How do you strike out and hit a home run at the same time?
Right now, you can't in the game of baseball; but, not necessarily an impossibility in opinion writing, I am not talking about anything you have read in this blog. I have to manage a home run first. Today's "Our View" in The Standard Times does just that though.
The view concerns the recent debate over the reading list for the Middle School students in our Town. A number of people, and not just parents, have raised the issue of whether some of the books on the list are appropriated for children of the age at the school.
I have done several pieces on the matter. I think I have made my personal position pretty clear. Taking into account, all the books on the list, that the choice was any one of the 24 books on the list, the acclaim received by the objected to books (and also the criticism), I did not support the positions or opposition to the inclusion of the books on an optional list.
As I have said, I am not a firm believer in censorship.
Yet as much as I agreed with the censorship premise of the "Our View" piece, I was greatly disturbed by the characterization in opinion that the actions of those in oppositions amounted to bullying.
Seriously?
Since when in this country has the act of objecting to something in this country turned into bullying?
As much as I agree with the fact that the books have a right to be included on such a list, I can also see the point of view of those on the other side. I recognize their right to seek redress for what they consider something to be wrong. I even will go far as to say they should be acknowledged and applauded for their willingness to stand up and be counted.
Certainly there could be, and are, examples of those in opposition attempting to bully others in attempts to get their way. Making your point known however and taking actions such as circulating petitions, writing letters, and addressing a governmental body, all within the bounds of well recognized and appropriate civil discourse is not, and should never be considered bullying.
You will find these two statements in the piece:
It's clear the administration and I have entirely different moral standards.
And that is precisely the point. Most of us don't agree about what is appropriate and what isn't.
Indeed that is precisely the point. It is exactly why no one should be criticized for exercising their rights for making known their point of view known or for fighting for those rights within the framework in which this issue has been presented.
Completely lost in the entire piece is the fact that those books may not in fact be appropriate for some children of that age, for a whole host of reasons other than a parents personal beliefs. That is why, I would think, an optional list of 24 books was created, to offer a choice. Unlike the newspaper, I might in fact have found great concern if the list did in fact only contain the objectionable books.
We have all read in this very same newspaper articles and opinion pieces lamenting public apathy and citizen involvement. Characterizing such things as have been done by citizens to date on this matter as bullying is just another way to discourage this. Whether intended or not, it will cause some to think twice about getting involved, and cause one to think so for the wrong reasons.
It is one thing to characterize a position as wrong and to point blank say so, but are you any less a bully by labeling those who take such legitimate actions as bullies?
If what these parents did was bullying, than I just spent two weeks recently watching Republican and Democrats attempting to bully everyone else into going along with them, not mention the continuing acts of bullies calling my home daily and flooding my mail box with fliers, all in their attempts to bully me into going along with them.
Why does a group of citizens rallying together to make known their differing opinion equate to bullying?
If what these citizens here have done to this point make them bullies, then every single group of people protesting anything are no better. Because I or the newspaper might agree with them would make it no less so.
I agree whole heartily with the actions of the school committee. I disagree just as much with labeling those in opposition as bullies.
We as a community can only be strengthened by legitimate debate. Having the courage of one's convictions should not be something that subjects one to such a label as "bully".
How one does something is the difference between being a bully and a good citizen.
The right of an individual to submit his or her complaints to government is as fundamental as reading. No citizen should be criticized for that act.
Because we may not agree with what someone wants does not give us the right to resort to attempt to embarrass them into silence. Whether intended or not, that is exactly what was done with that opinion piece.
To me, that piece was an attempt at censorship in the worst form.
I started the petition after reading what I considered to be excessive, crude language and content in a book that was required reading for grade 8 students at Hastings Middle School. To be honest, I knew that some of it was common vocabulary in our society, but to read it in a school recommended selection was not only shocking, but extremely disappointing.
ReplyDeleteI cannot explain the whole series of events that took place between that time and now, but suffice it to say, the initial book was not nearly as disturbing as what has been discovered since.
It pains me to admit, that parents have no recourse for the school making these types of recommendations.
While administrators have designed a dress code for our children, and parents must dress their children in accordance with those parameters, parents cannot suggest to the school any parameters for a recommended reading list. For them, anything goes.
Even though the books in question are acceptable state recommendations, as claimed by the H.M.S. administrator, it can also be pointed out that there are many 'state recommended' titles and authors that are not included on the school's list. Whoever chose these titles chose them with their own purpose in mind.
The titles in question have been, and are available in book stores and libraries. No one is standing in the way of anyone obtaining them. I don't think anyone should be labeled a 'book burner' because the contents has been scrutinized. I did not ask for the book to be banned, but I did question the school's motives in making these recommendations.
For the anguish this has caused me, I can only hope for two things, that parents are aware that they need to thoroughly review what is recommended by the Fairhaven Public Schools, it might not be what they think. And that parents ARE allowed to have the reading list in time to READ the books before vacation. I think we at least deserve that opportunity.