Irony: Ban a Book About Banned Books on Banned Book Week

Gak!

Too funny that he read the book and wrote down all the objectionable parts!

I say we should ban the book banners!

How does one combat stupidity?

"Talking about our firemen" was (just one of many) of this man's objections to Fahrenheit 451 being on the year 10 curriculum at the school. Sort of makes you wonder, doesn't it?

I feel really sorry for school boards who are forced to devote precious time and energy dealing with ridiculous complaints like this. And then find their school on the tv news as the focus of some "controversy".
And all of this in National Banned Book Week!

I wonder what novels Alton Vern thinks would be acceptable for the students at that school to be allowed to read? His daughter was supplied with alternative reading matter after his objection. But no, Alton still wanted Fahrenheit 451 banned so no one could read it!
Good on the students for for protesting!

I really feel for the teachers who work in such an environment, too.
You would have to be so cautious, carefully considering ever word which comes out of your mouth ... just in case the Altons of the community take offense. It must be incredibly inhibiting.
And I wonder about the impact on the whole curriculum.
This is almost too depressing to even think about!

By showing the success of education... When all our teachers are over worked, and underpaid, and disrespected too, that is sort of an uphill trip...

But .. (sorry, I can't seem to stop. This story has set me off, I'm afraid, Art! )

... but mostly I feel sorry for the students in an environment like this.
Education is supposed to broaden their minds, not clamp down on any new thoughts which might enter their heads!

I'm starting to despise Alton now!

How many more like him are attempting to hobble the process of education in their communities?

Apparently this happened way back in 2006.

Here's a news story on it:

http://www.hcnonline.com/archives/article_b1136698-3645-5bd3-9911-717d8d5c241a.html

I can't find any follow up reports of what ever came of it.

You obviously don't live in Texas.

I thought it odd that I watch that news show almost daily and hadn't been seeing anything about it.

Gosh. Did it, Butrflynet?

Would I be wrong then, in assuming that similar stuff continues to go on in schools in such communities today? (I've followed the debate about the challenges to the science curriculum.)

You wouldn't be wrong and it doesn't occur in just such communities.

Take a look at this PBS commentary from last year:

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kera/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1476202&sectionID=1

and this one from last month:

http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/news/ala/book-banning-alive-and-well-us

The real irony is that many of the folks who advocate for book banning are also the same ones who complain about too much political correctness in society today and their loss of free speech.

Thanks, butrflynet.
I've taken a quick look & will read in more detail in a minute ....

Here's a (slightly different) anecdote from my own experience:

I've taught in quite a few schools with high Muslim populations. At one (all girls) school the parents of one girl (with particularly strict religious beliefs) objected to dance & music activities, which were an established feature of the school's curriculum. The school administration, after consideration of the complaint, decided not to accommodate those concerns by changing the program. And advised the parents that their daughter could be excused from such activities, instead, if they so desired. I think that was the right decision.
(That was a state/government school, btw.)

That really surprises me! Usually schools bend over backwards so as not
to "offend" certain sections of the community.

It surprises me that you're surprised!
This girls' parents' attitudes would have been extreme even within their own (Muslim) community. A good proportion of the students in that school were Muslim, but others were Buddhist (mainly Vietnamese), Christian, etc, etc .. a very mixed bag of cultures.
Should all those students have been denied the experience of music and dance because a tiny percentage of parents within that community held fundamentalist beliefs?
Besides, the existing program was well within the state government's curriculum guidelines. And it had been existence for ages with no previous complaints or problems.
Just imagine if changes were automatically made every time anyone complained, just to keep them happy. Not exactly the best way of designing a school curriculum, I'd think.

Not that much different, really, from that fellow who thought Fahrenheit 451 should be banned from the school curriculum because he thought it was unsuitable for his daughter ... Really, what such people appear to be saying is that the world should conform to their narrow beliefs.

I am surprised that you're surprised that I'm surprised. :-)
I totally agree with the school's decision. I see too many cases where Australian culture and or beliefs as a nation, are denied or overridden at the drop of a hat so as to accommodate other cultures and or beliefs.

This is pretty damned funny . . .

Sigh. I spent some time reading about savonarola. His life is a near perfect sequence re proscriptive measures.

No links on purpose.

.. and I'm surprised that you're surprised that I'm surprised that you're surprised!

I think know what you're saying, Adanac. Changes to existing practices (or practises? I remain eternally confused ..) to accommodate those from different cultures. Personally, I haven't seen all that many such accommodations myself, but I know there has been quite a bit of public controversy from time to time, when they have been considered. We are one of the most multicultural countries on the planet, so I'd say it's inevitable we're likely to see even more changes to the way we've traditionally done things, as migrants from so many different cultures assimilate into the community.

But I was talking about the curriculum of a state school. And a request for change to an existing program to accommodate an extreme minority belief. And as I said, I think it was the right decision to reject such a request. Besides, imagine the public outcry, say nothing of the reaction of the Education Department, if the school had obliged! Momma mia!

And I guess, in their deliberations, the school administration & council would have had to consider the notion that music & dancing might have some terribly adverse influence on girls, too? A pretty sad state of affairs if music & dance were deemed to be an evil influence.

I haven't come across you here before, Adanac, so I'm assuming you're new to A2k. Welcome.
Are you Australian?

I have been on here before msolga, but thank you for the welcome.
I noted your word "assimilate" .. It is a very important word ....
Multiculturalism is seldom a strength as it leads to separate and distinctive sub-communities and usually leads to the downfall of the nation practising same. Assimilation on the other hand is the wonderful process by which so many from so many places welded together into countries. People came, learned the prevailing language, history and culture, and blended in while adding a bit from their own past.  Strong nations come of such.
Just a view some people have that I agree with ...