Parents voiced their concerns about a controversial book (Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye)

kget ^

[chance33_98]

“If the kids are not allowed to use profanity,” said parent Pam Helms, “Then why is it ok for them to read it?”

Parents voiced their concerns about a controversial book

More fuel is being tossed into the fire, over a reading assignment for an English class at East Bakersfield High School.

Parents are demanding a controversial book be banned from the classroom, and some members of the community agree with them.

At Monday night's meeting of the Kern High School District, many parents spoke out against the book entitled “The Bluest Eye,” with reaction crossing racial lines.

“If the kids are not allowed to use profanity,” said parent Pam Helms, “Then why is it ok for them to read it?”

Angry parents blasted the critically acclaimed novel by Nobel Prize winning author Toni Morrison.

It is the story of an African American girl in the 1940's, but its content is sexually explicit.

For example, some parents cite a description of the girl's rape by her father, but others say the book's main theme is not explicit sexuality, but injustice and prejudice.

Members of the African American community KGET 17 spoke to, said the book did not belong in the hands of teenagers.

“I definitely wouldn't allow my daughter to read that,” said parent Shann Carter, “I mean, that passage that I just read, I don't think so. I don't think it should be in high schools at all. I don't, I think that's more of an adult type thing. I don't think children should be reading that.”

“No I don't think they should be reading it,” said Tony Propps, “I think it's kind of uh, you know, too much for a child to be reading something like that.”

Several other people said it was not fair to judge a book by a few explicit passages.

Meantime, a committee is reviewing the book and expected to make a recommendation to the district superintendent by Friday

[KantianBurke]

better make sure not to teach any Shakespeare or Homer. Plenty of naughty words and scenarios in those works. (sarcasm off) One thing that sticks out about "parents" like these is that parenting is an occupation they rarely ever engage in. Hence on the rare occasion that they do act like Moms and Dads they go overboard about inanities. Dollars to donuts that while these folks are bitching, their children are off smoking pot or having sex.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

The Bluest Eye is a good story. And it isn't more explicit than things teenagers absorb through MTV.

[goodnesswins]

Anyone who "lets" their children watch MTV is asking for trouble.

[AppyPappy]

I guess they couldn't find anything else for the kids to read.

[twigs]

I haven't read The Bluest Eye, but I think Morrison is a phenomenal writer. The bad language doesn't bother me particularly, although I don't like it; as you say, kids are exposed to it. I would have a problem with sexually explicit content, it it's truly there.

[Damocles]

The surest and fastest way to piss someone off is to criticize their parenting.

Why? Because it is one of the few things that directly reflects the quality of the person.

If you want to hack someone off, say they are a lousy parent. It will make the hair on the back of their neck stand up!

[Pan_Yans Wife]

It's better than Danielle Steel or VC Andrews, for goodness sakes!

(Do people still read that trash?)

[altura]

I tried to read Morrison's latest as I had never read her, but it seemed like a romance novel.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I couldn't get into it.

[goodnesswins]

"guess they couldn't find anything else for the kids to read."

No.....it can't be written by anyone who is white, male, and old.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

I haven't tried it, either.

Check out Zora Neal Hurston, you might like her.

[netmilsmom]

>>More fuel is being tossed into the fire, over a reading assignment for an English class at East Bakersfield High School. <<

I think that "The Bluest Eye" tells an important story about beauty. Not just being black or white. However, I think because of the sexual content, it should be only recommended reading and only in the senior year. Having stories like this being required is like having pop machines in the lunchroom. Parents are given no opportunity to communicate with a child until it is already done. Many parents, myself included, do not know the literature being assigned. Reading every story assigned will be on my list of things to do in the future!

[theFIRMbss]

>For example, some parents cite a description of the girl's rape by her father...

Gee, generations
grew up reading Tom Swift and
Nancy Drew, and those

books didn't include
any father-daughter rapes.
Was that a big flaw?!

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Reading every story assigned will be on my list of things to do in the future!

Exactly. I do believe that some books are age appropriate, and some are just worthless garbage. That being said, if a parent actively particpates in their child's education, they will be able to better react to the school's instruction.

As an aside, in Pre-K, my son was sent home a "free book" about Earth Day. I threw it away. But, he didn't forget the lesson that people are killing the trees and we are all gonna die! De-programming is such fun. :)

[netmilsmom]

>>De-programming is such fun. :)<<

LOL!
We had one of those in kindergarten.

Bike = Good
Car = Bad

I had to explain that bikes are great but we live in MI and cars are not always bad.

[Jim Cane]

Gee, generations grew up reading Tom Swift and Nancy Drew, and those

Children did anyway. The only teens reading that crap were the childman dweebs. The cool teens read cool stuff - Vonnegut, Faulkner, Asimov, Playboy, Guns&Ammo...

[theFIRMbss]

>The cool teens read cool stuff - ...Asimov...

Well, heck, Isaac's fans
really must be deprived -- He
not only never

wrote any rape scenes,
but his big evil bad guy
(the Mule) lost because

a woman was nice
to him! What would today's kids
think of such a tale?!

[ThinkLikeWaterAndReeds]

We can send our high school aged children off to be maimed or die a violent death in a war but horror of horrors if they read something naughty.

[Jim Cane]

Well, heck, Isaac's fans really must be deprived --

They are only deprived if they failed to read Vonnegut, Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Chaucer...

Plenty of spanky good times there.

[wtc911]

The Bluest Eye is an ok book,certainly not a classic or one worthy of being singled out for study. It is unsuitable to be used as a school mandated read, unless of course one thinks that the school should also tune MTV into the classroom. Some decisions are the parents'.