the.hellion.
Member
If this is a repost, my apologies, but I had to get this out.
I guess I can kind of understand but really I just find this another notch on an already long line of questionable censorship decisions in the states. Discuss?
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/755936--u-s-school-bans-the-dictionary?bn=1
U.S. school bans the dictionary
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Cathal Kelly
Staff Reporter
A Southern California school board has pulled the Merriam-Webster dictionary off its shelves after a parent complained about the entry “oral sex.”
The
collegiate-level dictionary was being used in grade four and five
classrooms. The school now promises to begin a thorough scouring of the
dictionary for other offensive entries.
“It’s hard to sit
and read the dictionary, but we’ll be looking to find other things of a
graphic nature,” Menifee Union School District spokesperson Betti
Cadmus told the local The Press-Enterprise newspaper.
Merriam-Webster defines oral sex as “oral stimulation of the genitals.”
The
dictionaries were originally intended for use by children working at
advanced reading levels. Now the California town, pop. 70,000, looks
like the staging ground for a First Amendment battle.
“If a
public school were to remove every book because it contains one word
deemed objectionable to some parent, then there would be no books at
all in our public libraries,” said Peter Scheer, executive director of
the California First Amendment Coalition, told The Press-Enterprise. “I think common sense seems to be lacking in this school.”
A
spokesperson for Merriam-Webster pointed out that they also publish
dictionaries for elementary- and intermediate-level readers,
dictionaries that don’t include sexually explicit explanations.
“We
are a bit surprised to hear about the controversy,” Merriam-Webster
spokesperson Meghan Lieberwirth told thestar.com Tuesday. “The job of
the dictionary is to reflect language. Unfortunately, some of those
words are going to be the sort you don’t want grade-school kids using
... We don’t recommend the use of our college-level dictionary at the
grade-school level.”
Nonetheless, the decision has divided
parents. While some supported the idea of an “age appropriate”
reference book, others saw the decision in terms of free speech.
“Censorship in the schools, really?” Emanuel Chavez, the parent of second- and sixth-grade students, said to the Press Enterprise. “Pretty soon the only dictionary in the school library will be the Bert and Ernie dictionary.”
I guess I can kind of understand but really I just find this another notch on an already long line of questionable censorship decisions in the states. Discuss?
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/755936--u-s-school-bans-the-dictionary?bn=1
U.S. school bans the dictionary
$(function() {
if ($.browser.msie) {
var newFakeDivHeight = jQuery('.ts-static_extra_noad').height() + jQuery('.ts-main_article_image').height() + 50;
if (jQuery('.ts-fake_div').height() < newFakeDivHeight)
jQuery('.ts-fake_div').height(newFakeDivHeight);
}
});
Cathal Kelly
Staff Reporter
A Southern California school board has pulled the Merriam-Webster dictionary off its shelves after a parent complained about the entry “oral sex.”
The
collegiate-level dictionary was being used in grade four and five
classrooms. The school now promises to begin a thorough scouring of the
dictionary for other offensive entries.
“It’s hard to sit
and read the dictionary, but we’ll be looking to find other things of a
graphic nature,” Menifee Union School District spokesperson Betti
Cadmus told the local The Press-Enterprise newspaper.
Merriam-Webster defines oral sex as “oral stimulation of the genitals.”
The
dictionaries were originally intended for use by children working at
advanced reading levels. Now the California town, pop. 70,000, looks
like the staging ground for a First Amendment battle.
“If a
public school were to remove every book because it contains one word
deemed objectionable to some parent, then there would be no books at
all in our public libraries,” said Peter Scheer, executive director of
the California First Amendment Coalition, told The Press-Enterprise. “I think common sense seems to be lacking in this school.”
A
spokesperson for Merriam-Webster pointed out that they also publish
dictionaries for elementary- and intermediate-level readers,
dictionaries that don’t include sexually explicit explanations.
“We
are a bit surprised to hear about the controversy,” Merriam-Webster
spokesperson Meghan Lieberwirth told thestar.com Tuesday. “The job of
the dictionary is to reflect language. Unfortunately, some of those
words are going to be the sort you don’t want grade-school kids using
... We don’t recommend the use of our college-level dictionary at the
grade-school level.”
Nonetheless, the decision has divided
parents. While some supported the idea of an “age appropriate”
reference book, others saw the decision in terms of free speech.
“Censorship in the schools, really?” Emanuel Chavez, the parent of second- and sixth-grade students, said to the Press Enterprise. “Pretty soon the only dictionary in the school library will be the Bert and Ernie dictionary.”
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