AIDS Memoir Pulled from Library

This has to be reactionary on more than one level. If parents want to shelter their children because of their own bigotry, then that's their problem; but don't go banning information from public institutions so no one else can access it. If I had a child, I wouldn't care if they wanted to read this kind of material. Who are you to take that privilege away from everybody else?

Of course, the school, itself, ultimately made that decision. I direct my frustration just as much at them. I don't even understand why public schools act like they're private institutions, because they aren't.

I get where you're coming from, but it was a middle school library. The sexual content is probably what parents most objected to, and that book is probably still available at the high-school and public libraries. If it were pulled from one of those however, I'd be pissed.

*twitches* wtf? I learned what A.I.D.S were in 5th grade... that is messed up imo

Why is it inappropriate for any age group? That's not up to you to decide for my children.

I just don't see any reason for the state or federal government to be upholding censorship. All censorship does is enforce repressive beliefs about how things are taboo and sinful. It's like swearing. Do you think it's okay that public institutions enforce punishment against children for expressions, simply because those expressions are taboo? Words have no intrinsic value. We claim to be a country of free expression, but we frequently enforce thought-crimes because of cultural hang-ups about expressions and lifestyles that we - generation after generation - pervert through censorship.

Now granted, there is a limit to what you can do. A society that is completely free with no restrictions will destroy itself. But yeah, government censorship is bad.

Yeah, I totally agree with that Zera. Free country is not so free :/

I completely agree, which is why I plan on stocking my child's elementary school library with hardcore bestiality porn. And how dare they if they try to censor me! Hell, I'll make sure my kids grow up watching it every night. The government has no right to say what my kids can or cannot see.
I agree with this, too. That's why I yell "I've got a bomb, nobody move!" at the top on my lungs every time I walk into an airport. We're a country of free expression, and darn-it, I want to express myself.

Yeah, we should be allowed to do whatever we want, whenever we want. I'm going to go stab a 6 year old in the face, because that's what I want to do.

I agree with Merth's sarcasm. Personally, I believe that the school district did the right thing, and this book *should* not be in schools.

Merth, but it is just a book on AIDS, I mean come on! PLenlty of kids in middle school are having unsafe sex at the time (or at least in my school `-`)

But this book has bad language.

I'm pretty OK with that not being in the middle school library. If the parents feel their child is old enough to handle it, they can check it out at the public library. I don't see this being any different than not having R-rated movies or M-rated

Then you decide for your children. It's pretty easy: http://www.amazon.com/

OBJECTION, most 5 year olds have bad language... one of my first words was Bullshit

My first words weren't anything like that. So not all 5 year olds say bad stuff. I agree it's up to the parents to decide a lot of things. But don't assume that parent was alone in the crowd here, either. I'm sure if you polled all the parents at that school, you would find that she wasn't the only one. If not, she can go to another school, or just don't let her child have the book. And you act like it's the end of the world if your child doesn't read the book. If you want your child to read it, go check it out at your local library.

@Merth, I love the sarcasm. Very well put.

haha, but another thing is that when I go out to buy something, 50% of the time there is some kid, from age 5-13 that is cursing their heads off. So, imo, cursing is not really a factor in this. Every kid in my MIDDLE school and middle schools I have visited, however, could put a drunk sailor to shame. So unless this is a private school... meh

Well, I go to a private school, and I know it's not as bad, but still. Although I'm not even factoring the content of the book in here. If they removed the Bible from the school, and I want my child to read it, I'm buying him/her a Bible.

You obviously don't know any drunk sailors. Effing effity eff mceffsauce doesn't have anywhere close to the creativity of vitriol that can be spewed by a true master of the art of cursing.

As a proud member of a Navy family I can vouch for this.

does popeye count? *runs*


well the thing is that these books are important. Remember that one kid who was a father at the age of 13? That is 8th grade at my school, so I THINK that it should be appropriate for 7h graders. (of course, I did take health in 7th grade, where we learned sex-ed.....but the other districts in the area do so too...)

Then get the book from a public library.