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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHarper 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.
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.
TNNurse
(6,927 posts)but would you fix the headline before I share it with others...."pwned"???
LisaLynne
(14,554 posts)not a gamer.....not at all. I read though and admire Ms. Lee a great deal.
Are_grits_groceries
(17,111 posts)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)but "pwned" suggests a greater degree of being beaten than "owned." I think it's totally fitting here.
Are_grits_groceries
(17,111 posts)savebigbird
(417 posts)Are_grits_groceries
(17,111 posts)calimary
(81,322 posts)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)Where did that "word" come from, I'm curious?
Are_grits_groceries
(17,111 posts)localroger
(3,629 posts)But there are many variations in 133t sp34k, depending on how deep you are into the culture.
mountain grammy
(26,626 posts)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)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)"pwned" or "pwn3d" is lee7speek, or hacking jargon that dates back to the 90's, maybe earlier.
Paladin
(28,265 posts)backscatter712
(26,355 posts)Elwood P Dowd
(11,443 posts)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.
Elwood P Dowd
(11,443 posts)bmn
(10 posts)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?)