[Vision2020] "Proposal would let schools ban books" (fwd)

[Don Kaag]

Carl:

Book banning is bizarre.  Liberals and Conservatives have both done it.

When I lived in Helena, Montana, local Liberals tried to have 
"Huckleberry Finn" and "Tom Sawyer" taken out of the public library on 
the grounds that Twain frequently used the word "Nigger", and that 
children shouldn't be subjected to such politically-incorrect language. 
  I don't suppose any of them had ever read it, because if they had they 
would have realized that the ironic and satirical Mr. Clemens wrote the 
book, in part, as an anti-Slavery and discrimination polemic.

Sigh.  The dumb we will always have with us, on both sides of the aisle.

Regards,

Don Kaag
(Whose wife is a librarian, and who holds uncensored libraries and the 
freedom to read as semi-sacred in a democracy.)

On Friday, February 21, 2003, at 02:14 PM, Carl Westberg wrote:

> What I find amusing is how long some of the books on the "favorite 
> books to try to ban" list have been around.  "Of Mice and Men", 
> "Catcher in the Rye", "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" are among 
> them.  I read them all, and they didn't corrupt me one iota. Okay, 
> maybe an iota or two.  I find commercials that kids can watch on 
> network television far more disturbing than the content of any of 
> these books.                                                           
>                                                                        
>          Carl Westberg Jr.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>> From: Debbie Gray <dgray@uidaho.edu>
>> To: Vision 2020 <vision2020@moscow.com>
>> Subject: [Vision2020] "Proposal would let schools ban books" (fwd)
>> Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 13:43:45 -0800 (PST)
>>
>> Thought some visionaries might be interested in the following item. 
>> This
>> last week, Post Falls schools recently were challenged for allowing  
>> 'The
>> Chocolate Wars' to circulate in the junior high. A parent complained 
>> and
>> now if someone wants to check it out, they must get permission from 
>> their
>> parents...
>>
>> --------------------------FWD-----------------------
>> >From the Thursday edition of the Idaho Statesman:
>>
>>
>> Proposal would let schools ban books
>>
>> A bill that would allow local school boards to ban certain books from
>> school libraries will be considered in the House Education Committee.
>> Introduced by Rep. Peter Nielson, R-Mountain Home, on Wednesday, the 
>> bill
>> says individual school boards may exclude "any materials that do not
>> support the definition of a thorough system of public schools,"
>> established by Idaho law.
>>
>> The section of law referenced in the bill mentions basic values such 
>> as
>> honesty, self-discipline and respect for authority.
>>
>> Nielson said it s his intention that local school boards are simply 
>> made
>> aware that they have the option to pull books off library shelves.
>>
>> "We require quite a few things that do not foster self-discipline,"
>> Nielson said. "Some library books have a preponderance of swear words,
>> they mention sexual acts. These are the kinds of things I want them to
>> look at."
>>
>> Edition Date: 02-20-2003
>>
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