I am proud to have been the “point person” prodding our district to act responsibly and limit access with parental permission.
A member of the community stood up at the Ocean View Board of Trustees meeting to read the most offensive rape scene. While the board feigned shock and dismay, one trustee later retorted, “Well, the rape scene was read out of context,” revealing her real feelings.
This reaction was typical of many community members who have blogged in response to Los Angeles Times online articles about this topic with amazing comments claiming, “Children are going to be confronted with this stuff in real life, so they should get used to it in school.”
While the trustee and many Los Angeles Times readers apparently believe there is a correct and incorrect context for graphic rape scenes to be portrayed to our students, I do not.
There is no need and no place for our young and innocent children to be exposed to salacious reading material. Enough other good books exist that we don’t need to over-sex our children more than they already are.
Surrounded by a barrage of “Sex and the City” media outlets, our public schools should be a calm oasis of peace and tranquillity. The school library should be an escape from licentious literature, not a source.
While I approved the added requirement by administration that parental permission be obtained before children can read the book, I was disappointed to find that same administration failed to require the approval be in writing. While there was a bobble-head nod by the board in support of written permission, the actual book review committee recommendation only requires a parental head nod or wink-of-the-eye. This is no way to run the ship.
