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Teaching material > I couldn ´t believe what I saw and read.....
I couldn ´t believe what I saw and read.....
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freedom4life
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I couldn ´t believe what I saw and read.....
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There was a teacher who handed-out books like these to high school students in William Byrd High School in Vinton, VA., in the good ol � U.S. of A. I couldn �t believe it and it isn �t a rare occurrence. I couldn �t tell you here, it is too profane. The book is called,"The Perks of Being a Wallflower." by Stephen Chbosky. You may read the article here, if you dare:
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=112014
I mean.....what the h**l is happening to us? Can someone give me an explanation?
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7 Oct 2009
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PhilipR
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Maybe we shouldn �t judge too quickly. Have you read it? I�m certainly going to before condemning it.
... the
stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This
is the story of what it �s like to grow up in high school. More intimate
than a diary, Charlie �s letters are singular and unique, hilarious and
devastating. The world of first dates and mixed tapes,
family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. Through
Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age
story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and
poignant roller coaster days known as growing up. | User ratings| 5 stars | | | 4 stars | | | 3 stars | | | 2 stars | | | 1 star | |
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7 Oct 2009
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douglas
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Catcher in the Rye, Huckkleberry Finn, and Uncle Tom �s Cabin were (are?) also banned books. If it hadn�t been for some very open-minded literature teachers that "fudged the rules" in high school I probably wouldn�t be the person I am today. I am very thankful for them and their willingness to push the limits, they helped teach me to see the world completely and in my own way, not the way I was "supposed to". Censorship is alive and well in the USA. |
7 Oct 2009
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almaz
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f4l,Have you actually read the book? Perhaps it �s no coincidence that the article you refer to comes from World Net Daily, a conservative online news site with some dubious connections to the fundamentalist Christian Right and assorted conspiracy nutters. This is a site which has, for example, published articles supporting a whites-only immigration policy for the US (see related articles in Wikipedia and ConWebWatch). Since tolerance, impartiality and understanding are hardly the guiding principles of this organisation, why should we actually care about their opinions on what a teacher does or doesn�t do?
Alex |
7 Oct 2009
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alien boy
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You took the words right out of my mouth, almaz!
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7 Oct 2009
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Zora
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I �m off the same mind as the rest. Unless you have read the book - and even then - I don �t believe in banning books and I am sorry but a student in grade eleven is an "adult" and should be able to handle the reading.
Besides, I read the excerpt they printed and it alluded to sex but was not full on descriptive. I imagine the whole book is like that. It �s most likely some intolerant "Bible puncher" who�s doing this "crying". Heck, Harry Potter was banned (or they at least tried to) in some schools!!!
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7 Oct 2009
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Dorland
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I did not know the book, but have read the article you refer too.
I used to be a very naive teenager myself, but the stories I sometimes hear from my own teenaged children and my students make me realise that life can actually be like this book for many teenagers. They do experience with sex, drugs and alcohol. I �m not shocked yet by the book �s realistic themes. I might be after reading it. Still, it is a book.
My experience is that real life can be so much nastier for teenagers.
Furthermore, the father seems to forget that his son his probalby surfing on the internet too. The book uses letters, his son needs his imagination to visualize the scenes. How explicit do you think the images on internet are?
"Upon reading the book, Davis discovered the following:
- sex acts between teenagers
- male and female masturbation
- suicide
- oral sex
- extensive use of profanity, especially the "F"-word
- multiple cases of homosexual acts between teenage boys, including kissing, seduction and anal sex
- illegal drug and alcohol use, including smoking marijuana and LSD usage
- anonymous homosexual acts between men and boys
- rape of a teenage girl while she cried
- molestation of a young boy by a woman
- molestation of a young girl by an older man
- how hitting a girl can turn her on and make her love a boy
- attempted sex between a boy and a dog
Amazon.com excerpt from �Perks of Being a Wallflower �
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7 Oct 2009
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alien boy
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The book doesn�t sound too different to high school back in the 70 �s & 80 �s judging from that excerpt... 
If you want to read a good political interview that has some interesting observations about censorship, please check out this site:
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s1076240.htm
It�s an interview with a strong, popular & morally courageous man named Don Chipp!
Cheers,
AB
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7 Oct 2009
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JudyHalevi
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I personally am very glad that I removed my children from the US school system, and for that matter the Israeli school system. My children all go/went to private schools after we left the United States.
I disagree that one has to read the entire book to make a decision. It is like saying that one has to commit rape to understand the act, or be raped to understand that it is horrific.
A teacher �s job is to educate, but it is a parent �s job to keep his finger on the pulse and watch what is being taught.
Remember, One should have an open mind, but not so open that one �s brains fall out.
 from Israel.
Judy |
7 Oct 2009
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cheezels
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Personally I despise the morality and thought police dictating what I can and can �t read...
The only error in judgement (IMHO) is that it happened within the four walls of a school and everyone knows that schools are bound by all types of rules and regulations.
Life is not pretty and the reality for many teens and young people is exactly what seems to be in this book.
Teens are WAY more knowledgeable that many give credit for and what they access on the internet is incredibly more inappropriate and explicit than the excerpt of this book!
If I was a parent I would be more worried about what Jimmy is surfing for and watching online!
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7 Oct 2009
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douglas
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An interesting article on the subject by Melissa Kelly:
How many people know that the USA is number 36 (tied with South Africa and 4others) on the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index for 2008?
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7 Oct 2009
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