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Are_grits_groceries

(17,111 posts)
Thu Jul 11, 2013, 06:18 AM Jul 2013

Harper Lee pwned a Virginia school board that banned To Kill A Mockingbird:

The problem is one of illiteracy, not Marxism

Early-1966, believing its contents to be "immoral," the Hanover County School Board in Virginia decided to remove all copies of Harper Lee's classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, from the county's school libraries. As soon as she was alerted, Lee responded perfectly by way of the following letter, written to, and later published in, The Richmond News Leader.

Also sent, as mentioned in the letter, was a contribution to the Beadle Bumble Fund — a project set up by the newspaper in 1959 to highlight/compensate for "official stupidities," and which subsequently gave away copies of the banned book to all children who asked.

Monroeville, Alabama
January, 1966

Editor, The News Leader:

Recently I have received echoes down this way of the Hanover County School Board's activities, and what I've heard makes me wonder if any of its members can read.

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. 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 doublethink.

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.

Harper Lee

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/04/problem-is-one-of-illiteracy-not.html

Ha!
Rebel with a clue.
22 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Harper Lee pwned a Virginia school board that banned To Kill A Mockingbird: (Original Post) Are_grits_groceries Jul 2013 OP
I love this TNNurse Jul 2013 #1
Not a gamer, huh? nt LisaLynne Jul 2013 #2
NOPE TNNurse Jul 2013 #18
Definition from Urban Dictionary: Are_grits_groceries Jul 2013 #3
I don't know about you, savebigbird Jul 2013 #6
Take it up with Urban Dictionary. nt Are_grits_groceries Jul 2013 #7
I wasn't disagreeing; just adding some info. savebigbird Jul 2013 #16
Ok. Thanks. nt Are_grits_groceries Jul 2013 #17
THANK YOU!!! I have been wondering what that was all about! calimary Jul 2013 #11
not a gamer here, but "pwned" made me read the post I otherwise might have skipped. northoftheborder Jul 2013 #4
See post #3. nt Are_grits_groceries Jul 2013 #5
Yes it really should be pwn3d localroger Jul 2013 #8
"Pwned" is a new word to me, but you got me with "banned To Kill a Mockingbird" mountain grammy Jul 2013 #9
Internet slang progressoid Jul 2013 #10
I thought this slang was much older than Warcraft. backscatter712 Jul 2013 #14
Every time "pwned" appears online, a baby hummingbird dies. (nt) Paladin Jul 2013 #12
Apply ice to the burn! backscatter712 Jul 2013 #13
Gregory Peck's grandson is named after Harper. Elwood P Dowd Jul 2013 #15
Kick for the night crew. Elwood P Dowd Jul 2013 #19
self-pwnership bmn Oct 2013 #20
Welcome to DU gopiscrap Oct 2013 #21
Welcome to DU gopiscrap Oct 2013 #22

Are_grits_groceries

(17,111 posts)
3. Definition from Urban Dictionary:
Thu Jul 11, 2013, 08:16 AM
Jul 2013

A corruption of the word "Owned." This originated in an online game called Warcraft, where a map designer misspelled "owned." When the computer beat a player, it was supposed to say, so-and-so "has been owned."

Instead, it said, so-and-so "has been pwned."

It basically means "to own" or to be dominated by an opponent or situation, especially by some god-like or computer-like force.
"Man, I rock at my job, but I still got a bad evaluation. I was pwned."
OR
"That team totally pwned us."
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pwned

savebigbird

(417 posts)
6. I don't know about you,
Thu Jul 11, 2013, 08:31 AM
Jul 2013

but "pwned" suggests a greater degree of being beaten than "owned." I think it's totally fitting here.

calimary

(81,322 posts)
11. THANK YOU!!! I have been wondering what that was all about!
Thu Jul 11, 2013, 02:55 PM
Jul 2013

Not a gamer myself. I suspected it might be because of a typo, but was never sure. Always wondered. Thanks for clearing that up!

I guess I better go check out the Urban Dictionary!

northoftheborder

(7,572 posts)
4. not a gamer here, but "pwned" made me read the post I otherwise might have skipped.
Thu Jul 11, 2013, 08:18 AM
Jul 2013

Where did that "word" come from, I'm curious?

localroger

(3,629 posts)
8. Yes it really should be pwn3d
Thu Jul 11, 2013, 08:53 AM
Jul 2013

But there are many variations in 133t sp34k, depending on how deep you are into the culture.

mountain grammy

(26,626 posts)
9. "Pwned" is a new word to me, but you got me with "banned To Kill a Mockingbird"
Thu Jul 11, 2013, 09:26 AM
Jul 2013

a great American novel. Ms. Lee's letter to the school board is as relevant today as it was in 1966.

progressoid

(49,991 posts)
10. Internet slang
Thu Jul 11, 2013, 11:41 AM
Jul 2013
pwned

A corruption of the word "Owned." This originated in an online game called Warcraft, where a map designer misspelled "owned." When the computer beat a player, it was supposed to say, so-and-so "has been owned."

Instead, it said, so-and-so "has been pwned."

It basically means "to own" or to be dominated by an opponent or situation, especially by some god-like or computer-like force.

"Man, I rock at my job, but I still got a bad evaluation. I was pwned."

backscatter712

(26,355 posts)
14. I thought this slang was much older than Warcraft.
Thu Jul 11, 2013, 03:18 PM
Jul 2013

"pwned" or "pwn3d" is lee7speek, or hacking jargon that dates back to the 90's, maybe earlier.

Elwood P Dowd

(11,443 posts)
15. Gregory Peck's grandson is named after Harper.
Thu Jul 11, 2013, 03:30 PM
Jul 2013

Just a little trivia from a friend of mine who grew up in the Monroeville area. I assume she is still close to Peck's family.

 

bmn

(10 posts)
20. self-pwnership
Sun Oct 6, 2013, 04:40 PM
Oct 2013

One could scarcely present a better irony than the use of a term descended of "owning" another person, while describing Ms. Lee's rejoinder toward the reception of her tale. While naturally hesitating to judge that evolution yet complete.

(In most cases I can find the best course in tricky times just by asking myself, WWAFD?)

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