Is the Ability to Interpret Events Lost
- on 05.30.06
- General
- Comments Off
- Digg
- Del.icio.us
Is the ability of students and the general public to comprehend a debate to understand the actual intent being lost? If the debate from District 214 and the supposed attempt to ban books is any indication, the answer is yes.
Below are excerpts from the Daily Herald Opinion Section.
|
Teens’ interest in book debate laudable And it wasn’t the intense interest of parents, educators and other members of the community — though 1,000 people showing up for a board meeting is a good sign that people want to be and are involved in the decision-making process. The most positive news, in our view, was the response of the students from the district’s six high schools. Whether you were for or against the elimination of the books from the required reading list, you have to be happy and proud that so many students took an interest in the decision that has the most effect on them. So it was heartening to see the turnout of hundreds of students who wanted to let the school board know their views on the subject — even from seniors who will be leaving the district in a week or so. Yes, most of the students were opposed to removing the books from the reading lists ; an idea proposed by one school board member after reading excerpts of the nine books online that she said were offensive and inappropriate in a high school. “I’m going to basic training and they’re saying I can’t read about it,†said Prospect High School senior Joe Zyskowski, who was supporting the Vietnam War book “The Things They Carried†by Tim O’Brien. But others were opposed to the books and had their say too, as reported Friday by Daily Herald staff writer Sheila Ahern. “These books are a violation of lots of people’s views. That’s a big deal,†said Prospect sophomore Angelo Campos. “From what I heard from the excerpts of these books, I wouldn’t want to read them.†Still other students made their views known at the meeting by speaking or wearing T-shirts espousing their thoughts or even in this newspaper by responding to our call for letters. |
While I am glad to see students and parents getting involved, I know it is only a matter of time before these same students and parents return to their normal apathy level toward the running of the school district.
From the other articles on this topic (linked below) it is clear that a majority of people thought this whole issue was about someone trying to prevent them from reading a book. In fact, it was not about banning the books from being read, but about not making everty student read them. Each student was still going to have the opportunity to read the books if they wished, they were not being banned.
Many of the comments speak of censorship. while a few speak of decency. Many speak of kids already being exposed to much worse than is in these books. Others deride those who object on the grounds of decency as in this letter to the editor:
|
The attempt by Ms. Pinney to censor books is an example of adherence to the “ignorance is bliss†theory. Today’s teenagers are exposed to a great deal of life, good and bad, but to naively believe that censoring books in the school libraries will maintain innocence in young people is a disservice to them. Education is under attack today from the self-righteous and the fundamentalists in their misguided attempts at control, yet education provides the best defense of one’s principles. Squelching discussion and debate is not an acceptable approach to learning; denying certain books to be read and discussed in class eliminates dialogue necessary to actually consider a subject, form an opinion and be able to defend it, rather than an uninformed, reflexive response. Marie Harris |
This whole debate is so ironic. The very people saying removing the books from the mandatory reading list is censorship are the very ones forcing their choice on everyone else. They have lost the ability to understand their actions limit the choice of all students in favor of their own morality. It places them in the very position that they accuse Pinney and the “self-righteous”, “fundamentalists”. They are attempting to control every student instead of allowing the freedom of choice they claim. They are lashing out wihtout even understanding the debate and the intent of the action.
- High School Book Banning: Decency or Censorship
- Readers’ responses to Dist. 214 book embargo debate
- Dist. 214 students mobilize to keep books on list
- District 214 board approves disputed books after hours of speeches
- Dist. 214 book debate fills a room
- DuPage County school officials wary of limits on students’ reading choices
- The books behind the Dist. 214 controversy
- Freedom on the march as teens, parents debate censorship
- Battle lines are drawn over books
- Hersey students urging your attendance at board meeting
- Room for informed dialogue on books
