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Posts
Leesburg mom not giving up on
library book warning-label campaign
There's this article about a mom that has a campaign going on concerning book labeling. I found out about it from a post on Twitter. Let's just say Maureen Johnson is not happy...
"A Leesburg mother who successfully challenged the young-adult book policy at the Leesburg Public Library is expanding her campaign, hoping to get warning labels placed on some books in libraries across the county."
Seriously? She was SUCCESSFUL? That is crap. Sheltering children is just not good. Topics like sex, drugs, teen pregnancy, rape, and other controversies are OUT THERE. Kids are going to know about them, and it's better that they know about them through a GOOD resource as are books.
"Fechtel said two books in particular — The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson and Only in Your Dreams: A Gossip Girl Novel by Cecily von Ziegesar — had vulgar content, such as teen sex, and depicted illegal acts such as drug use."
Books that talk about this kind of behavior, and really any book Ive read that talks about this kind of behavior, always aim to the same goal, and that goal is to let teens know that these behaviors always bring bad consequences, that that path never brings positive things. These kind of books don't, and I quote, "glorifying illegal behavior" they do exactly the opposite! I don't know either of these authors very well, but Ive seen these authors in videos, Ive seen the soul in their books, and they are so much better than what these mother portraits them to be!
"What we're talking about here [are books] depicting a lifestyle that just doesn't work if they're going to be the leaders of our nation," she said. "It's a shame that we as a community are feeding [teens] this kind of garbage."
GARBAGE!? Do you have any idea how many people have found answers to their questions in books?! Books are enlightening!! This quote makes me sad. Garbage... Such a bad word for books =[
What's next? They are going to ban these books? Because you know how the drill goes, first they single them out, then they ban.
This women should just teach their children whats right and whats wrong and get the hell over it. Return to their lives. Stop trying to be the saviors of us all, and just go back to being a mom. And this doesn't mean I don't support women who are trying to make a difference, I so support that, but I don't like where this is going. And I just wish they would just let it go.
That's absolutely ridiculous ... let's be honest, young people know about that kind of stuff ANYWAY, and the more you try to shelter them, the more likely it will be that school-friends who think things like that are cool or whatever are the ONLY places they'll learn about things like drinking, smoking, having sex ... etc. I think it's great to provide them with an alternative - books that deal with issues like that and that clearly detail the consequences.
ReplyDeleteBanning is NEVER the answer, because all it does is peak curiosity, anyway. It's stupid and it makes me so mad. There's so much to be learned from novels dealing with controversial subject matter, I think it's a step back that this woman was successful.
Your right- this is getting RIDICULOUS. Things like this actually do happen in real life and if you have no idea about what is happening in the world, then you'll have no idea what to do or what kind of trouble you in if you ever get to be in one of the said situations. And your right. Garbage is a bad word for books.
ReplyDeleteUhh, now I'm all angry now.
Ah . . . these crazies are always so amusing. Didn't you know that this woman knows what's best for everyone in the country? For shame that our children in engage in pre-martial sex when they're en route to running our country. Yes! Because the people in power now, all those Congressmen and Senators, good lord are they to be looked up to! All moralistic and the epitome of perfection . . .
ReplyDeleteParents need to get it through their thick skulls that they need to stick to parenting their own children, not everyone else's.
First thing I was taught in school? (I'm taking courses to be a library technician) Don't censor. It's not our place. We don't tell people what they can or can't read. It is the responsibility of a parent, if they are concerned about what their children are reading, to monitor that!
ReplyDelete*shakes head*
Wow, this is sad. Kids these days are exposed to things that are way worse than books. Why isn't this woman doing something about that instead? Now, if I saw an eleven year old girl reading a Gossip Girl book I'd be a bit concerned, but I think she's over reacting a bit.
ReplyDeleteWhat she really means to say is that books that may have homosexual sexual acts are inappropriate for our teens to read, since that is probably the biggest "problem" about Johnson's book. As a middle school teacher, there are books that I do not put into my classroom because I don't feel like they are right for my students, but putting a warning label on something just wastes time and money. My students are 13-14 and all of them have been watching rated R movies, listening to Mature music, and playing rated Mature video games for quite a long time. So tell me, did rating those differently really make much of a difference?
ReplyDeleteGod, this is just ridiculous. And stupid. thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDelete*sigh* This kind of crap just annoys me to no end. I have 3 daughters and I want them to read books about topics like these. They need to know more than just what I tell them and when they pick up from their friends. No book, no matter how well written, is going to convince a teen to do something they wouldn't have done otherwise, but it can help them realize that the repercussions us old folks talk about could actually happen to them.
ReplyDeleteYes but if she took the time to teach her children someone might accuse her of being a PARENT. It's so not in for parents to guide their children and to spend time with them these days. You shouldn't learn about sex in a book- you should read about it on the bathroom wall and experiment with tons of boys under the bleachers using no protection because NO ONE EVER TOLD YOU NOT TO. And then you have fourteen kids, and become a burden to society and I'll have to work harder to pay for you.
ReplyDeletePeople are stupid. She needs to sweep her own back porch and look after her own children. I read this article and it gave me violent thoughts.
Ohmygod, I am REPULSED! HOW did she succeed? And let's just cross our fingers that she doesn't succeed nationwide.
ReplyDeleteIt irks me that this woman, and all parents who set out to ban books, refuse to parent their children by having conversations with their child about what has happened in the book.
ReplyDeleteBesides, I'm also a firm believer in if you don't want your child to read something, don't let them read it. Period. Do not try and parent my hypothetical children or someone else's child. What my hypothetical child or my very real nephew reads is the responsibility of me and my sister. It's not up to you to determine what other people can read.
Besides, do you really want the future of this nation to be ignorant of important social issues?
Ugh. I completely agree with you. Labeling is barely one step down from full-blown censorship. This is getting to be a bit ridiculous.
ReplyDeletei found this article online during class too. I was so wtf at the moment i just didnt have words for it
ReplyDeleteit's so unfair that people ask to forbid a book b/c they don't like it!
ReplyDeleteok, i respect their likes & dislikes, but they'd respect the others!
it's horrible... i don't understand their reasons!
i loved the image: FREADOM!
Book banning and book labelling drive me crazy!! Kids are so much more intelligent and savvy than some people think. They choose books intelligently and need to have the right to choose!
ReplyDeleteThis is so..... I don't even have words for it. GARBAGE?! Authors work so hard on their books and to call it garbage is so rude and uncalled for. These authors are helping to answer questions teens may have and teach them lessons in an entertaining way where you don't even notice. But the lessons stick with you. Thank you for sharing about this. It makes me sick.
ReplyDeleteUgh, I'm so glad my parents never supervised my reading. I learned A LOT at a young age. and I'm turning out ok :)
BTW I gave you an award http://blackteensread2.blogspot.com/2010/04/new-crayons-awards.html
I honestly don't really see much wrong with labeling. It can work both ways with parents able to monitor their children's reading but also young adults or kids will know what they are reading. As in if they borrow a book and don't want mom to see, they can hide it. It sounds awful and sneaky but if parents and children can't have that openess between each other, then of course things will be hidden.
ReplyDeleteRemember also that hip hop has warnings all over the place about explicit content but their sales are just fine.
What I fear is that if children cannot buy/borrow these books because they aren't of a certain age, it will lead to even more pirating causes prices to go up.
@LifeAfterJane I think you should become one of my BF book bloggers, what do you say? ;)
ReplyDeleteBook Bans really? This isn't the 1960's! Uggh I can't stand when one person thinks they know whats best for everyone. Honestly I think it's quite ignorant; has she even read these books or contemplated the message their trying to portray. And furhtermore what about the news, billboards, radio, movies all of our social interactions should we ban those too? This is ridiculous and an infringement on rights this woman needs to censor herself I think!
ReplyDeleteI just...wow. I don't even know what to freaking say to this. Other than this lady portrays serious ignorance. If I could, I'd seriously slap the person who called books garbage. And THE BERMUDEZ TRIANGLE was a fantastic read! Authors write these books to enlighten their readers, to try and give them some advice and some information of what could happen if they make the wrong choice. Like doing drugs, and they also help them deal with a lot of stuff and try and get some books out there that teenagers can relate to! I'm sorry, but this is some serious bullpoopie! (As Zoey Redbird says,lol)
ReplyDeleteI agree. Anytime I read anything about a banned book, especially when I was a teen, the first thing I wanted to do was go out and read it.
ReplyDeleteMy parents (even though they grew up in the '40's) never, ever censored anything that I or my siblings read and I have never censored anything my kids read. And they've read some weird stuff. On the other hand, my kids never felt the need to hide any of their reading material from me. Even their weird stuff. It's all out there. Weirdly, my daughter behaves as though she was brought up by uber conservatives, (which we're not) and behaves as though she is shocked at certain things. Not sure where she really came from....I know I gave birth to her but really.... :)
Rheanna - imagine! This banning/labeling fiend would probably be pretty pissed off if anyone told her what she could and couldn't read.
I hate when people try to control what others read. Even if she doesn't succeed in banning anything, does she think she's doing any favors by incurring costs for labeling? Even at the least, someone would have spend time labeling. What are they going to label, shelves, books themselves? It's all going to cost money. And it's lame. It should be the parent's responsibility to their own children to okay reading material - not to other children.
I cringed as I read your blog today. I am a mother with 3 boys 10, 14, and 17. I encourage them to read. I don't care what they read for the most part as long as it is age appropriate. But aside from that, I have never EVER censorred anything. I may have said this book is too hard for you to read or too long, but never told them not to read. Sometimes kids just can't ask their parents things and books can fill in that void. Putting a sticker on a book will only encourage kids to read it - you know, the forbidden fruit concept.
ReplyDeleteI wish that parents would just PARENT their own children and TEACH them rather than relying on others to do so. As a parent, it is MY responsibility to teach my own children and I feel that I am doing my job.
I would rather a child learn about sex, drugs, and drinking from a book than not at all. And as someone said above, most books show consequences of an action.
I'm so glad that I'm living someplace where this isn't an issue! Why hide these things from young adults/children? They know about these things even though they perhaps never read a book. Much better to try and hide all these subjects so that they might seem all that more exiting..
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
Life After Jane: As always you sure know how to say it ;)
That is ridiculous, they can not just put labels on a book like that or BAN kids from reading it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with the above comment before mine, just putting a label on it will make kids WANT to read it since their curious or want to rebel.
i agree with you,
ReplyDeletesome people need to just lay off. garbage? gossip girl isnt telling you to take drugs, it shows you the consequences of doing so.
idiot woman, can't keep her nose out. she should learn to control her own children, not everyone elses.
This is ridiculous! By labeling the book, the child is just going to want to read it more...oh well. I understand where parents are coming from, but it's still a little silly to me...
ReplyDeletekghobbs(at)gmail(dot)com