I'll return to my current ongoing series in the near future, but for now I will pause to share something that has been troubling our family. This may be longer than usual, but if you bear with me it may be enlightening. I would value the opinions of some fellow Christians on how you recommend we deal with this.
Our son, Justin, attends a public school where his fifth grade reading class consists of reading groups in which children read book chapters independently and then come together as a group with the teacher to discuss and share their responses. They also provide written responses.
One day Justin came home lamenting that his most recent assignment had a lot of "bad words" in it. My wife, Gretchen, being a responsible parent, chose to investigate. So in one evening she read the book through to discover twelve occurrences of "butthead," two occurrences of "maxi-pad," (used as a name), and at least one occurrence of "turd." The book also described bullies who threatened to "slice and dice" their victims and one instance of murder in which a four-year-old child watches his mother be strangled to death by the boy's father.
We found it appalling that such literature was being assigned in a public school and that our tax dollars are paying for it. So we requested that Justin be moved to another reading group. Before long he was reading a book called "Travel Team" about a traveling basketball team. Again, he mentioned bad words.
So again, Gretchen investigated. Reading yet another book in one sitting she noted the following occurrences of crude or profane language:
- The names of God and Christ as bywords including the term g--d---
- A reference to "kissing butt"
- two occurrences of the "S" word
- Nine occurrences of the word p--s
- Two occurrences of "ass" (and not in reference to a donkey)
- At least one occurrence of the "B" word.
- One occurrence of "rat's ass"
- The usual "H" and "D" words
- The phrase "stick it up his a--"
- The phrase "Screw em'"
And this is only a partial list.
So naturally we requested that he not finish that book. So he was assigned yet another book called "The Egypt Game" in which a group of elementary school children trespass on a man's property without permission, where they meet to imitate religious Egyptian rituals. They pretend to be priests, fashioning their own idols, making sacrifices, and using a tuna can of "holy water." The book's stated purpose (in so many words) is to discourage judgmentalism and to encourage a tolerance for diversity. The book concludes with a two chapter preview of the author's follow-up in which the kids are reading palms and telling fortunes.
When Gretchen lamented the use of bad words in these books, one of the district's supposed literary "experts" replied that it is "open to interpretation." But Gretchen objected that if it is open to interpretation, then why does page 24 of the school handbook forbid the possession or use of profanity by students on campus? The school obviously has some standard of what they consider profanity and what they do not. They make a distinction between appropriate and inappropriate language. So why are they allowing a double standard in which kids are assigned books with language that they could be expelled for repeating?
The reading teacher claims that since our child reads above his grade level, the content we're complaining about is just unavoidable. And she says that in middle school it's even worse!
There have been some concessions in reponse to our grievances. It is claimed that a couple of books have been pulled from the book room due to our complaints. Gretchen has also been told that she has the right to read and approve any future books before they are assigned to our child. He has even been given the option to do independent study.
Gretchen toured the book room and was asked for her opinion on another book called "My Brother Sam is Dead." Multiple copies are in the reading room, so Gretchen borrowed one and read it (It has not, to my knowledge, been assigned).
The book is historical fiction, set in the Revolutionary War era. There are multiple depictions of graphic violence including decapitation, bayoneting, and a detailed description of execution by firing squad at close range. Religious people are portrayed as hypocrites. Offensive language includes the following:
- The names of God and Jesus as bywords, including occurrences of g--d---
- "Bastard" is used twice.
- S.O.B is used once (and not the initials)
- Someone is told to go to hell
We have inquired about the school's criteria for choosing age-appropriate books. They depend largely on a website called "commonsensemedia.org". This website recommends "My Brother Sam is Dead" for eleven-years-old and up. We disagree. Any book that would be rated R or PG-13 if it were a movie, is not appropriate for eleven-year-olds.
Gretchen argued that impressionable children might be influenced by these books to repeat language, imitate acts of violence, or be troubled by the subject matter. She was told "You know your child" as if the extent of the problem is our immature or overly scrupulous child.
This isn't just about our child! That is far from the extent of the issue. This is about our society. Why should we, as tax payers, not be able to trust our public schools to not assign profanity and R rated subject matter to our children? This is a problem our parents and grandparents did not have to worry about. When we were kids we read Beverly Cleary, E. B. White, and Laura Ingalls Wilder. Where have all the decent authors gone? Is it really true that all literature for young readers has become off color or offensive? If the new stuff is all so bad, why can't we just assign the old stuff?
Moreover, my wife should not have to preview everything her son reads in public school. We have been told that she has that right and that our son could even do independent study. The problem with that is that we already work hard to pay our taxes. If we had time to home school we would not have enrolled in public school. As tax payers our interests should be considered.
And furthermore, as tax payers, our child should not be exposed to literature that violates our value system. Our child should not be assigned literature that defames or profanes the name of the God we worship. This is an offense to us. And yes, I know, any selection will offend someone. But there are some lines that no one is supposed to cross. Had these reading assignments profaned the name of Allah, this would have been considered inappropriate. If any minority were portrayed as stereotypically as Christians, this would have been considered inappropriate. But Christians are fair game as the only group of people that it's okay to offend. Double standard.
This isn't an attempt to impose our values or religion on others. The problem is that others' values are being forced upon our children. The stated purpose of "My Brother Sam is Dead" is to ask, "Could the U. S. have made its way without all the agony and killing?" The question, in other words, is to ask whether the Revolutionary War was even necessary. The book will certainly make you think twice before supporting any war effort. It's point is well taken. But it isn't much of a leap to interpret this as anti-war propaganda. Now we're even questioning the Revolution, which some would consider a challenge to patriotism itself.
I have no problem with an objective approach to the war issue, but do our kids get both sides? Do they also hear from conservative authors who applaud the veterans and who consider the Revolution to have been necessary to grant the freedoms the liberals claim to hold so dear?
And why can a book describing pagan worship be assigned in the name of tolerance and diversity? If the kids in that book had been playing church and observing the Christian sacraments, I'd guess that book would not be in the book room. Judeo-Christian beliefs and practices are the one thing we cannot tolerate. I'm not saying we should teach religion in the schools. I'm saying that if we're truly going to claim religious neutrality, then let's not use pagan or ancient religions to make a point about tolerance. Let's give everyone equal time or no time at all.
It seems that today's literature for young readers is one sided. It leans heavily toward irreligion, crudity, and liberalism. How are these books selected? Well, I mentioned the common sense media site, but the district also depends on recommendations in publishers' reviews. I noticed that some of the books in question are highly recommended by the New York Times and the American Library Association (ALA)--two of the most liberal institutions on the planet. I certainly don't want those guys influencing American children's reading assignments.
In case you haven't figured it out, there is an agenda at work here. Specific public schools may either be willing participants or clueless. But the agenda is to propagandize America's youth with the liberal agenda--to raise up an entire generation who shares their values.
This became very clear as I explored the ALA's website. One of their big causes is their ongoing campaign against censorship of any kind. They complain that each year books are pulled from school libraries because of parental complaints. They keep an ongoing list of most challenged books each year. They consider it a victory when they can partner with so-called civil liberties groups in blocking the pulling of these books. They argue that our young people deserve the right to make up their own minds about things.
And that is exactly my point. But how can young people make up their minds if they are only exposed to the liberal side? See, the liberals have their own brand of censorship. I doubt that many of them would approve of "Little Black Sambo" or "Uncle Remus" in the school library. But hey, if we're going to be consistent, anything goes! The ALA hates censorship, but they aren't above trying to censor parents and conservative tax payers.
What I'm arguing is not censorship in the true sense. I'm not saying we prevent what can be written, or published, or that we burn the books in question. I'm saying that at the very least these books should have ratings just like the Hollywood movies. And of course the ALA is fighting that with everything they've got, arguing that it prejudices readers against certain materials. My point is that it could protect children from what I consider inappropriate.
At the very least I think schools could do a better job screening. If the commonsense website is their filter of choice, they should look at the summary of the book's content and not just the recommended age level. Anything with profanity, sexuality, or graphic violence should not be considered in a public school--at least not in elementary school or middle school.
What I would like to know is this: Do most parents know what their kids are reading? And do they care? Why have I been so out-of-the-loop on this? Why have I never heard about the kind of stuff they're assigning in elementary or middle schools?
Why has there not been more of a public outcry? Hasn't anybody made this their cause? I know that evangelicals have battled homosexual marriage, abortion, and pornography. They have provided online movie reviews for Christians. But are any Christian groups watchdogging children's literature? Who are the experts? And if one cares to fight this politically, who do they call for help?
And the last question. Should we even bother to fight it or just throw up our hands and conclude that change is not possible? How much good has Dobson's war on pornography really accomplished?
I've never been much of an activist and have always been fairly apolitical. And yet I feel some responsibility as an American tax payer, in a government by the people, to make my voice heard and at least get the word out. But where does one begin and is it worth it? Is it naive to expect sweeping reform? But if we can just influence one school board member, one principal, or one superintendent, or inform one parent, is it worth it? Have we made a difference? Or should we simply retreat to the private schools and let the liberals run things unchallenged?
What do some of you Christians think?