men is something we sincerely wished did not exist but sadly is part of our reality and history.

If not in high school, when do you have discussions about these issues? Of course, I am not a proponent of parents dictating school curriculums to teachers who I always have found to be professionals and caring. If parents can be effective teachers, if they are willing to step up to the challenge.

Posted by JohnCVermont at July 20, 2005 11:24 AM

Just a small comment (from a Knoxvillian) -- this controversy is actually happening in Clinton, TN not Knoxville. Clinton is a much smaller, more rural community located about 30 minutes from Knoxville. The Knoxville News Sentinel is the only paper of size in the area.

I did have a giggle about about author mix-up. Unfortunately, I would not be surprised if it did come from the reporter. I am always disappointed in the quality of the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Posted by Diana at July 20, 2005 4:58 PM

How can you be sure what the teacher will have to say about "issues of rape, incest, and ill treatment of women by men"? There are some mighty strange ideas out there about what women have coming to them, and so forth, and I haven't heard that teachers are immune to having those ideas. Unless you know the teacher personally you really have no idea what the kids will take away from their lesson plan. I'm just not sure they're not taking too much on themselves in deciding that the students need their special wisdom on these issues. Why can't the parents discuss them?

It occurs to me that I did divert one book from my child's recommended reading list before 7th or 8th grade, can't remember which. I brought home the books from the library for her to read. One of them, Chuck Yeager's autobiography, I dug into myself because I expected it to be really interesting. It turned out to be fairly sexist, to my way of thinking, and not anything I cared to have my little girl read, especially while she was trying to figure out what it means to be a woman, and I was trying to teach her to step up to the plate and not expect to live her life through a man. Not to mention, I think it's hypocritical of the school to assign books whose heroes can't seem to speak two sentences without using profanity that would get the kids themselves suspended if they used it in front of a teacher. Since the book was only recommended, not required, I substituted Lost Moon, the Apollo 13 story. But I can't remember any other time I've done that. I read most of her reading list books, if I hadn't read them already, and they were pretty good picks.

Posted by Laura at July 20, 2005 9:12 PM

Laura -

Thank you for challenging me.

You bring up some interesting points and think we probably agree in spirit. My main point which I failed to make clear (my fault) was the importance of frank discussion of the themes in literature whether it be "The Color Purple", "Scarlet Letter", or even Chuck Yeager's Autobiography. Sexism, Racism, and exploitation are important themes that need to be discussed before the kids leave the home. I think that anyone who posts on this blog would not have any problem countering assertions made in the classroom by the teachers or bringing up topics of discussion which were omitted. My concern is that some sanitation of the curriculum is used to avoid difficult status quo challenging discussions. Yes, I try to read everything on the reading lists given to my children to ensure they are receiving a good Education, to further own education, act as a good role model, and participate in my children's lives. If they come back from school with ideas, notions, or beliefs which are contrary to my own. I accept the challenge, roll up my sleeves, and begin a thoughtful, serious debate. If the only counter argument that comes to mind is "Cuz...that's the way it is...we don't believe that. period.", then I, as a parent, person and citizen, have some serious work to do . I should be able to win that debate or influence their thinking or conclusions...if my argument is sound. I want my children to think, believe and act based on what they decide after careful consideration of actual facts, use of primary sources, and consideration of all sides, and critical analysis not because that's what someone said or that's what everyone does.

...lol...I know silly dream but I am willing to try.

:-)

PS : I make it real point to show my kids how to fact-check things that they read. Of course, the internet helps in this regard but I try to implore upon them that critical reading is a life skill. If you do not think something is right, find out why. It beats watching television. It can be fun to pop the Balloons of the Pompous, but always with wit, respect and courtesy. :-)

Posted by JohnCVermont at August 2, 2005 2:46 PM