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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPA. tea puppets are trying to ban "Nickel And Dimed" from high school reading lists
Local RWers, after apparently receiving marching orders from a conservative think tank or Koch-type operation, have been making repeated attempts to have Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America book banned from the Easton Area School District AP English reading list. The tea puppets stated complaint about the book? That it somehow teaches kids how to beat drug tests, is somehow "anti-Christian", and is otherwise "morally objectionable".
The real reason they want it banned, of course, is purely RW power economics: Ehrenreich's book exposes the plight of minimum wage America, and the tea puppets' plutocratic masters don't like anything taught in the public school system which shines a light on how the American middle class is being crushed under the weight of a Walmart economy.
Video of school board minutes, which took place just a couple of days ago:
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/21410828/highlight/252844
http://lowermacungie.patch.com/articles/nickel-and-dimed-revisited
(edited for spelling)
polichick
(37,152 posts)...of corporations - they are unpaid lobbyists, and have no idea.
atreides1
(16,079 posts)They finally have the monied allies they need in their attacks against anything that moves humans forward...or brings in the light on the darkness that they wish to force upon those of us who won't march in lockstep to their delusional and fanatical beliefs!
saras
(6,670 posts)They have no problem CHANGING beliefs whenever a new belief promises to be more useful to harm people - look at their flipflopping on economic issues. As long as there's a short-term "someone is harmed by this", they are satisfied.
The only unchanging belief seems to be that life is instrinsically bad and wrong, and deserves to suffer all the time.
Kalidurga
(14,177 posts)First off even if the book were anti-christian, they can't use that argument because of the first amendment. The government can't stifle speech based on religion or anti-religion or any other reason, unless it can somehow be deemed to be a threat to an individual. Nor can the government dictate the morality of speech. As for the charge it helps kids beat a drug test, I wouldn't know because I have not read the whole book, but it seems unlikely this is the case. But, again I don't think this is the kind of speech the government can ban. Also, I have heard several very young adults discussing beating drug tests when I am out and about. If they want to know how to do that I doubt this is the book they are going to pick up to learn how.
happyslug
(14,779 posts)First no one is calling for a ban of the book being in the school, the ban is on the book being on a REQUIRED or RECOMMENDED list of books for an AP class. Since such books in such classes are REQUIRED reading to pass the course, the school can determine what books are on the list and what books are NOT on the list. If the School Board votes a book onto such a reading list OR off such a list, that decision is up to the School Board itself.
In fact if a book is an attack on a religion (Or other strongly held belief, which is how the Courts view the term "Religion" in the First Amendment), requiring a student to read it violates the First Amendment for that is interfering with the free exercise of that religion (The Second religious phase in the First Amendment, often ignored except by the courts). I see NOTHING in the book that is an attack on Religion (I suspect the religious angle is to get wider support then if the people attacking the book would get if they would say it was anti-business, which t is, but business is NOT protected under the First Amendment) thus even requiring to read the book is NOT a violation of the First Amendment. I bring this up for it is a factor in such cases but it is a very narrow rule that would be relevant if the book was an attack on a strongly set of beliefs but that is NOT the case here, the books is being asked to be BANNED NOT REQUIRED READING.
Just a comment that this is NOT a First Amendment case, for we are NOT talking about banning the book from the School Library, but the actual REQUIRED reading list of a class in the School. What is taught in a school, unless teaching it violates the a Higher law, i.e. State law, Federal Law, and the State and US Constitutions, is up to the school board to decide. You can NOT claim the First Amendment when it comes to what you MUST read in school to graduate UNLESS being forced to read it violates State law, Federal Law, or the State or US Constitutions.
Kalidurga
(14,177 posts)It still smacks me as unfair to label a book anti-christian and immoral by people that have most likely not read the book in question. If they want to make this case, I think they should present evidence rather than just jumping on a soap box and expecting people to just fall in line.
Starry Messenger
(32,342 posts)Those bootstraps might just show up any day now.
Alcibiades
(5,061 posts)Had not heard that one before. I usually like to refer to these people as the "George Wallace crowd," because they are the very same people who supported him back then, but this is another very apt description.
Dawson Leery
(19,348 posts)exists to preserve the traditional roles of oligarchs.
Johonny
(20,851 posts)is the self deluded workers who think they are going to make it while they work themselves to death for someone else. No doubt a lot of the people trying to ban reading the book are just those type of people. Working low wage jobs thinking if they play the game right some how the system will work for them.
sakabatou
(42,152 posts)Bigmack
(8,020 posts)It was actually life-changing for me. It was a real window onto a segment of society that the Republibaggers don't even acknowledge exists. I'm sure some kids read it and are appalled that our society still has (wage) slaves.
I now tip 20% as a standard tip.
CrispyQ
(36,470 posts)that fit the criteria of the proper attire for working at Walmart. She found a blouse that meant the standards, & then hung onto it all day, in hopes that it would be marked down by end of the day. We're talking about a blouse that was less than $15 to start with.
That invoked both this and this
LuckyLib
(6,819 posts)in America. Along with discussion time to fully explore students' own family experiences with hard work and low pay.
intheflow
(28,476 posts)by misspelling "nickel" in your thread title. But at least you're not a book banner!
jwirr
(39,215 posts)the truth.
ck4829
(35,077 posts)Loud and clear message the book should stay and be required reading. K&R.
fasttense
(17,301 posts)I hope they try to ban the book nationwide. Nothing increases a book's sales in America so quickly as someone calling to ban it. I think I will buy it.
auburngrad82
(5,029 posts)when everything they do, everything they stand for, is to take freedoms away from people. I think we need to pass a law banning the use of the word "freedom" by anyone associated with the Tea Party or the Kochs.