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Florida teachers could face felony for books in classroom not approved by state

firstcoastnews.com

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Re: Florida teachers could face felony for books in classroom not approved by state

#3

Post by retrac »

isthisthingon99 wrote: post #2

It seems like they have the freedom to choose books so long as the child isn't exposed to sex and racism.

That might be reasonable for young children.

But in high school, some of the books we read were Nineteen-Eighty-Four (liberating power of sexuality is a theme), To Kill a Mockingbird (rape trial in the Jim Crow south), Huckleberry Finn (often considered racist in contemporary American society due to its frequent use of the n-word) and the Handmaid's Tale (rape and gender relations and racism).

I can't really imagine how literature, or society and history for that matter, can be taught without sex and racism coming up, and frequently.

Re: Florida teachers could face felony for books in classroom not approved by state

#4

Post by coffeefirst »

isthisthingon99 wrote: post #2

It seems like they have the freedom to choose books so long as the child isn't exposed to sex and racism.

Given the books being targeted by this movement have included Maus and Toni Morrison, I don't see how its possible to take this in good faith.

Reasonable people can disagree about what's age appropriate. Threatening teachers with a felony charge is psychotic.

Re: Florida teachers could face felony for books in classroom not approved by state

#5

Post by ttfkam »

retrac wrote: post #3
isthisthingon99 wrote: post #2

It seems like they have the freedom to choose books so long as the child isn't exposed to sex and racism.

That might be reasonable for young children. But in high school, some of the books we read were Nineteen-Eighty-Four (liberating power of sexuality is a theme), To Kill a Mockingbird (rape trial in the Jim Crow south), Huckleberry Finn (often considered racist in contemporary American society due to its frequent use of the n-word) and the Handmaid's Tale (rape and gender relations and racism). I can't really imagine…

And no "Watchmen", "Dune"… not even X-Men comics. Certainly not "Maus". No "Native Son", no "Farewell to Manzanar". No "The Good Earth". No "The Grapes of Wrath". No "Of Mice and Men". No "Invisible Man". No "Autobiography of Malcolm X". Absolutely none of Martin Luther King's speeches aside from "I Have a Dream".

Certainly not 99% of poetry.

Also would mean "Othello", "The Merchant of Venice", and all of the cross-dressing comedies like "Twelfth Night" are right out.

I completely agree with you that if this is allowed to stand, it would gut education irreparably. Critical thinking is already under fire; this would drop a nuke on it.

Re: Florida teachers could face felony for books in classroom not approved by state

#7

Post by damagednoob »

People are so short sighted when it comes to imposing these types of laws. Sure, they get what they want so long as their side is in power. What happens when the Republicans get voted out? Would they be okay with the Democrats having these tools at their disposal?

Re: Florida teachers could face felony for books in classroom not approved by state

#10

Post by klyrs »

isthisthingon99 wrote: post #2

It seems like they have the freedom to choose books so long as the child isn't exposed to sex and racism.

If a book only featuring white people isn't racist, then a book only featuring black people isn't racist. If a book ending with a prince living happily ever after with a princess isn't about sex, then a book ending with two princes living happily ever after isn't about sex. However, these are not the standards that Florida is applying.
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