Sixth Grade...
Michelle is upset over what sixth graders are reading. I'm sorry; I can't work up to it. She is describing a bunch of books that the sixth grade somewhere is all upset about and how this is the fault of government schools.
Maybe...
except that it was sixth grade when the teacher told me I couldn't read Roots and took it away and replaced it with National Velvet; it was sixth grade when we passed around a worn, torn and highlighted copy of Forever by Judy Blume and it was sixth grade when Stephanie Roy and I got caught with one of those really bad, sex books. The kind with the pirate and wench on the front? The one where he is tearing her shirt and she looks like that act alone caused her to have an orgasm?
My mother always knew what I was reading. She gave me Roots because I asked for it and had the teacher let it alone, I wouldn't have even really realized that there was a rape scene in it. Because I was in sixth grade what I really remember was the father taking his new born child out under the stars and saying, "Behold, the only thing greater than yourself." That, and that slaves jumped a broom to get married--which I wanted to do until I turned 25. I still think it's kind of cool...My mother had to go to school to get my book back and I hate National Velvet. She knew about Forever but let it go and she knew about the dirty book, thus the getting caught thing.
Is there any reason why you can't monitor your own children and deal with objectionable material that way> Any reason why you have to ban books and make it everybody else's problem tioo? I suspect that book sales on the "naughty" titles will be up in whatever town is experiencing this issue.
Chris
For Heaven Sakes. We oughta be happy that 6th graders can read at all. Let them read. Let them read everything. Soak it up - learn - grow - decide. Read, Read, Read. Then read some more. Need a new patch: "Let them puppies READ".
Posted by: RD | Friday, December 08, 2006 at 07:43 AM
Jes' be glad yer not in Iran, lady, where they'll throw you in prison for blogging. Why? Because authoritarian theocrats need to control what the public is and isn't allowed to see, say, debate, read, know . . . and therefore think.
That's the only way those people can ensure that everybody comes out thinking and believing the same thing.
Can't have a bunch of godless heathens running around with all their immorality and such, can we now? Bad for the Homeland. Bad for the Party. Bad for the Leader.
BAD!!!
Posted by: catastrophile | Saturday, December 09, 2006 at 01:50 AM
When I was in 6th grade my teacher made us read all kinds of religious stuff. (Public School)Then, each day we stood and sang these "Protestant" hymnes (which, I thought, would cause me to go to hell since I was Catholic and thought I was committing a sin) We had to memorize the words and I still remember all of them today, which is kinda nice since some are sang in Catholic churches today! It was a completely unique experience - not one parent complained - it was part of my overall life's education. It was wonderful! (The guy was a nut!)
Posted by: Chris Sears | Saturday, December 09, 2006 at 10:24 PM
"are sang" S/B "are sung" . They will soon come to take my "Ms Grammar" award away!!!!
Posted by: Chris Sears | Saturday, December 09, 2006 at 10:30 PM
'Fahrenheit 451'...nuff said!
Posted by: Lee | Sunday, December 10, 2006 at 02:20 AM
When clinton was in office and I was in college, all us veterans said his administration was the real F-541. Lee get a freaking clue.
Posted by: SSG Rob | Sunday, December 10, 2006 at 12:37 PM
Who gives a rat's ass what Michelle thinks about anyway? The world would be much better off if that Anne Coulter wannabe hackjob slut received a round through her frontal lobe.
Posted by: One Nephi | Sunday, December 10, 2006 at 11:18 PM
Ssg Rob...Only thing more dangerous than a bookburner...is a dyslectic bookburner....
Posted by: Lee | Monday, December 11, 2006 at 06:46 AM
Lee, what have you got against dislexia? My Uncle has it severely, and its not funny. Took my Dad many YEARS to teach him to read AFTER school. He still makes wrong turns and the like, couldn't go to college bevause of it, no special ed back then. I wish one day your sorry ass falls victim to any one of the things you joke about. That will be funny!
Posted by: SSG Rob | Monday, December 11, 2006 at 05:40 PM
The books in question dealt with profanity, homosexuality and heterosexuality. All seemed to be very descriptive and probably not something a sixth grader should be reading, not to mention in school.
Parents have every right to question the material presented to kids and kids have every right to just be kids. There's plenty of time later to read as much as they want about these subjects when they're older and more able to understand it.
Why in the world, with all the crap that young children get exposed to, to expose them to even more ... in school?
Posted by: raptor | Monday, December 11, 2006 at 06:53 PM
Right on Raptor!
..Let them find out about it on the Internet..(or in back alleys)..The 'good ole' fashioned way...
Posted by: Lee | Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 01:53 AM
jeez... 6th grade? I was reading the Man from Uncle series (with the cover from "Heidi" 'cause we could only read the "classics")... also Bradbury, Hersey, and some old guy named Shakespeare...
Posted by: Some Soldier's Mom | Friday, December 15, 2006 at 12:50 AM