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Huck Finn Petition Goes to School Board

1 posted on 02/09/2003 6:10:14 PM PST by stainlessbanner
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To: stainlessbanner
"The bottom line was: There was one student who felt uncomfortable," said Principal Richard Harper. "Our feeling was: We're not here to make kids feel uncomfortable, and if he felt uncomfortable, then it was a problem."

When I was a student, I was "uncomfortable" with certain other students in my classes.

Did I have them kicked out of class?

Of course not!!

Part of our education is learning tolerance and courage when confronted with "uncomfortable" circumstances.

That is what the real world is all about.

Catering to one student because he or she is a little uncomfortable sends the wrong message to all the rest of the students.

The same message applies to people who are uncomfortable with Christmas displays in schools or public buildings.

Why do they get special treatment?

Why don't they show some tolerance?

2 posted on 02/09/2003 6:18:07 PM PST by CROSSHIGHWAYMAN
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To: stainlessbanner
....said Principal Richard Harper. "Our feeling was: We're not here to make kids feel uncomfortable, and if he felt uncomfortable, then it was a problem."

The problem is with the kid, NOT the book, you idiot!

3 posted on 02/09/2003 6:18:14 PM PST by jigsaw
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To: stainlessbanner
"We're not here to make kids feel uncomfortable, and if he felt uncomfortable, then it was a problem."

I agree. But it's not YOUR problem Richard.

4 posted on 02/09/2003 6:20:29 PM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (®)
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To: stainlessbanner
How pitiful that no one is willing to make that kid feel "uncomfortable" about the historic fact of slavery.

Being fore-warned is to be fore-armed.

5 posted on 02/09/2003 6:22:36 PM PST by muawiyah
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To: stainlessbanner
More PC, feel good, crap.

When will it stop?

LVM

6 posted on 02/09/2003 6:23:31 PM PST by LasVegasMac
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To: stainlessbanner
Idiots! A good education should make a kid feel "uncomfortable" at times.
8 posted on 02/09/2003 6:24:50 PM PST by Austin Willard Wright
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To: stainlessbanner
I have fond memory of my 6th grade teacher reading Huck Finn out loud to the class every day after lunch.

Her honey dripping voice added to the enjoyment.


9 posted on 02/09/2003 6:26:17 PM PST by Rebelbase
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To: stainlessbanner
We're not here to make kids feel uncomfortable, and if he felt uncomfortable, then it was a problem.

So does that mean that they are going to drop all of the pro-homosexual "Susie has Two Mommies" crap if it makes any of the children uncomfortable? I'll bet not.

10 posted on 02/09/2003 6:27:33 PM PST by Bubba_Leroy
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To: stainlessbanner
The funny thing is that Huck Finn was remarkably pro-civil rights and anti-racial bigotry for its time. But now it is being banned because it contains "the 'N' word."
12 posted on 02/09/2003 6:30:01 PM PST by Bubba_Leroy
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To: stainlessbanner
I think that the writings of Mark Twain, in particular, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer should be mandatory reading in school.

When I was in school, we were made to read Shakespeare. Now that made me feel mighty uncomfortable! But I was made to read it nevertheless.

13 posted on 02/09/2003 6:30:10 PM PST by SamAdams76 ('Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens')
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To: stainlessbanner
In other news, both world wars, the civil war, the war for independence, all of European history, the traveling conditions of the Pilgrims, and a few other things involving people getting owwies were also found to make a student uncomfortable and were dropped from the curriculum. As well as chemistry - too smelly, physics - hard, biology - gross, math - too complicated.

In their place, expanded curricula in fuzzy bunnies, multiculturalism, diversity, sensitivity, women's issues, gay issues, the environment, the UN, and prairie dog habitats will take their place, ensuring that well-rounded students will continue to get churned out from the nation's finest public schools mandatory government indoctrination centers.

14 posted on 02/09/2003 6:34:18 PM PST by coloradan
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To: stainlessbanner
What if a kid is uncomfortable with sex education?
15 posted on 02/09/2003 6:35:19 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: stainlessbanner
"The book is part of the curriculum at the 11th-grade vel," Paul said. "I agree that seventh grade is a bit young."

Why-oh-why are we afflicted in this nation with such stupid teachers? I'm not a teacher. I'm just a parent. When my kids were in the 4th grade I started them on much more challenging books. I started with Centennial by Michener. The way I always started was with about a 90 page story in the book about a cattle drive. Then I had them read a shorter story in the book about a wagon train trip. Each of my kids were so fascinated by these stories that they started the book and read it cover to cover.

Before they finished grade school each had read such things as Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, Hawaii and numerous more that were considered way beyond their years. My son's 7th grade teacher once called me to make sure I was aware that he was reading Tom Clancy. I said I thought we could cope with that thought. Fact is, my kids and I spent many a fun hour discussing the books they read.

Letting one weird family dictate a class comfort level is the quintessential dumbing down. These teachers that let such a thing happen are too stupid to teach. They are too stupid to empty port-a-lets at the park. I don't know what there is productive for them to do. Maybe scrape the sludge from sewers around water treatment plants. They surely should never be in charge of kids' learning.

16 posted on 02/09/2003 6:36:39 PM PST by stevem
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To: stainlessbanner
Gosh, how do you even begin to address everything that is wrong with this policy? Huckleberry Finn is one of the treasures of American Literature. It comes down on the right side of slavery and bigotry and preserves for our pleasure the dialect of the time and region. The book is filled with history, wit and human insight. The plotline is facinating. The characters are unique and real.

The only thing one can conclude is that the kid has a problem for which reading Huckleberry Finn is the right medicine.

Sadly, the Principal is beyond help and should go back under the rock (probably located in the College of Education in a State University) where they found him.

17 posted on 02/09/2003 6:37:14 PM PST by Senator_Blutarski
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To: stainlessbanner; aculeus; general_re; BlueLancer; hellinahandcart; Poohbah
"The bottom line was: There was one student who felt uncomfortable," said Principal Richard Harper. "Our feeling was: We're not here to make kids feel uncomfortable, and if he felt uncomfortable, then it was a problem."

What gorgeous lunacy. Any education worth having -- anything worth having -- exacts a certain amount of discomfort pain.

20 posted on 02/09/2003 6:54:43 PM PST by dighton
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To: stainlessbanner
Someone will correct me if I am mistaken, but I believe that Samuel Clements wrote a book with the title "Adventures of Huck Finn". The illustrator added "The" in front of the intended title.

Could this be a good trivia question?

21 posted on 02/09/2003 6:56:28 PM PST by Abcdefg
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To: stainlessbanner
Homework always made me very uncomfortable ...
22 posted on 02/09/2003 7:02:33 PM PST by GovernmentShrinker
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To: stainlessbanner
"The bottom line was: There was one student who felt uncomfortable," said Principal Richard Harper. "Our feeling was: We're not here to make kids feel uncomfortable, and if he felt uncomfortable, then it was a problem."

If Mr Harper was a bit brighter, he'd realize he just handed all his authority to the kids.

The Left's poisonous "I'm offended, so you must do what I say" brain candy comes in several flavors...

23 posted on 02/09/2003 7:08:51 PM PST by Interesting Times (Avoid global cooling -- cruise the Caribbean on Freeps Ahoy!)
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To: stainlessbanner
Few seventh graders will understand Huckleberry Finn. It's over the heads of many adults--maybe most.
26 posted on 02/09/2003 7:32:46 PM PST by Savage Beast
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To: stainlessbanner
"That's a very sensitive word," he said. "We send kids home for saying that word."

Grand Kleagle Robert Byrd could show up in session wearing his sheet and the Democrats wouldn't even boo him.

27 posted on 02/09/2003 7:41:45 PM PST by Doctor Raoul
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