Driving in and around Southwestern Virginia
Imagine if you will, you are driving down the road. You are going the speed limit, sort of. Do you drive the exact speed limit? Be honest. So, you are driving down the road at a decent clip and you approach a side street. You see a car driving on that street, but know they have a stop sign. You continue driving.
What is that? Did they even have time to see if a car was coming? It is as if they could not read. Which, is a distinct possibility. Oh, hush. I was not talking about you. I am talking about the dumb* who did not even slow down as they cut right in front of you. I guess they thought stopping was optional.
I am not sure if this goes back to the days when fewer people resided in this fine county. Some time in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s the area around Smith Mountain Lake boomed and there was this mass influx of snobbery. Yeah, I said it. No, I am not jealous because I do not live on the lake. I lived 5 minutes from the ocean in South Florida; the lake is not all that impressive.
With this new infusion of people comes more vehicles on the roadways. The locals, it would seem, have either a) not noticed, or b) do not care, or c) are trying to scare the foreigners away. My vote is for a combination of b & c. And you do not want to get me started on yield signs and merging.
Hooked on Phonics does not work if you have an accent
In 2004/2005 a new library was renovated in our small downtown. I thought the old library was cute and quaint, but it was small in comparison. Besides, it was not nearly as visible in its old location as it is in its new one. I remember the approximate year because Megan was in 8th grade at the time. There is a small plaque with her name and several other students in her group, as well as a picture. They designed a terrarium. I know, it is very cool!
In honor of the library’s new home there was a little celebration of sorts. A ribbon cutting and the upper echelon [okay, I could not say that with a straight face] the top officials of the area were there. They even sent out little flyers, nothing fancy, through the school system. I so wish I still had mine. I might if I really look, but I think I finally tossed it. I kid you not, for the library’s grand re-opening they sent out flyers with LARGE FONT asking people to come to the DIDCATION.
See, phonics teaches us to sound out our words in order to learn their proper spelling. This only works if you know how to properly pronounce the word you want to spell. And when you have an accent, well, this can be a bit of a challenge. You would think someone would have used spell check, though.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
From School Library Journal [Review]
Grade 9 Up – An epistolary narrative cleverly places readers in the role of recipients of Charlies unfolding story of his freshman year in high school. From the beginning, Charlies identity as an outsider is credibly established. It was in the spring of the previous school year that his best friend committed suicide and now that his class has gone through a summer of change, the boy finds that he has drifted away from old friends. He finds a new and satisfying social set, however, made up of several high school seniors, bright bohemians with ego-bruising insights and, really, hearts of gold. These new friends make more sense to Charlie than his star football-playing older brother ever did and they are able to teach him about the realities of life that his older sister doesnt have the time to share with him. Grounded in a specific time (the 1991/92 academic year) and place (western Pennsylvania), Charlie, his friends, and family are palpably real. His grandfather is an embarrassing bigot; his new best friend is gay; his sister must resolve her pregnancy without her boyfriends support. Charlie develops from an observant wallflower into his own man of action, and, with the help of a therapist, he begins to face the sexual abuse he had experienced as a child. This report on his life will engage teen readers for years to come. Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
This book recently made the news here. A teacher gave the book to a student who then gave it to another student [a male junior in high school] to read. His father checked it out and decided this was an inappropriate book for his child to read. It talks about homosexuality! For shame! The father goes on to say that he is not opposed to this kind of book being out there he just does not want his son reading it. Once you learn these things you cannot unlearn them, he says. It corrupts the young mind.
What did he just say?
You mean the experiences of a high school kid going through some traumatic and life changing events is corruption? And homosexuality has been around for, well, ever. I wonder how this father would feel about his child reading a book that had incest, murder and betrayal within its pages. My guess is on the surface most parents would be a little taken aback. But for those who can follow along, you know exactly what book to which I refer.
Maybe I am wrong. Maybe he is not a church goer either. Maybe he does ban the bible in his house.
Why should I care? I want to read this book. I want my children to have the opportunity to read this book. Right now, the school where this child attends has removed its two copies from its library. That means all the children who may want to read this book, all those parents who do not mind their children reading this book will have to find another means of getting this book. The school board is taking this matter under advisement and reviewing their guidelines for banned books. Why are we banning books? I thought we had evolved.
My heart hurts
I love books. All books. I do not read the ones that offend or do not interest me. Yet, I do not believe others should not have the opportunity to read those books. And I do not want to have to buy my books in secret, online, and to arrive in a plain brown wrapper. I fear this may one day happen.
Did you know you cannot buy the Disney movie Song of the South in the United States. Disney will not release it here. You will never see it on DVD or Blu-Ray. This movie may offend some people so it is banned. Okay, it may offend many people, but I do not understand. I have seen it. The language is of the time. It is a sweet movie showing how we should not judge people based on color. But the language is of the time and may offend. Same with Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, the language is inappropriate. Only if taken out of context.
If we teach our children properly, then all of these books, movies, thoughts, feelings, experiences, histories can be enjoyed by everyone, anyone for generations. I have faith we can do the right thing. And maybe, one day we will.
What the – Poof
This was the product of a dinnertime conversation had by my children one night last year.
Image courtesy of alphawolfau.
