Banned Books Week

[Mark Chance]

We may have finally stumbled upon the Grand Unification Theory of Group Politics... Namely, both sides seek to stifle speech it deems 'offensive'.

Quite right. I effectively lost a consulting job where I worked in public schools here in Houston because I used the word "snowman" instead of the education-system approved "snowpeople." I was also subjected to a harangue about how my sexism, evidenced by my use of the offensive "snowman," perpetuated anti-woman stereotypes and contributed to violence against women.

Speech control is thought control, and no special interest group has a monopoly. For more information, check out Diane Ravitch's The Language Police: How Pressure Groups Restrict What Students Learn. To meet Joshua's criterion of what should provoke worry, Ravitch does an admirable job of detailing censorship done by the government.

 

[frankthedm]

I'm in perfect agreement with Mark Chance.... I knew this was a screwed up thread...

Kahuna Burger

It doesn't surprise me that a IMHO left slanting political thread lasted this long on EN world.

 

[Djeta Thernadier]

Quite right. I effectively lost a consulting job where I worked in public schools here in Houston because I used the word "snowman" instead of the education-system approved "snowpeople." I was also subjected to a harangue about how my sexism, evidenced by my use of the offensive "snowman," perpetuated anti-woman stereotypes and contributed to violence against women.

I'm female.

I could never take myself seriously again if I referred to a Snowman as a Snowperson. I suppose I could say "Snowpeople" in the even that I was referring to more than one of them.

Do the kids have to start singing Frosty the Snowperson?

Or is that different because the particular snowperson in that song is actually mentioned as being a snowperson of the male persuasion during the song? Or did they make them change it?

Do inanimate objects made of snow even have genders at all, per se? If so, was the Snowperson in question a male or female? If it was in fact a male snowperson, I think you should battle it out in Snowpeople court and try and get some sort of equal rights law for all snowpeople, male or female, passed.



Oh my...this is just silly.

 

[Djeta Thernadier]

It doesn't surprise me that a IMHO left slanting political thread lasted this long on EN world.

I am in no, way , shape or form "left slanting". I'm about as independent as they come.

I think banning books is wrong.

It's neither the left nor the right that is trying to do this. It's both sides. it's various special interest groups. That's why banned books week is so important, because IMO, most clear thinking, rational, Americans, whatever their political choice may be, cherish the freedom to read whatever they wish, and do not want the government or any one special interest group picking and choosing what is in their public libraries.

 

[Desdichado]

Buttercup: I didn't read the site, I just saw that it was hosted on the A.L.A. server. I've got my connections to that organization as well -- having worked ILL at the Texas A&M University library for a number of years. My father is also the Dean of Libraries at Texas Tech. It did seem odd to consider the ALA publishing a list of banned books, especially since a good many of those are classics and were required reading for me growing up.

WayneLigon, perhaps I did have more access than most, although I find that odd. I grew up in a modestly sized community, and it was still easier for me to run to Waldenbooks and spend a few bucks on books than it was for me to go to the public library. The library was downtown in a relatively seedy area, and it wasn't really a great idea for a 13 yo to ride nearly 45 minutes on his bike to get there. Not that I didn't do it very regularly.

 

[Dinkeldog]

First, the proper way to deal with this would be to report a post and bring it up there.

Second, I don't find it "left-leaning". It seems fairly centrist, and while bordering on political is a topic that does not inherently have to be such.

Third, everyone's been playing nice and not labeling other people, name-calling, or the like.

That's why it's still open.

 

[Dinkeldog]

Mark, do you even get snow in Houston?

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

It doesn't surprise me that a IMHO left slanting political thread lasted this long on EN world.

I don't find this thread to be left-leaning nor particularly political. "Thought control" is an issue of relevance to the right and the left.

Although I would describe most of the EN mods I personally know as left-leaning, I've never noticed it to impact their moderating.

And also in my experience, folks who insist on calling themselves "independent" are usually left-leaning-- their definition of a centrist position is still, to those on the right, left of center. At any rate not many conservatives feel the need to dodge the label.

Wulf

 

[diaglo]

i ban books at my table.

pen, paper, minis, dice and imagination only.

 

[Mark Chance]

Mark, do you even get snow in Houston?

Not for quite a while. Proof of a general trend toward global warming can be found right outside my door.