What has happened to responsible adults?

Sounds like the "panel" didn't care to read some of the finer details in those books, because they never would have been approved if so.

Kids read those books anyhow. Well, the small percentage of kids who actually read books tend to read those type of books. Making them "required" or recommended reading is retarded. But I'm not shocked when 8th graders have done weirder sexual things than I ever have.
 
I guess you would call someone a responsible adult if they have a signature that says "Homophobe: A word invented for the sole purpose of harassing normal people" ? We have different definitions.
 
The Link

and

Top All-Time Donors, 1989-2010
LEGEND: Republican Democrat On the fence




Rank Organization Total '89-'10 Dem % Repub % Tilt
1 ActBlue $55,059,076 99% 0%
2 American Fedn of State, County & Municipal Employees $45,792,853 94% 1%
3 AT&T Inc $41,660,104 44% 54%
4 National Assn of Realtors $40,020,510 47% 49%
5 Service Employees International Union $37,130,289 75% 2%
6 National Education Assn $36,433,425 81% 5%
7 American Assn for Justice $34,094,421 89% 8%
8 Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers $33,824,355 97% 2%
9 Laborers Union $31,415,067 89% 7%
10 American Federation of Teachers $31,342,403 91% 0%
 
There are usually dozens of books on these reading lists. Your child doesn't have to read something that you would rather not have him/her experience. That's your job as a parent.

However, it is reprehensible to attempt to restrict what someone else can read. You don't get to decide which ideas appeal to my kids, or what perspectives they choose to consider. **** censorship and anyone who advocates it.
 
As permissive as this board is, i still would never have believed we'd have posters lining up to defend this. Or at least to use it as an excuse to deride the person who has the gall to think it's offensive to include graphic accounts of orgies, drug use and pedophilia in a school reading program. And the to equate excluding those readings with censorship? Really??
 
Let's see, I'd bet 90-95% of all high school males and 30-50% of high school females want to read the lesbian novels. And since they are probably all fantasizing about someone at their high school, they either are or would like to be sex offenders of the underage variety.

It makes perfect sense a liberal would give them what they want, however age inappropriate. It would be interesting to find out the political leanings of who approved the book for the reading list.
 
The more i hear about decisions made in our schools, the more I think they administrators must just check their brains at the door each day when they arrive at work. There are some great teachers out there, and I know all of their jobs are tough. However, thinking seems to be a lost art.

That, and there is definitely a gay and lesbian agenda for some of them. Pathetic.
 
CedarPark - you completely ignored my first paragraph. Parents and students who don't want to read these books don't have to. It's a reading list with dozens of options. Help your kids pick the books they will read, but don't tell another family what they allow their teenagers to read.

The underlying topic here is this prudish hysteria surrounding a Bronze age demonization of sex. That's no way for modern people to understand contemporary culture. Sex is a significant part of human experience. Cloaking sex behind a veil of taboos isn't healthy.

Norwegian Wood, the book with the ephebophilia theme, is one that would definitely require some frank discussion between parent and child. However, the work seems to be one of serious merit. It's been universally well reviewed and received many literary awards. It's also been made into a movie. With more than 24,000 ratings on goodreads, it has an average of 3.99, so there's a significant level of interest in the work that justifies its inclusion on a reading list. Just because it doesn't appeal to you doesn't mean that others can't read it.
 
Then if it's optional and we should include more frank and graphic discussions of sex in our 14-year-old's reading program, why don't we put a penthouse forum compilation on there as well? I hear it gets great reviews from the people who read it, and parents can always opt out of having their kid read it.
 
If anyone defended this required reading list has middle school age daughters would you be ok with a book detailing graphically sexual encounters between a 13 y o girl and a 31 y o man?
 
put the Anarchists Cookbook back on reading lists for teenagers! Schools can never have enough pipe bombs and improperly made LSD.

Where is the line drawn? Or is there any desire to draw a line any longer?
 
It's not about being OK with it. You don't get to decide for someone else what books they read. How is that so hard to understand?

Frankly, if I had a teenage daughter (I only have boys) I would want her to understand how some adult men would view her. It's important for teenage girls to know how to deal with such advances before they are forced into a situation they're not prepared to understand. Just ignoring the real dangers of that kind of predation is whistling past the graveyard.
 
I think many adults think its better to be your kids best friend than a parent. I think the mindset is similar for some teachers. This looks like the, we can't get the kids to read literature so let's put some trash on the list so they will read it, mindset....our education system is in the crapper because we do not hold the kids or parents to a high standard and the schools, because of the laws in place and culture, are more concerned with liability, wasteful programs and special interests. The statistics don't lie. Half the kids are not being educated which results in a growing population of poor because there are fewer and fewer blue collar jobs to employ these people. Its unfortunate that those in power have no backbone.
 
syracuse
"You don't get to decide for someone else what books they read"
Do you really mean that?
first of all: if it is on a REQUIRED reading list someone decided for your child
second: are you saying as a parent You don't think you have any role in what your child reads, up to an age point? ( and I think 13 is still an age when you should decide with her what is readable and what isn't)

third: so you think reading graphic details of what a 31 y o man would sexually do to to a 13 y o girl helps her understand how 31 y o men view her?
You realize that is sexual abuse and is against the law in most states
 
When I was 12 or 13 the guy who cut my hair asked me if I wanted some 'Playboys.' I said sure. He asked my mother, who was on hand, if that would be acceptable. He elaborated by saying that there were some 'Penthouse' type mags in the bunch, as well. My mother assented.

When I next got my hair cut he retrieved them from his car and handed them to me in an over-sized, padded envelope that was losing some of its 'stuffing.' While he and my mother transacted for the haircut I took slid one mag half way out. I found my self face to face with a cover shot of one woman orally gratifying another woman from behind - very graphic - price tag of $15 (1979 or so). I knew there was a failure to comprehend or communicate somewhere and that the advantage was falling to me, so I kept quiet. We went to a bank afterwards and while mum was in the money-lenders hold I perused the package and found 30 or so mags that ranged from Hustler to $25 mags filled with hardcore porn shots. there was a 1-14 ratio of the former to the latter, though there was also a couple of text-only 'books.'

I was so young that I didn't even put the mags to 'good use,' though I sold a number of them before my mother discovered my ploy and confiscated them.

The hairdresser was then a 23 or so year old man who had yet to admit to himself that he was gay (not obviously). He had no interest in the mags so he hadn't really looked at them closely. A customer had given them to him and he put them in a closet until transferring them to his trunk for delivery to yours truly. He is still a good friend of the family and the last time we had drinks we laughed heartily about his error in judgment. Still, it was pretty cool.

Anyway, if the Murakami book was not 'required,' but one of many choices, the educators responsible for the reading list needed to make sure everyone knew what the book was and that it was not mandatory. It would be wrong to make it required reading but I see nothing wrong with giving the parents a choice. That said, there are so many great books that don't involve such sticky issues, why bother with it? I am personally indifferent to this kind of thing, but I don't see any reason to rankle people whose sensibilities are a little on the touchy side.
 
Some of you have serious reading comprehension issues.

These reading lists have dozens of books on them, sometimes as many as 50. Students are asked to pick one or two to read over the summer. The students are not required to read any specific book on the list. Parents, you should discuss the list with your kids so that you can agree which books would be best. I've said this 3 times now. I think that addresses the "required' and "parenting" issues.

What isn't your role is to tell another parent which books on the list are appropriate for their children. Taking a book off a reading list because it offends *you* is censorship. What if the school district, at the behest of another parent, dropped a book from the reading list that you thought would be good for your child to read? How would you react? This is Veggie Tales level of right and wrong here.

Act as a parent to your kids, but don't try to parent mine. Personally, I'll let my sons read anything they want. If they read something that I haven't read before, then I'll read it myself too. Then we can talk about it.

Your "third" question 6271 is just insane. Discussing the issue of sexual advances (both from peers and adults) is your job as a parent. If you don't provide her with the knowledge she needs to cope with sexual advances, then you're putting her at risk for manipulation, emotional distress, or even rape. Books that discuss these issues can help open the dialogue. If this particular book isn't right for you and your daughter, then read something else, but don't fail to address the topic with your kids.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

NEW: Pro Sports Forums

Cowboys, Texans, Rangers, Astros, Mavs, Rockets, etc. Pro Longhorns. The Chiefs and that Swift gal. This is the place.

Pro Sports Forums

Recent Threads

Back
Top