Anonymous Patron writes “Limestone school board needs to rethink book ban: The Limestone, Tennessee , County School Board voted 4-3 Monday night to remove the book “Whale Talk” from the Ardmore High School library.
The decision overrode a recommendation by a committee of teachers, parents and administrators to keep the book, which a parent had requested be removed because of its use of profanity.”
Has it ever been suggested
by one of these mad people who have problems that they just blank out the actual words?
It would be preferble to leave things as they are but maybe if you just blanked out the F***’s then the rest of the book could actually be enjoyed?
Not suitable for lots of ‘controversial’ books but seems like it could be more likely to work in this case.
What is acceptable?
There are always porblems with book content either through graphic detail or profanity. I think what is boils down to is what has become acceptable in society. Forty years ago soft core porn and certainly hard core were obtained by the sly or in brown paper bags. Profanity was greeted with, ” I will wash your mouth out with soap.” It seems that in the last four decades anything goes and is acceptable. Even if the overwhelming majority is comfortable there are some people who are not. There are still people who run their households with religious and traditional values. In America we all have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, we ALL have the right. If something is a offensive to a person that doesn’t make them crazy or out of sync. if we admit that then some American have rights others do not and that our society has disregard for some of its citizens. Conflict means that each side has valid points. Why not do something on which American democracy is based, arrive at a solution that is equitable and takes into account all sensitivities. If society is guided by social mores alone then one opinion and outlook would eventually dominate and that is tyranny.
Re:What is acceptable?
Eli,
I couldn’t have said it better myself. As we look the other way in fear of being out of the “mainstream” or heaven forbid being politically incorrect, we have forsaken the values which this country was founded on. It is time those in the silent majority spoke up.