It was intended to be thought provoking and cause some uncomfortable feelings in some readers. I have heard of Gone With The Wind ( book and movie ) being banned. What is next book burnings? Yes, that will re-write history.

That's sad. It's such a wonderful book. The book should make people uncomfortable, as should parts of this country's history. I don't agree with trying to censor or hide what children learn about history. The ugliness is just as important as the triumphs.

It's not exactly banned - still available in the school libraries, etc. - it is just no longer included in the classroom curriculum.

Great literature often addresses difficult topics and makes us uncomfortable or to reconsider our viewpoints......that's what makes it great literature. More of the dumbing down of the American intellect (or lack thereof!). Heaven forbid something should offend our delicate sensibilities!!

And a Cambridge MA librarian refused Melania Trump's donation of Dr Seuss books as "racist propaganda". Sigh....

I wonder if they'll remove "The Lord of the Flies". Oh, they probably did long ago. Wouldn't want the little darlings to know that societies can break down and bad things can happen.

And a Cambridge MA librarian refused Melania Trump's donation of Dr Seuss books as "racist propaganda". Sigh....

That's incorrect.

dear-mrs-trump

Nothing surprises me anymore.

I'm more surprised that it was ever included in their curriculum.

No wonder we're in the mess we're in.

I have nothing to add but more outrage. It is very hard to believe such a thing could be happening in 21st.C America.

I remember when Ronald Reagan said if the Russians had done to the American educational system what we had done, we would have called it an act of war.

I'm soooo happy that my adult "kids" and Grandkids (teenagers; one in the USAF) aren't "offended" by anything and everything (like me.) "To Kill A Mockingbird"? REALLY? This country is going to hell in a handbasket because of the Political Correctness idiots kowtowing to the snowflakes. We rational ADULTS need to take society back from that BS for the sake of the younger generations. I fear for the society my Grandkids will be living in if this idiocity continues.

drewsmaga, if you're referring to the Mockingbird book matter, maybe you have it backwards or I'm misunderstanding you. In this case, parents complained about the book being a fixed part of the course of study (obviously, because it highlights and questions establishment racism). The school superintendent decided to remove it from the curriculum. This article from the local paper quotes him as saying he doesn't understand what the problem is.

What's the problem?

The first link earlier, to the LA Times article, has the following sentence:

"According to the American Library Assn., the novel has been challenged in recent years in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina." All Southern states, together with Mississippi, the setting of this incident.

After all these years, it's sad that there still remains a lot of racism in our country and a lot of people who won't miss a chance to try to perpetuate ignorance of past injustices by trying to keep such major thought provoking works out of school curricula. Where it belongs.

Kids read it in my high school in Kansas. And they love it! In this day of phones and I pads in the classroom, it is nice to see that book out, and kids reading it even if they are supposed to be doing something else, like math, science, etc. I just don't "see " them and let them read!

When our son was reading it (and some other "politically incorrect" books) we used them as discussion topics during dinner. It was very interesting to see how he related the subject matter of the books to current affairs or norms. Yes, sadly we just keep taking opportunities away from our young people rather than stretching them to learn to think and grow.

Schools here still assign "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Lord of the Flies". I had to buy them for my kids last school year . I had never read them so I've been doing that as I have time. I just finished "To Kill A Mockingbird" a couple of weeks ago.

I'm not a big fan of censorship.

"... school board vice president Kenny Holloway [said"] “There is some language in the book that makes people uncomfortable, and we can teach the same lesson with other books.” "

Later in the article it implied the uncomfortable word was n*****. I can see that takes a degree of student maturity and/or teacher control to use in a classroom. Sad that this school district has so little faith in its teachers and students -- people of any age tend to live up, or down, to expectations. What I'd like to know from the school district is: what other book(s) will being used to teach the "same lesson"?

read, sorta, "TKAM" in HS... was not much into "required reading". remembered very little except time of story and black/white issues. RE-read it 2 years ago along with a 10th grade English class... and really enjoyed it. when Tom Robinson'r trial (and eventual murder) came front and center, HS kids were yelling... not fair and how they wouldn't have taken that. it's a shame that HS kids don't know that YES they would have taken that! if black, could have disliked practices all you'd want but that was NOT gonna change anything that was going on in a small southern town at that time. and if you were white, either would have seen nothing wrong with what happened to Tom Robinson or knew better than say something about it.

Read "Animal House" for the first time a few years ago. sadly, i really don't think the kids GOT that being "more equal" part at all?? teacher really didn't have the "time" to explain what that book was pretty much mocking??

to remove these classics from schools/libraries is the same as saying what they represented never happened.

oh, when class was assigned "Catcher in the Rye"... thought that was a "dirty" book. think it was probably banned when i was in HS? i was interested in all the specific people/places/things that were mentioned and just HAD to go look them up. the stage couple... were real people. a specific brand of suitcase was mentioned... i found it, and they're still made. that record Holden bought for his sister...

Naturally high schoolers to day are never exposed to the N-word through music or pop culture ;-)

I wonder what books are suitable for a high school classroom in the districts that find Harper Lee's work too unsettling? The human condition is fraught with difficulties and unpleasantness. Literature reflects this and asks us to ponder our response.

I clearly remember the phrase "more equal" in Animal Farm and my classroom knew what it meant had had a good laugh at the phrase. Despite our dreary out-of-date required reading list, our English teacher had us reading and enjoying good books.

And a Cambridge MA librarian refused Melania Trump's donation of Dr Seuss books as "racist propaganda". Sigh....

That's incorrect.

I'm rather confused. First, I wasn't aware of this, second, I followed the link you provided, CindyMac, and it seems the books were refused? Could someone also please read the 2 letters and give their thoughts? BTW, I'm of no political affiliation, I just like to be better informed on facts.

My students were interested in reading your enclosed letter and impressed with the beautiful bookplates with your name and the indelible White House stamp, however, we will not be keeping the titles for our collection. I’d like to respectfully offer my explanation.

The explanation was rather long, but included these statements:

Even so, we still struggle to close the achievement gap, retain teachers of color, and dismantle the systemic white supremacy in our institution.

Why not go out of your way to gift books to underfunded and underprivileged communities that continue to be marginalized and maligned by policies put in place by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos?

So, my school doesn’t have a NEED for these books. And then there’s the matter of the books themselves. You may not be aware of this, but Dr. Seuss is a bit of a cliché, a tired and worn ambassador for children’s literature.

Another fact that many people are unaware of is that Dr. Seuss’s illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes.

I realize by only posting some of the 'explanation' this doesn't show full intent, but it seems the books were returned, the explanation being the school librarian felt they could go to less fortunate schools (though she felt no need to forward the books to any of those schools), and she went further to state the books by Dr. Seuss were racist and stereotypical. And I really do not understand why she commented on the 'expense' of sending ten books 2nd day air. Wasteful government spending? I can think of infinitely larger wastes by the government. This felt more like a political commentary rather than saying 'we don't NEED the books'.

ETA: What I'm trying (poorly) to say is I do think she felt the books racist and stereotypical, therefore she had the books sent back, but used the explanation of lack of need for the books.

So, what am I not getting please? And no, I'm not trying to rehash anything or start an argument, simply attempting to see what I've missed perhaps.

BTW, anyone remember The Monkey's Paw, The Lottery, being required reading in grade school? I do. I enjoyed them, and they gave me a lot to consider.

My take on the response by the Cambridge school librarian:

The wife of a red president who's so extreme and unpredictable that he's rejected by many in his own party, is the face of a program that sent books to a school system in an extremely blue area. A small, affluent college town. What do you expect the reaction to be, even if what was sent was generally reasonable and acceptable? She clearly saw it as opportunity to overreact and make a statement.

Obviously, the librarian had a need to come up with reasons to say thanks but no thanks. A few were thoughtful, a few not.

The list sent back is also unbalanced in my view, with too much emphasis on race/ethnicity/cultural themes. These are important topics but should not be a monopoly of reading by primary/secondary children.

I did some looking around and found more information on the Cambridge librarian. She's a bit too hippie/dippy and new age for my taste. So Mrs. Trump's offering couldn't have landed on the wrong desk. The result could have been expected to be as it was.

I'm sure others can add more and better thoughts, those are mine.

Oh, some high school kids call each other N***** all the time, and Bit** too. It is just so low class. And then people want to ban books with the N word in it to spare feelings. Jeez!

Thank you for your input, Elmer. Actually, much of what you said are my thoughts. I suppose perhaps I'm tired of all the fighting between red and blue (as you wisely phrased the topic), and wish people would not be so petty. I understand taking a stand (red or blue) on larger issues, but this just seemed politically motivated, and rather petty.

I think the Cambridge librarian politicized something that should have been left alone. Making silly comments like she did, does not further her noble cause. Her comments seem self-aggrandizing to boot. Her time would have been better spent using the gift as a way to build a bridge to the children she wished to see better served. Leadership by example and service is a far more potent tool than leadership by brow-beating.

PS Can you imagine if that librarian had found a way of giving the children from an underserved community a platform for their voices to be heard, instead of giving herself one? That could have been a powerful lesson for the children (underserved children don't see themselves as having a voice) and for education leaders to be reminded of who their true constituents are.

I found the letter more offensive than anything I had heard on the news. I was shocked and appalled by it. If the librarian wanted to help some school in Chicago, she should have just sent the books there, but it was quite obvious she wanted to have her 15 minutes of fame. As to To Kill a Mockingbird, I hate the "n" word. Even hate reading it in a book. However, when it is used to reflect the times and situations as they existed, that's different. We have to stop burying our heads in the sand and wiping out all parts of our history that some people find offensive. All parts of our past, personal and country is what makes us what we are today. Reflecting back on the bad is what makes us strive to be better.

All this PC is ruing America. And I am tired of it.

Several of you have mentioned political correctness as playing a role with this incident and I'm not following or seeing the connection. An explanation would be appreciated.

Here, here's Californias' banned books. Including your fav, the Lorax. Books can be banned anywhere, any time (I notice you have it all about southern states, when in reality, it's a US issue). Is that political correctness enough for you?

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You know full well how things get watered down in political correctness. The focus shifts in the wrong way. The true issue never gets addressed. And no one ever gets to be special.

Elmer J Fudd: Can't say for sure as I didn't comment on the original post itself, but will now... the racial prejudice in the book (as well as the violence) seems to be what makes the school district 'uncomfortable'. They didn't elaborate what specifically made the school district 'uncomfortable' so all we can do at this point is guess (unless I missed that in the articles).

Ignoring the past, not acknowledging our history and other's histories, makes us stupid. We learn from our mistakes as well as our successes. Well, we are supposed to, anyway. "Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it."

rob333, I'd have to wipe my eyes from laughing if it weren't just too sad. Really? Of the books that have been challenged in your link: Jack and Jill; Mac's for Dummies, Clan of the Cave Bear, The Bluest Eye... I could go on, but that doesn't make any sense. Sadly.

See, that's the thing about America. Freedom of speech. Someone always wants to get in a twist over a book (or display, or a...), but why? Why not find the appropriate venue, rather than ban a book (or learn to let someone enjoy their menorah on display, etc.)? We should be different. Doncha think 2many?

rob, I'm flattered that you remembered something I'd said in passing. In return, I looked at the link you posted to find where The Lorax had been banned. It turns out it was in 1989 in Laytonville, CA, population 1200. There in logging country, it was banned for demonizing the forestry industry. Nowhere else. Nowhere else. It may be instructive to know that the area around Laytonville, in Mendocino County, has long been the most active center for the cultivation of another, higher value agricultural product. The school district may have partaken of a bit too much of the second when enacting this ban.

You can pass over this one and forget about it safely, it's indicative of nada. And the other ones on the map aren't much either, pockets of dumb things done in very small places. After going through that, I'd conclude - no significant censorship exists in California schools. That surprises me a bit.

But this is something other than political correctness, if I understand. Just like the Scopes Trial (over 90 years ago and still debated in some places), it's a matter of a minority of parents trying to control what's done in schools for all children, when it doesn't line up with their own views.

Efforts to stop discussions about racism are focused in the South. That wasn't my information, it was in the article. An irony is that I would guess some percentage of the parents in Biloxi complaining about the book, and the presence of the offensive N word, may very well use that word themselves. And not in a friendly way.

Books being banned in American is the symptom of a bigger problem. As usual, you missed my point. I hope you get it now. It's not about the south or CA. It's about banning that which we should be talking about. Fahrenheit 451 or Of Mice and Men. To Kill a Mockingbird and The Lorax. It doesn't matter where they were banned. That was the point. Don't pass over this discussion, but keep its focus on WHY books are being banned, not where.

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You asked what political correctness had to do with it, and bothers you I used you as an example. You really want to go down that Biloxi path, it's about as minor as Laytonville, and neither indicative of the real issue.

Laura Ingalls Wilder "Little House in the big Woods"? You gotta be kidding me?

And, I thought that librarian was way out of line. Others have said it better than me, but what a pretentious, self-serving twit

Parents aren't always right - you can look at the children many raise and how they turn out to see that. School leaders, like politicians, are sometimes influenced by their constituents. Some who have no backbones are influenced when they shouldn't be. Others use the comments as an excuse to do what they maybe wanted to do anyway. Not enough in these cases are directed by a wish to do the right thing.

To me, this conversation was about racism and how some refuse to let go. Rob, I've been all over the South and visit certain places down there every year. The presence of racism is palpable and different from elsewhere. There are racists everywhere and not just in the US, but the white/black tension in the South and racist expressions on both sides are hard to miss. That's what I thought the discussion was and it is significant because of where it happened.

I've lived in California and experienced more racism there than the south. So? I can assure you it was highly palpable being white in a black majority neighborhood. Or my father married to a Filipina; hatred is rampant everywhere. Get over yourself. No one was racist against you. You hate the south and have stated so often. I don't hate California, nor do I go around saying I'm better than those who hated me.

I'd long since said my peace, and only responded to what you said when I thought you were trying misdirection to sidestep what I saw as the real issue.

A random California/South observation: After a long absence from the South, I spent a few weeks there this summer- in Texas and Louisiana specifically. Compared to where I live, I found the south **much** more integrated, which can only be a good thing.

And to be perfectly honest there is tremendous racism in my specific California town against Asians. So all is not as pretty and cool as it seems in my fair state (which I really do love.)

I'm quite sure I try to redirect it back to the original post when you ranted, yet again, about the south.

Rita, I love both states and I find them different from each other, and beautiful in different ways. I've lived everywhere, and people are people. The vibe is different from place to place, but get down to the brass tacks and you'll see it's all America, each American with a fierce love of where they live. Unfortunately (or not?) because I have lived so many places, all I can say is I LOVE this great land. All of it. I am from everywhere and nowhere. Love it all.

I agree the librarian's letter was written with an air of superiority. It's too bad her outrage and condescension wasn't directed at DeVos and whomever instructed Melania to send the books in the first place.

Rita, I know what you're talking about. Part of it, rightly or wrongly, is that some have reacted to what has been a large influx of Asian people (of all nationalities) into California and the Bay Area in a relatively short period of time. Is it racism or maybe better described as ethnocentrism? If over a span of 10 years there were a new group of 30,000 Sicilian immigrants in Fremont or 10,000 Brazilians in Burlingame (or anywhere else), people would talk about the impact and changes created. There are no laws or conventions against what anyone can do or not do, issues about where they can live, discrimination in hiring (for the most part). It'll settle down in time. That's very different from tensions between communities that have been in a given region for decades and centuries.

I'm not an adherent of the "this is a great country" movement. There are a lot of things that are frustratingly wrong and seemingly impossible to change. I think it's an okay country. There are many others that are also okay and some much better in some ways. It doesn't matter, does it?