When I was in high school in Texas, English classes were a curious marriage of literature and language. A lot of books and short stories were read and a lot of essays were composed in response. Instead of reading something important, like Infinite Jest or Uncle Tom’s Cabin, we read crap like Shakespeare and Great Expectations.
My hatred of Pip is unrivaled.
It is not uncommon for high schools, books, and infuriated parents to come into conflict with each other. In fact, the American Library Association keeps track of which books angry, narrow-minded zealots try to prevent their children from reading. The newest battleground of literary censorship brings us back to America’s wang, the curious, ever-consistent monumental dick that is Florida.
The setting is Lincoln High School in Tallahassee, modern day. The main character of this story is Principal Allen Burch. The catalyst driving the plot is a novel written by Mark Haddon called The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.
Principal Burch recently caved into pressure from “concerned parents” and made a unilateral decision to drop The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime from Lincoln High School’s summer reading program.
The novel centers around a British teenager who falls within the autism spectrum and his observations of what takes place around him, which the 15-year-old math genius relays in the same emotionless tone. His lack of expression is even evident when he’s talking about some adults and their (gasp!) struggles with their faith.
Why is it that whenever Florida is in the news the story involves something pertaining to religion and/or drugs and/or sexual assault?
Curious, no?
While school administration and the Tipper Gore wannabe’s are trying to justify their idiotic attack on Curious Incident, several anti-censorship groups, including the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) are fighting back at the Floridian’s whose think a few curse words and taking the Lord’s name in vain are just cause to keep adolescent eyes from a piece of literature.
Here’s a nugget from Sarah Hoffman of the NCAC, speaking to the Tallahassee Democrat:
“This case is very startling. A handful of parents are making choices for every other parent in that school. There is a reason policies are in place — to protect educators and the decisions they make.”
And one from Sue Gee, a concerned mother who wanted Curious Incident pulled because, well, Jesus and four-letter words and stuff.
“I am not interested in having books banned, but to have that language and to take the name of Christ in vain — I don’t go for that. As a Christian, and as a female, I was offended. Kids don’t have to be reading that type of thing and that’s why I was asking for an alternative assignment.”
For the sake of discretion, I will state that I, personally, do not believe in shielding anyone from anything. I do not believe that any subject matter is off-limits, especially to boys and girls of high school age. Consider that by the time they first step through the doors of high school, they will be astutely aware of differences from individual to individual. They will know or will have known people who steal cigarettes and/or booze from their parents, who swear like sailors on shore leave, and people who have committed petty crimes like theft. They will also will know or will have known people who question the existence of God or who flat out think that God is as likely to exist as an alternate version of Great Expectations where that convict shanked Pip in the graveyard.
If only…
For someone like Sue Gee, I cannot help but chuckle that the bar she has set for “offensive” content is so low. I wonder what she thinks about the Bible.
