Censorship in the Schools (merged)

A children's non-fiction book about 2 male penguins who successfully hatch and raise a baby penguin together has been pulled from general access in the Loudoun County elementary school libraries. A parent at Sugarland Elementary complained, and after two review committees reaffirmed that the book should remain in the library, Superintendent Hatrick overrided them and ordered the book pulled. You can find coverage at Living in Loco and the Loudoun Times. School Board Policy as I read it, allows any parent to challenge a book, but there doesn't seem to be any way for another parent to challenge the challenge.

 

Re: Censorship in the Schools

If people want to, they should challenge the challenge publicly - letters to the editor, school board meetings...etc.

 

Re: Censorship in the Schools

Uh oh, we're famous:

http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=3399016

 

Re: Censorship in the Schools

I sent an e-mail when I first heard about this.

I am embarrassed to be a resident of LoCo at this time.

Odds are Hatrick will try to pass the "unstocking the shelves fee" on to the tax payers.

 

Re: Censorship in the Schools

It reminds me again that Loudoun mores are still clinging to the right wing fanaticism that elected the likes of Dick Black.
We're getting away from it slowly, but not there yet.
Gives me another reason to think Hatrick has outlived his usefulness (the other reason is his budgets.)

 

Re: Censorship in the Schools

I've known Hatrick has outlived his usefulness back in early 2000 for reasons I won't go into on this forum. It's time for him to retire. IMO.

 

Need comments from parents, Penguin Book

Hi everyone, it's Liz from the Loudoun Times-Mirror. I'm sure most of you have heard about the penguin book, "And Tango Makes Three," which was recently pulled from general circulation in libraries at Loudoun elementary schools because it tells the story of a same-sex male penguin couple raising an egg.

( You can read more about it here -- > http://www.loudountimes.com/news/2008/feb/12/schools-restrict-book-penguin-two-dads/)

I was wondering if there are any parents who would be willing to comment on this situation (preferable elementary parents) and your reaction to this. I'm writing an update for next week's paper and would love to have a couple of parents voices to show their views.

Please send a PM, write a comment here, e-mail me or call, but in order to use what you say I'll need your full name. Also include where your kid/ kids go to school if possible. Thanks a lot!!!!


Elizabeth Coe
Eastern Loudoun Reporter
Loudoun Times-Mirror
9 E. Market St.
Leesburg, VA 20176
703-777-1111 x1317
F: 703-771-0036
www.loudountimes.com

 

ZOMG!!! PENGUIN LUST!!!!!!

 

I LOVE Opus!

Slap my hind with melon rind, that's my penguin state of mind!

 

You two frighten me.

 

Don't be frightened! Embrace the penguin love!

 

Yeah, they are GOP'ers. They only do that stuff in men's rooms.

No worries!

 

Brian, I know who you are referring to but i don't get it. And I do get most of your posts.

 

hu·mor [hyoo-mer or, often, yoo-] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. a comic, absurd, or incongruous quality causing amusement: the humor of a situation.
2. the faculty of perceiving what is amusing or comical: He is completely without humor.
3. an instance of being or attempting to be comical or amusing; something humorous: The humor in his joke eluded the audience.
4. the faculty of expressing the amusing or comical: The author's humor came across better in the book than in the movie.

 

Was there a backhanded reach for the tp on the floor in the Penguin book? Is that how they knew that the penguins were gay?

 

What was the procedure used to pull this book from the circulation? Is it possible to petition for its return using the same system?

 

Butt - the beginning says it all - "a NON-FICTION..." Was this a scientific report on a phenominon where two peguin pairs each lost the mother AND one pair lost the egg no the males banded together to raise the chick?

Should I read the link? Prolly.

 

I'm not supporting the decision here, just pointing out that the other side has over-reacted as well. From the article:

"The book remains on shelves at middle and high schools in the county, but it has now been removed from general circulation at the 11 elementary schools that carry it. In those libraries, parents and teachers can request the book to read with students.

[FONT=verdana,geneva]"David Weintraub, president of Equality Loudoun, a local gay and lesbian rights group, said the parent who made the complaint about the book has not been prevented from expressing his or her beliefs about family. Therefore, he said, why should this person prevent a book from being accessible to others who might have a different idea about family?"

Mr. Weintraub states that the book is not accessible to others...However, in the preceding paragraph, it is stated clearly that parents and teachers can request the book in elementary schools. So the book is still accessible. Middle and high school students can access the book by themselves, but elementary school children must have a parent or teacher access it for them. While the decision may be stupid, it's certainly not censorship nor is it the end of the world. Plus no one is denying interested children from getting the book at the bookstore.

This seems overblown on both sides to me.
[/FONT]

 

It's a true story about a couple of male penguins (I think in a New York zoo) that cared for an egg until it hatched.
Obviously, this is an attempt to promote homosexuality and turn our little children inti deviants!!!! (note that comment was made in full sarcasm mode.)

Thank you Dr. Hatrick for making Loudoun County the butt of jokes across the country.

 

great- there go the chanced of homesexual-owned businesses choosing Loudoun County as their home.

in all seriousness- my input is this: was there likely agenda by the gay and lesbian community to "mainstream" their lifestyle by using an elementary school book to show the youngest readers that it's okay for 2 men or 2 women to raise a baby? SURE, I believe that.

But is that such a bad thing that the school should make the choice to limit access to? ABSOLUTELY NOT, alternative families exist and the best way to prevent kids from being prejudiced or confused by it is to let them know about it. that's not the same as condoning it- it's simply making sure they know it happens.

Until 1967- JUST 40 YEARS AGO- interracial couples were ILLEGAL in Virginia. smeof you were IN elelmentary school here then. if (this isn't a fact, just an example) that first book in 1968 came out showing it to be ok to see a black and a white person in love and married, should the schools have pulled THAT since it went against the beliefs of many parents of that era?

remember when pregnant teens were sent away to have their babies, and then their child was raised as their SIBLING, not their daughter or son?

TIME ARE CHANGING AGAIN. reading this book or learning about 2 males raising a baby will NOT turn little Johnny or Judy gay. if he/she is, there's a good chance that he/she was likely born that way. (different discussion!) my final word:

4 years ago, i was watching the Today show while getting ready for work, and my 5 year old son walked in to the room JUST as the first 2 men married is Mass. were kissing on the city hall steps. My boy said "Mommy! why are 2 boys kissing on the LIPS?!" I said cialmy, "well, some boys are born liking boys, and some boys are born liking girls. YOU were born liking girls- now how about some cocoa puffs for breakfast?"