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Thread: Duluth Public School District Announces Ban on ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ ‘Huckleberry Finn"

  1. #1

    Exclamation Duluth Public School District Announces Ban on ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ ‘Huckleberry Finn"

    Duluth Minnesota Public School District Announces Ban on ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ ‘Huckleberry Finn’

    http://www.breitbart.com/tech/2018/0...kleberry-finn/

    by Tom Ciccotta 9 Feb 2018

    A school district in Duluth, Minnesota, has announced that they will ban To Kill a Mockingbird and Huckleberry Finn from classroom curricula.

    Duluth Public Schools announced this week that they will be banning the teaching of To Kill a Mockingbird and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn over the books’ use of racial slurs.

    “The district owes it to its students to not subject them to a racial slur that marginalizes them in their required learning,” Michael Cary, the school’s director of curriculum and instruction said in a comment to the Duluth News Tribune. “We felt that we could still teach the same standards and expectations through other novels that didn’t require students to feel humiliated or marginalized by the use of racial slurs.”

    The local NAACP chapter published a statement, praising the decision to ban the books due to their “hurtful” nature.

    Some people think the novels are educational literature for students, [chapter president Stephan Witherspoon] said, but the novels are “just hurtful” and use “hurtful language that has oppressed the people for over 200 years.” The district’s use of the books as required reading has been an ongoing discussion between elders in the local NAACP and district leaders for years, [he] said.

    “It’s wrong. There are a lot more authors out there with better literature that can do the same thing that does not degrade our people. I’m glad that they’re making the decision and it’s long overdue, like 20 years overdue,” Witherspoon said. “Let’s move forward and work together to make school work for all of our kids, not just some, all of them.”

    Harper Lee, the late author of To Kill a Mockingbird condemned those at the Hanover County School Board in Virginia who wished to ban the novel in 1966. “Surely it is plain to the simplest intelligence that ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ spells out in words of seldom more than two syllables a code of honor and conduct, Christian in its ethic, that is the heritage of all Southerners,” Lee wrote. “To hear that the novel is ‘immoral’ has made me count the years between now and 1984, for I have yet to come across a better example of double-think.”

    “I feel, however, that the problem is one of illiteracy, not Marxism. Therefore I enclose a small contribution to the Beadle Bumble Fund that I hope will be used to enroll the Hanover County School Board in any first grade of its choice,” she added.

    Users on social media expressed their confusion over the decision.

    A school in Minnesota has removed the book ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ from their course due to the N word.

    Welcome to the dumbing down of America's youth.

    I read this book in 5th grade and it taught me how terrible & hurtful that word was. I knew from then on I would never use it.

    — Educating Liberals (@Education4Libs) February 9, 2018

    Holy hell this is dumb, and the local NAACP chapter should not be supporting this: “Duluth, MN schools remove 'To Kill A Mockingbird' and 'Huckleberry Finn' from curriculum” https://t.co/DLyMdDl7Wn

    — Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) February 7, 2018

    In January, a Wisconsin school district announced it was also considering dropping To Kill a Mockingbird.
    Another mark of a tyrant is that he likes foreigners better than citizens, and lives with them and invites them to his table; for the one are enemies, but the Others enter into no rivalry with him. - Aristotle's Politics Book 5 Part 11



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  3. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by Harper Lee
    Surely it is plain to the simplest intelligence that ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ spells out in words of seldom more than two syllables a code of honor and conduct, Christian in its ethic, that is the heritage of all Southerners.
    These books aren't being banned because they belittle people of certain races, because they don't. The very idea is preposterous. These books are being banned to deprive children of our history and heritage. These books are being banned because, not in spite of, the fact that they do everything Harper Lee says they do.

    These books are being banned because they had, and have, the power to move minds beyond the box in which society, schools, media and government want to contain them. They did that with the traditional prejudices of the past, and they do that to the manufactured mental limitations of the present.
    Last edited by acptulsa; 02-11-2018 at 09:15 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    We believe our lying eyes...

  4. #3
    A school in Minnesota has removed the book ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ from their course due to the N word.
    A random scan of the lyrics of 2017's top rap songs, reveals not a single one that did not have at least one gratuitous use of the word "ni gger".

  5. #4
    Banning a books (in a school system for that matter) in the internet age is like trying to fetch water with a fishing net. I am not bothered at all because this is a battle they cannot win

  6. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by acptulsa View Post
    These books aren't being banned because they belittle people of certain races, because they don't. The very idea is preposterous. These books are being banned to deprive children of our history and heritage. These books are being banned because, not in spite of, the fact that they do everything Harper Lee says they do.

    These books are being banned because they had, and have, the power to move minds beyond the box in which society, schools, media and government want to contain them. They did that with the traditional prejudices of the past, and they do that to the manufactured mental limitations of the present.
    That is what great art of all types does.

    And there is desperate shortage of it these days.

    "Art" now, instead of uplifting and transcending is either patronizing pablum or shocking, degrading, worthless filth.

  7. #6
    Don’t agree with the ban, but if they’re so concerned about some words, why not just replace the offensive words?
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  8. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by juleswin View Post
    Banning a books (in a school system for that matter) in the internet age is like trying to fetch water with a fishing net. I am not bothered at all because this is a battle they cannot win
    They are not "banning" the book, you are right, in the internet age that is pointless.

    They are banning it being part of the curriculum.

    This is about making these books, "unbooks".

  9. #8
    To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the greatest American novels ever. What a shame.
    #NashvilleStrong

    “I’m a doctor. That’s a baby.”~~~Dr. Manny Sethi



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  11. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Danke View Post
    Don’t agree with the ban, but if they’re so concerned about some words, why not just replace the offensive words?
    Why does the idea of the books which changed the face of the nation for the better being rewritten by the Duluth School Board not appeal to me...?

    Quote Originally Posted by euphemia View Post
    To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the greatest American novels ever. What a shame.
    And The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is chopped liver?
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    We believe our lying eyes...

  12. #10
    The disease from the Twin Cities has spread up north to Duluth.
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    Openly Straight Man, Danke, Awarded Top Rated Influencer. Community Standards Enforcer.


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  13. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by acptulsa View Post
    Why does the idea of the books which changed the face of the nation for the better being rewritten by the Duluth School Board not appeal to me...?



    And The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is chopped liver?
    Does not appeal to me either. But we are not talking about re-writing the story. Just changing some “offense” words.
    Pfizer Macht Frei!

    Openly Straight Man, Danke, Awarded Top Rated Influencer. Community Standards Enforcer.


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    The Federalist Papers, No. 15:

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  14. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Danke View Post
    Does not appeal to me either. But we are not talking about re-writing the story. Just changing some “offense” words.
    I give the Duluth School Board some credit. Stupid and narrow-minded they may be. But at least they aren't arrogant enough to assume they can improve on Mark Twain and Harper Lee.

    After the way they unjustly panned Lee's other novel, Go Set a Watchman, after it was finally released, and falsely accused it of being racist when just the opposite is true, I suppose we should have all seen a war on To Kill a Mockingbird was in the works. But it still leaves me dumbfounded to see it being waged.
    Last edited by acptulsa; 02-11-2018 at 09:34 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    We believe our lying eyes...

  15. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by acptulsa View Post
    I give the Duluth School Board some credit. Stupid and narrow-minded they may be. But at least they aren't arrogant enough to assume they can improve on Mark Twain and Harper Lee.

    I get it Okie. You know for sure the stories would lose something important in their message if a few words were changed. Like negro instead of n*gger, etc.
    Pfizer Macht Frei!

    Openly Straight Man, Danke, Awarded Top Rated Influencer. Community Standards Enforcer.


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  16. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    A random scan of the lyrics of 2017's top rap songs, reveals not a single one that did not have at least one gratuitous use of the word "ni gger".
    Random scan? why Random? Well, off the top of my head, Post Malone's ft 21 savage "Rockstar" has no N words in it. But then again, they are banning it in the school system not from the market. You would have a point if they allowed those songs to be played in school functions while banning those books in the classroom.

  17. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Danke View Post
    I get it Okie. You know for sure the stories would lose something important in their message if a few words were changed. Like negro instead of n*gger, etc.
    Those books changed the nation by being real, and being honest. They exposed man's inhumanity to man, and pulled few punches doing it. They are art in its highest form. Neither author left one word out of place. They have power because they are real. They are this nation's history, and to change them is to try to do a Soviet-style newspeak cleansing of this nation's history. They changed this nation for the better by being what they are.

    And whether I am an Okie or not has no bearing on that.
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    We believe our lying eyes...

  18. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by acptulsa View Post
    And The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is chopped liver?
    No. I never said that.
    #NashvilleStrong

    “I’m a doctor. That’s a baby.”~~~Dr. Manny Sethi



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  20. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by acptulsa View Post
    Those books changed the nation by being real, and being honest. They exposed man's inhumanity to man, and pulled few punches doing it. They are art in its highest form. Neither author left one word out of place. They have power because they are real. They are this nation's history, and to change them is to try to do a Soviet-style newspeak cleansing of this nation's history. They changed this nation for the better by being what they are.

    And whether I am an Okie or not has no bearing on that.

    I agree, but words do change. And a few minor changes might not have the impact that you imagine. Negro used to be acceptable, then colored, then Afro, Black and now African American. Non of those were felt as offensive at the time. But the behavior hasn’t changed, so soon, I bet African American falls out of favor.
    Pfizer Macht Frei!

    Openly Straight Man, Danke, Awarded Top Rated Influencer. Community Standards Enforcer.


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    The Federalist Papers, No. 15:

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  21. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Danke View Post
    I agree, but words do change. And a few minor changes might not have the impact that you imagine. Negro used to be acceptable, then colored, then Afro, Black and now African American. Non of those were felt as offensive at the time. But the behavior hasn’t changed, so soon, I bet African American falls out of favor.
    All the more reason to leave those books just as they are. The fact that the words 'damn' and 'hermaphrodite' cause more consternation among the very real characters of that book than the constant repetition of the "N Word" is instructive, and adds power to the fact of what those books accomplished in the civilizing of America.

    We don't do our children any favors by sanitizing their heritage for them, or by protecting them from their heritage either. We wonder how we manage to raise a generation of perpetual children. Well, that is how it's done.

    The Soviets are just the type of tyrants who feel raising generations of perpetual children is useful to their ends. Well, the Duluth School Board can follow in Stalin's footsteps if they wish. But I do not have to approve. And I do not give them license to dull the edge of Twain's and Lee's art. That least of all.

    To not mention Lavrentyi Beria is one thing. To airbrush him out of historic photographs is a whole different level of crime.
    Last edited by acptulsa; 02-11-2018 at 09:59 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    We believe our lying eyes...

  22. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by acptulsa View Post
    All the more reason to leave those books just as they are. The fact that the words 'damn' and 'hermaphrodite' cause more consternation among the very real characters of that book than the constant repetition of the "N Word" is instructive, and adds power to the fact of what those books accomplished in the civilizing of America.

    We don't do our children any favors by sanitizing their heritage for them, or by protecting them from their heritage either. We wonder how we manage to raise a generation of perpetual children. Well, that is how it's done.

    The Soviets are just the type of tyrants who feel raising generations of perpetual children is useful to their ends. Well, the Duluth School Board can follow in Stalin's footsteps if they wish. But I do not have to approve. And I do not give them license to dull the edge of Twain's and Lee's art. That least of all.

    Again I don’t really care. But we change texts all the time to bring it up-to-date. The Bible changes words to the modern versions so people can understand what they are reading, correct?
    Pfizer Macht Frei!

    Openly Straight Man, Danke, Awarded Top Rated Influencer. Community Standards Enforcer.


    Quiz: Test Your "Income" Tax IQ!

    Short Income Tax Video

    The Income Tax Is An Excise, And Excise Taxes Are Privilege Taxes

    The Federalist Papers, No. 15:

    Except as to the rule of appointment, the United States have an indefinite discretion to make requisitions for men and money; but they have no authority to raise either by regulations extending to the individual citizens of America.

  23. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by juleswin View Post
    Random scan? why Random? Well, off the top of my head, Post Malone's ft 21 savage "Rockstar" has no N words in it. But then again, they are banning it in the school system not from the market. You would have a point if they allowed those songs to be played in school functions while banning those books in the classroom.
    Pointing out the false outrage and hypocrisy.

    Either "ni gger" is a "verboten" word or not.

  24. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by Danke View Post
    I agree, but words do change. And a few minor changes might not have the impact that you imagine. Negro used to be acceptable, then colored, then Afro, Black and now African American. Non of those were felt as offensive at the time. But the behavior hasn’t changed, so soon, I bet African American falls out of favor.

  25. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    Pointing out the false outrage and hypocrisy.

    Either "ni gger" is a "verboten" word or not.
    I agree that there is a lot of faux outrage or what I rather call faux activism and on top of that, I think the whole thing is silly beyond belief. The word is everywhere on the internet and trying to protect children from this word is as futile as trying to ban books in this age. Probably silly and faux outrage but I still don't see the hypocrisy in this story.

    This story is what happens when you have civil rights orgs without a real cause to protest. We are probably going to see more of it in the coming years but I will just laugh em off and not get too worried about it.

  26. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by Danke View Post
    Again I don’t really care. But we change texts all the time to bring it up-to-date. The Bible changes words to the modern versions so people can understand what they are reading, correct?
    This travesty you suggest wouldn't be for the purpose of helping people understand. It would be for ensuring people don't understand.

    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    Pointing out the false outrage and hypocrisy.

    Either "ni gger" is a "verboten" word or not.
    Saying it's wrong for whites to murder blacks is not verboten, but pointing out that blacks murder blacks is practically hate speech. It's the next best thing to giving out participation trophies. Holding blacks and whites to different standards is not equality.

    This is the sort of thing that led to the fierce and unjustified criticism of Go Set a Watchman. It's the tactics of a system that wants to keep treating blacks as children, but pretend it is doing nothing of the sort.
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    We believe our lying eyes...

  27. #24
    Pass the damn ham.




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  29. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by PursuePeace View Post
    Pass the damn ham.

    Damn straight. Cut through all the silly distractions, and I still maintain that the "N Word" is just a convenient excuse. Atticus Finch raised children who were full of Christian values, and could think for themselves. That is why the book is being treated by government as though it is dangerous.
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    We believe our lying eyes...

  30. #26

  31. #27
    Lucifer's Hammer



    Good book..

    Banning Books,, always a bad idea.
    Liberty is lost through complacency and a subservient mindset. When we accept or even welcome automobile checkpoints, random searches, mandatory identification cards, and paramilitary police in our streets, we have lost a vital part of our American heritage. America was born of protest, revolution, and mistrust of government. Subservient societies neither maintain nor deserve freedom for long.
    Ron Paul 2004

    Registered Ron Paul supporter # 2202
    It's all about Freedom

  32. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by Danke View Post
    Don’t agree with the ban, but if they’re so concerned about some words, why not just replace the offensive words?
    Right, why not? Because surely they would stop editing the book after that.
    "The Patriarch"

  33. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by Origanalist View Post
    Right, why not? Because surely they would stop editing the book after that.
    exactly.

  34. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by acptulsa View Post
    Those books changed the nation by being real, and being honest. They exposed man's inhumanity to man, and pulled few punches doing it. They are art in its highest form. Neither author left one word out of place. They have power because they are real. They are this nation's history, and to change them is to try to do a Soviet-style newspeak cleansing of this nation's history. They changed this nation for the better by being what they are.

    And whether I am an Okie or not has no bearing on that.
    +rep And could you imagine school kids being inspired by the unusual humanity and wisdom of Huck Finn(as I was when I was a lad)? Perish the thought!
    Quote Originally Posted by Torchbearer
    what works can never be discussed online. there is only one language the government understands, and until the people start speaking it by the magazine full... things will remain the same.
    Hear/buy my music here "government is the enemy of liberty"-RP Support me on Patreon here Ephesians 6:12

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