October 05, 2006
Who is looking out for you?
Don't you just hate it when you're suckered into reading some supposedly "banned book"? You expect to be titillated by its salacious content but it turns out to be just another boring cautionary tale? One about a totalitarian dystopia where individuality and dissident thoughts are verboten? At least some Virginia students will be spared that disappointment thanks to Harrisonburg Schools Superintendent Donald "Macaca" Ford, who banned the local high school's display of banned books.
The high school library display, Ford said, seemed to entice students into reading the books because they are on a list.
"We are not going to send a message to kids encouraging them to read ‘banned’ books. Our message should be to read books, a wide variety of books.
"But I don’t think we should tease kids into reading a book by trying to say, ‘there might be something juicy or controversial in this book. Therefore, it would be a good one for you to sneak home and read."’
And just what sort of books will the Blue Streaks not be tricked into reading thanks to Ford's courageous action?
High School Principal Irene Reynolds recalled that the titles included "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," by Mark Twain; "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury; "The Diary of Ann Frank," and "The Bible."
Does the Nobel Committee award a prize for irony? I'd like to make a nomination.
Posted by mayor mcsleaze at October 5, 2006 07:50 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.mcblogger.com/movabletype/mt-tb.cgi/943
Comments
Intelligence and Virginia. Never the Twain shall meet.
Posted by: mcblogger at October 5, 2006 09:24 AM
Take THAT, Thomas Jefferson!
Posted by: mayor mcsleaze at October 5, 2006 09:28 AM
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)
