School pulls ‘Finn’ and ‘Mockingbird’ over slurs: ‘not right to put that in a book"

[Deleted]

[This is where political correctness goes, banning classics like "To Kill A Mockingbird" - and this is why feminist-SJWs are just the worst people, policing for the sake of feelings]

Virginia school pulls ‘Finn’ and ‘Mockingbird’ over slurs: ‘It’s not right to put that in a book’

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/12/virg...hat-in-a-book/



A Virginia school district has pulled two American literature classics from the classroom after a parent complained about their historically accurate use of racial slurs.

The superintendent of Accomack County Public Schools confirmed the district had removed Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” and Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” after a parent voiced her concerns during a Nov. 15 school board meeting, reported WAVY-TV.

“Right now, we are a nation divided as it is,” said the mother, whose name was not released, in a recording of the meeting.

“So what are we teaching our children?” continued the woman, who said her biracial son was upset by racial slurs used in the books. “We’re validating that these words are acceptable, and they are not acceptable by any means.”

Racial slurs appear 219 times in Twain’s book, which was published in 1884, and 48 times in Lee’s book, which was published in 1960.

Both books have been temporarily suspended from classroom and library use in the schools under the district’s policy manual, which authorizes a committee made up of the principal, library media specialist, classroom teacher, a parent and/or student, and the complainant to review the materials.

Parents who spoke to WAVY-TV were split on whether they thought the books should be available to students.

“It’s not right to put that in a book, let alone read that to a child,” said Victoria Combs, a mother of two.

But other parents said the offensive language made sense in the books because of their historical context, and they did not want to see them banned.

“I don’t want to see it happen because if you start with one racial word in a book and have to go on and on and on, and pretty soon you’ll be burning books left and right,” said parent R. Kellam.

The committee will make a recommendation on the books to the superintendent, who said he wasn’t sure when that would be made.

[LaserSharkDFB]

Yeah, that's dumb as hell. Those people are idiots.

[Captain N]

And people wonder why we need to teach real American History...

[Tommi]

It's just as bad as no longer allowed to sing "Baa Baa Black Sheep" in nursery anymore, it's now "Baa Baa Rainbow Sheep". I've been teaching my 4 year old niece that it's actually "Baa Baa Negro Sheep".

[ro9ue]

So what if books have the word "fuck" in it? Does that warrant removal from the curricula?

[Jotaux]

I haven't read Huckleberry Finn, but isn't the main theme of To Kill a Mockingbird about how prejudice is wrong?

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I thought "feminist-SJWs" were dumb fucking millennial college students. Now you're telling me they're any parents who object to extremely controversial language?

You shouldn't stereotype SJWs like that. They can be young, old, parent, grandparent etc.

[Revi]

Next up: The Very Hungry Caterpillar is banned for its insensitive handling of overeating disorders.

[Self Inflicted Wounds]

I thought "feminist-SJWs" were dumb fucking millennial college students. Now you're telling me they're any parents who object to extremely controversial language?

I'm not sure how language used in those books is controversial. Context matters.

[Sama-81]

Wanting to ban "To Kill a Mockingbird", among other books, due to racial slurs that can be found within, must be something akin to the most anti-intellectual endeavour one can possibly think of. Sadly, it's not at all a far leap between that point of view and advocating straight-out book-burnings a la 'the olden days'. If one feels that the slights that certain expressions within might give rise to outweigh all the benefits of such literary works, then...well, that is simply sad. A really, not to say extraordinarily so, sad point of view, and one lacking any and all intellectual analysis - not to say capacity and integrity. Almost a sadder state of affairs than reality tv-shows being a good step towards money and fame no matter the content, actually, and that says a lot, now doesn't it... The times we live in. Sigh.

[GennGreymane]

Parents gonna shitty parent.

[Obelisk Kai]

This is a topic that requires grace and deftness to navigate. Instead both sides are going to use it as a cudgel, so I'll summarise the sane response.

The parent is wrong because the books in question were written in a different time and place. Because they are significant pieces of literature they deserve to be studied in school. A half competent Teacher should be able to educate the class on the context and allow them to understand these words are not acceptable.

Now, the parent's concern is understandable. It's an evil word and should not be taken lightly, and it's unfortunate one of her kids feels hurt by it. We should NOT denigrate those feelings, we should understand them. But banning these two works because they are incompatible with the morals of today is the wrong approach.

[tss]

the mother, whose name was not released

Probably because it's something like Shawntay Jefferson.

[Dequanacus]

Yes, because plugging your child's ears and not allowing them to learn about these issues in a proper environment is going to help them grow up to be well adjusted. What a dumb asshole.

The child is going to hear these words anyway. Why not give him some context in a place such as a school so he can better approach these issues later in life. Nah. Just try to isolate them instead.

[bladeXcrasher]

Lets ban rap music

[RampageBW1]

Yes, lets pretend bad things didn't happen! What do you mean I can't? I can definite do so if I get my safe space ready! /s

[I Push Buttons]

I think it would be far more beneficial to society to simply ban this whiny ass kid and his piece of shit parent.

[Jotaux]

It's just hard to keep up with what types of people are automatically unreasonable and horrible human beings for taking issue with anything ever.

Using absolutes is a quick way to be proven wrong. Not many people would say someone taking issue with children being slain by a pedophile clown is an SJW, for example. Perhaps this lumping everyone together thing is a failing on your part. You should really work on not being prejudice.

[Zolaris192]

I thought "feminist-SJWs" were dumb fucking millennial college students. Now you're telling me they're any parents who object to extremely controversial language?

You are the funniest type of ignorant

[Northy]

I'm sure the mother is fine when her son's favorite rapper says nigger 75 times in a song.

[Dequanacus]

Yes, lets pretend bad things didn't happen! What do you mean I can't? I can definite do so if I get my safe space ready! /s

and lets do it in a school, one of the few places where people can at least attempt to approach topics without malicious intent. I'm sure the child won't learn about these topics in a worse scenario and be ill prepared to deal with them! What a brilliant idea.