A controversial new obscenity law in Florida has scores of teachers covering up their classroom libraries or removing books altogether until they can be officially vetted for "appropriateness" by a "certified media specialist."
Per the law, exposing children to an unapproved book in the classroom could lead to felony charges for teachers or school staff.
The law also requires that all books made available to students must be personally vetted by an appointed expert to ensure that the books are free of pornography or other inappropriate content.
The result? Books are simply being taken of shelves for fear of running afoul of the rules.
According to reports, school staff in at least one Florida county were told to cover up all their books to ensure they weren't in violation.
Depending on who you ask, the controversial new law is just the latest front in a war to protect the purity of children – or a war to censor LGBT content out of existence.
Either way you slice it, children are losing access to reading material at school.
Save the Children?
Growing fears around what ideas and content children are being exposed to have caused activists to turn their sights on libraries.
In the last few years, Christian groups have declared war on both school and public libraries, challenging content they view as objectionable or unfit for public consumption. Some have even proposed burned offending books.
The Florida bill now makes exposing children to any such material a felony in the Sunshine State.
But critics say the bill is incredibly vague and ill defined. They ask: who decides what is appropriate or inappropriate?
New guidance from the State Board of Education also insists that books be free of “unsolicited theories that may lead to student indoctrination.”
Noting that Florida is home to the infamous “Don’t Say Gay” bill, critics believe that first on the chopping block will be any books with LGBTQ characters or themes.
Worst Literacy Week Ever?
Ironically, this new law is taking effect right as Florida celebrates “Literacy Week.”
Some districts and teachers simply aren’t willing to take any chances.
Manatee County already advised educators they might want to consider covering up their shelves until every single book can be properly vetted, and some teachers have even banned students from bringing books from home. “If you have a lot of books like I do, probably several hundred, it is not practical to run all of them through [the vetting process] so we have to cover them up,” explained Manatee High School history teacher Don Falls. “It is not only ridiculous but a very scary attack on fundamental rights.”
And Manatee Education Association President Pat Barber said that it’s an unnerving time to be an educator in Florida: "It's a scary thing to have elementary teachers have to worry about being charged with a third-degree felony because of trying to help students develop a love of reading."
Each school has at least one media specialist who is state certified to approve or reject books, but considering the sheer amount of books that must be reviewed, educators believe the vetting process could take months or even years, and the state has imposed no deadline.
Considering any simple slip-up could result in a felony prosecution, it’s understandable that they’ll be taking their time.
Critics say this will result in only the most milquetoast and anodyne books being made available to kids, creating an educational environment that is neither informative nor challenging.
However, advocates say this is the only way to protect Florida children from potentially being exposed to harmful ideas.
Where do you stand?
174 comments
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Katelynne Shouse
Christofascist scum running the entire state of Florida!
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Robert Gagnon
They already have a list of what's been excluded and what's been vetted. It is cumulative between the schools to accelerate the process. Teachers can access this list and compare it to their class library instead of covering all of their books and complaining. It is extra work, but what's the alternative? Age inappropriate material in the hands of an unprepared mind. And very few parents put any effort into preparing their kids for most of what they are exposed to. Today's crappy parents are too busy on their phones on the couch on tic toc. One minute attention spans and no life experience that's not on social media. The most these kids get is an occasional share from a moron parent. School is for learning, not confirmation of social issues. Letting them use phones for basic math, and spellcheck have left us with a bunch of worthless kids that worry how many likes they posted yesterday. With no ability to create or dream we are becoming like the movie Idiocracy.
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Ronald Edward Howlett
Hey Robert Some good reading, Read BOOK BURNING/ HOLOCAUST ENCYCLOPEDIA, (if you aren't afraid of the past and believe in the lies of the grate, not great, Politicians that are only in to get rich the backs of the poor and middle class while taking huge amounts of money from NRA, big pharma, oil magnates and any other corporation that will line their pockets.) the dishonesty, the greed, and the need to enslave people under the guise of their Religious beliefs. If there is a God that would condone their actions, I don't want to meet Him.
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Johnnie Roberte Lambert
I grew up in the 50's 60's with access to everything I wanted to read. This censorship, this book burning is reminiscent of the Nazis, and was predicted by Ray Bradbury in Fahrenheit 451. Too bad we are moving into religious fascism. And people wonder why youth are turning away from "Christianity". Ideas don't kill or harm people unless people put them in action. American History, Black History, Slavery, Apartheid, Nazi-ism and all such isms are a part of history. "If we don't learn from history we are doomed to repeat it".
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Rev Ned
Taliban “Christians” seem to be coming a real nuisance.
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Rev. Kev
I don't see a problem with teaching children things. The trick is to understand there is such a thing as age-appropriate materials, and some content that should really fall under the category of what parents should discuss in private with their children instead of the schools. That aside, I think the activists at both ends of the political spectrum have taken things too far to push their own agendas and the kids are the ones caught in the adults' tug-of-war for their hearts and minds.
Of course, we have the awful creation known as social media happily poisoning the minds and character of countless people. That is where both parents and teachers need to focus some attention. To stop kids from diving into that cesspool and learn how to think for themselves, as well as not rely on the opinions and "Likes" of others. Being exposed to the nonsense people want to splash all over the internet is not the same as a solid education.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Rev. Kev Sorry to say you are wrong. As a society we have decided the state and federal government has the ultimate authority, not the parents, when it comes to teaching children. You should be thankful for social media giving a voice to the victims of rape and child molestation by priests, ministers and bishops. It's allowing the victims to warn others of the evil doings of the church. Social media podcasts and videos are a support network for all of those young people who are leaving the church. @Rev. Kev I encourage you to listen to TED talks and podcasts where young people tell how they were brainwashed by their family and church members be Christian. There lives are so much better once they left the church. And now they are sharing the good news with others.
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ET
What children aren’t taught in school, they will get from social media and other media open and available. It’s a complex issue that no one solution exists to solve.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
That's the way it's always been. Social media replaced movies, which replaced magazines which replaced pictures, which replaced live stage shows. The minds are the same, only the media has changed.
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Rev. B
...which replaced cave paintings.
Someone had to say it.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
I guess that makes me old school, Douglas for I'm still watching DVDs of movies in the built-in DVD player of my 24" Westinghouse LED HDTV with 720 pixels. My sixtieth birthday will be on Valentine's Day (as are all of my birthdays), and with part of my birthday money, already waiting in my Amazon shopping cart are twelve movies & two series on DVDs, including all six seasons of In Search Of with Leonard Nimoy, the 1975 season of The Midnight Special with Wolfman Jack, The Green Berets, The Magnificent Seven, The Alamo, Fiddler On The Roof, West Side Story, The Sound Of Music, The Wizard Of Oz, four Clint Eastwood movies starting with A Fistful Of Dollars, and you should be able to guess the rest. I'm sure I must have atleast a thousand DVDs, and a couple of hundred CDs already, and plan to get a whole lot more! Anything more modern than that is too modern for me (except that I do now have the first 7 seasons of the new Hawaii Five O, and am planning to add NCIS Los Angeles to my collection. I think I might also start subscribing to AARP next month. I don't know about your world Douglas, but movies and magazines are still very much part of mine, and surely always will be.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
I forgot to add the movie Guys And Gals to the list of movies I'm getting, and that's the closest thing to pornography that I ever care to watch. If I ever get tired of it, maybe I'll send it to that Florida school, for that would be a definite improvement over what they're showing those kids now.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Carl Bernard Elfstrom So you are too young for strippers on stage or XXX movies in theaters. At 720p you are missing out on all of the 4K porn that's in living color/
Instead of In Search Of with Leonard Nimoy, try the Day the Universe Changed by James Burke.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Douglas, my fantasies are pornographic enough. I don't have to see it on a screen. My girlfriend would never believe all the things I'm doing with all my exes (who live in Texas), when we're the only two in bed.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Carl Bernard Elfstrom Sound like what you have is better then 3-D and 4-D 8K. Appears you have what I have, true vision, with sound sound and tactile sensation. Isn't that the best?
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Rev Mark D
Well said Reverend kev. We are back to Fahrenheit 451, and 1984, but it's not exactly a brave new world. However the power of the state used to entirely control and terrorize is somewhere between totalitarian authoritarian socialism and totalitarian authoritarian communism, which is all left left left to the wall up against the wall bang your head to the wall headbangers' ball Left. From conservatives supposedly. ?????
It's their state.
But "their problem is obvious."
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Colleen McAllister
This is just plain wrong. Ideas can be very powerful and depending on the person can also be quite destructive. But ideas are also what causes change and to stifle learning does more harm than good.
Florida needs to get their act together and get rid of that governor.
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Stephanie A Willey
Florida is now a Fascist State within the United States of America and DeSantis is its Fascist leader. Other States are contemplating the same or similar path into Fascism as Florida.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Stephanie A Willey A Fascist State would have a dictator.
Fascism: A governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.
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Curtis Presson
First book to keep away from the kids is The BIBLE! That has some really racy stuff in it! Next, no Shakespeare!
I was in a Barnes and Noble bookstore not too long ago and they had a special table labeled “Banned Books” to make them easier to find. In Florida I image they should just label the whole store. Easier that way.
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Dorothy Anne Howard
I agree need to get rid of all the books by LGBTQ authors! Lots of them! This is a ridiculous law and teachers and parents need to let Desantis know it! Today I read he won’t teach black American history! Get rid of all those books! While you’re at it get the Holocaust out and the Bible’s! Better not let kids go to church! This is upsetting and one man should not be allowed to do this! Cmon parents! Stop the madness this crosses so many lines! It’s more like a hate crime!
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Lionheart
As long as children are taught “how to think”, and not “what to think” they should be good. There are many books containing fiction, that should be labelled as such, like the Bible, and other religious books, that many will insist are the works related to some deity, with no real evidence to support their claims. Let children make up their own minds using logic, reason, and critical thought.
To many teachers push their own biased agenda, which often is no different to parents pushing their own biased agenda, which causes children to have a misguided belief structure, not of their own making, but of how they have been taught what to think.
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David Cox
Lionheart, that's your opinion about the bible..I know you hate God and the Bible but you can discuss that with God at judgement day.
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Lionheart
Of course its my opinion, which is no different to your negative opinion of the Quran, Bhagavad Gita, The Book of Mormon, and any other books that others believe to be the word of a god. If you are wrong we might all be answering to one of those other gods that others believe in. Perhaps the Mormon judgment day is different to yours, and might be the real one. Are you ready for the consequences of being wrong? I know I am.
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Clay Serenbetz
Banning or burning books is something the Nazis did. It wasn't a good idea then and it remains a bad idea today.
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ET
Comment removed by user.
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Gary James Thomas Garrett
How about banning books that glorify genocide, support slavery, normalizes incest and teaches we are all inherently evil and should be tortured forever - ya know, like the Bible.
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Helen Claire -Estelle Nance
I am very happy to see how the System of White Supremacy /Racism is NOT GOING TO HIDE its face any longer...SO NO MORE relating the legacy of African prisoners of WAR or the institution of American Bondage /Slavery...I was born in the 1960's in Charleston S.C...near Berks HS.... under the Black Slave codes called Jim Crow/ the system of Apartheid and NOW ..Jim Crow is COMING BACK! or did it ever really LEAVE?.....The Civil Rights Act could never change the REAL HEARTS of Whyte FOLKS.. and Now you see it and ..it looks like ......most Whtye FOLKS APPROVE...Most Whyte folks WILL NEVER FIGHT BACK against the hiding of the HISTORY OF SLAVERY.....Hear that ?..just Silence and compliance...IT'S What you really want.....to return to Jim Crow amerikka... and Black folks are having their eyes opened..!! Malcolm told us .. he was a Prophet...;.... that this country ,will never do right by the Freedman/ the African....We demand :Reparations for the Slavery THAT NEVER ENDED.!!..We still have to fight as Freedmen against the continuing War on African people..
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Helen Claire -Estelle Nance You are forgetting it was slavenly that made America Great. It's what made most countries great. If you ever get a chance the Slave Museum in Qatar is very impressive. Unlike America which outlawed slavery over 150 years ago, Qatar outlawed only 5 years ago and has a museum dedicated to telling the history of slavery from around the world. One one think America should have been better about it.
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Helen Claire -Estelle Nance
Place your self and your family in bondage and shackels and then come talk to us... absurb and sadist talk..
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Richard Basen
You sound like DeSantis.. "Slaves wanted to be slaves" , "only the left teaches that slaves were abused or harmed". "We can not allow anything negative to be taught in our schools that makes 'us' look bad"
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Mary
Wow are you dylusional oh but you all are so good at changing reality to fit your fake one. I'm independant btw and for this very reason. I left your nice party years ago when I saw you for what you are. DeSatan supporter.
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Richard Basen
Mary was that directed at me or at Douglas? What I said were QUOTES from DeSantis .. not my opinions.. there are quotes around the things he says and preaches " " !!
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Rev Mark D
Five years ago? FIVE???
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Rev Mark D Yes five. The slave trade was prohibited in Qatar in 1952, but the practice of slavery under the Kafala system continued until 2016. (My mistake, it wasn't five years it was SEVEN now that it's 2023.
The salve museum, Bin Jelmood House, former trading center for slaves does is where you can learn more including slavery in the United States. (One has to wonder why the US can't do something similar.)
https://msheirebmuseums.com/en/about/bin-jelmood-house/
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Frank Michael Salinger
Stephanie, with all due respect please do some investigation regarding fascism. Censoring children against pornography is not fascism. Censoring politics, as the left and socialists do, is fascism.
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Richard Basen
Frank, I think you have your right and left mixed up. You seem to support fascism and the right. Censoring facts and reality is fascism/Nazism. What DeSantis wants is not controlling pornographic stuff... but eliminating all references to gays or any ethnicity, other than his, that might show the reality of how they treated and still treat others. He only wants to see one religion, one race...his, and one set of laws...that he approves. He and his buddy from Texas broke federal laws by illegally transporting undocumented persons across state lines and also promising them homes and jobs that didn't exist!
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Joe Stutler
More theofascist nonsense from the cannibal cultists. Stand Your Ground.
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Matthew Mastrogiovanni
The N̶a̶z̶i̶ Republican party in Florida must be stopped.
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Lionheart
The beauty of the USA is that we have democratic elections (hopefully), Matthew.
Saying things like the “Republican party in Florida must be stopped” can lead to anarchy, and civil strife. We, the people, have the right to vote if we are not happy and need change.
We have to accept the majority vote, whether we like it or not. That’s what democracy us all about. Many of us don’t like having our own citizens, many of them vets, living on the streets, with billions of dollars freely going to other countries when we could better use it looking after our own. We have to suck it up until the majority wants a government to look after it’s own citizens homelessness, and welfare.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Lionheart I think what you mean is the beauty of the USA is that we are lead to believe we have democratic elections when in realty elections are determined by those who have money, the power, and are in control of the medial... Now to includes social media.
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Lionheart
You do have a point there, Douglas. I have to show my credentials/ID to prove I'm over 21 just to get a drink in a pub, but no credentials to vote? Times are getting scary 😱
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Lionheart In America we vote early and often for the same election.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Lionheart, you must look really young for your age, if you still get carded in pubs. The only time they asked to see my I.D. was when I was trying to buy liquor in a liquor store, when I was fourteen.
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Lionheart
I do look much younger now that I’ve rid myself of scary religion, and the mythical threat of going to Hell if I don’t toe-the-line. I’m much happier, and more vibrant.
Here I am smiling and being happy 😇😀🙃😊😋🤣🤗😆
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
I used the same expired I.D. card to vote with for thirteen years before I got around to getting a new one. The one I have now has only been expired for four years. Ofcourse, I'm very well known, and it has been said that I have quite a way with words.
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Rev. Z.D. Caballero
George Orwell, Ayn Rand, and George Carlin must be sipping on gin and juice in "Un-certified Media Specialist Heaven", laughing their "tushes" off, and screaming at the top of their prophetic lungs, "We told you so!!!"
I find these kinds of news amusing, because if I get angry or sad, it kills my inner peace. It seems that humanity regresses the more civilized it becomes. Here is a prime example of the two-edgedness of the Politically Correct Movement's proverbial sword.
Yes, teaching acceptance, tolerance, and sensitivity is good for society in general. However, concentrating on the language used to replace words that communicate the accepting, tolerant or sensitive message with words that, although being good intentioned, confuse the meaning of words, gives rise to these kinds of controversies.
On the one side, gay use to mean happy, joyful, merry. Now it refers to a homosexual man, which was further replaced with a string of letters to be inclusive of the plethora of sexual inclinations or gender identifications that are different than the accepted norm (which is enforced by what is quickly becoming a lesser and lesser majority of traditional individuals and the institutions they have created, which includes local, state, and federal government). These traditionalists, in turn, use an accepted politically correct logic or algorithm to create terms that, again, are unnecessary, since words already exist for them.
For example, the "certified media specialist" that will inspect the potentially offensive reading material for "appropriateness" is simply a CENSOR looking for material that doesn't OFFEND traditionalist's sensitivities. Either side of the controversy utilizes the rules of rhetoric to shape language in a way that benefits their cause (us), while demonizing the other side (them).
In doing so, sometimes statements are made that really hurt their cause. Is the CENSOR employed by each school's library going to remove every book on historical Christmas carols (both because of church/state separation and for offending language)? I mean... "don we now our GAY apparel, fa-la la-la la la-la, la, la" and all that. How about books that quote Martin Luther King, Jr. or Malcolm X because they use the word "negro," or a book on photography that includes that little girl from the Vietnam War burned by napalm, or of Thích Quảng Đức torching himself in protest during that same war, or a book on feminism that includes "It is a QUEER thing, but imaginary troubles are harder to bear than actual ones" by Dorothy Dix (pseudonym of Elizabeth Meriweather Gilmer, a respected and influential American journalist of the mid to late 19th century)?
With all due respect to the sensibilities of many, it is GOOD to be exposed to "bad" stuff now and then. After all, if we are not exposed to the flu virus, we cannot build defenses against it, right? Well, how the heck is a child going to decide which philosophy of life he or she is going to live by and DEFEND, if the poor child isn't exposed to the opposite view? Juxtaposition is a great way to learn and realize where one stands. I cannot fully grasp what being straight or gay is if I am not exposed to the ideas of the other sexual inclination, or whatever the socially accepted term is nowadays. Did not singer-composer Michael David Rosenberg, aka Passenger, made this point in his song "Let Her Go"?
"Well, you only need the light when it's burning low Only miss the sun when it starts to snow Only know you love her when you let her go"
It seems critical thinking textbooks were thrown out of academia about 30 years ago, and this is what happens. In 30 more years, the pigs will be running the farm, if you know what I mean. ;-)
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Canadian Yankee
Time of the people of Florida to watch the movie Fahrenheit 451
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Canadian Yankee You are assuming the people in Florida can read, comprehend what they read and think about it. That's a stretch.
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Canadian Yankee
First they must have to book to even being the process.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Debbie Does Dallas is another good one they ought to watch, Yank.
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Rev Ned
“Conservative” religious folks’ children must be very weak minded, because they require protection from ideas contrary to their parents’ beliefs. It’s sad, bigly sad.
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Darrell Hebert
Conservative Christian families bring up their children in the way they should go, so that when they are older, they will not depart from the faith. We teach the Bible to them as our families guide. We are not weak minded, but biblically minded.
Most ppl on this site aren’t Christian. And they certainly aren’t conservative. It is interesting to read the comments from all the leftists though. :)
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Joe Stutler
You indoctrinate, and threaten children with Hell if they tell on Preacher...or you. Maybe just stay away from.kids until you get treatment.
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Richard Basen
So you admit you groom and indoctrinate your kids. You probably are offended by those words.. but they are words that describe what you have talked about. Words that you use against those you dont like. But yet you do what you accuse others of doing! Typical.
It's your ways that are behind the huge move away from your "Chruch'
What I find interesting is that most 'conservative christians' don't teach what Christ taught but what MAN taught. I aways like to ask which version of a 'bible' do you use? That series of stories has been edited and changed millions of times since a Pagan Roman King had it composed hundreds of years AFTER the time of Christ to control an unruly mob of liberal thinkers. Just to mention a few 'versions' there's a Catholic version, a Jewish version, a Greek version, a Gay British King's version, An American miners' version and a Science fiction author's version... All but one, of those and hundreds more, are edited versions of that first one. -
Carl Bernard Elfstrom
D.H., that was hilarious!!! Hardy har har, and LOL!!!
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James Riggle-Johnson
A media specialist? They mean a straight, white, Christian with no experience in literature, deciding what they want children to read. They don’t want kids to learn that our country is built on the backs of slaves. They don’t want them to know that Hitler murdered over 6 million Jews so he could create his master race. They don’t want them to know that gay people exist. They are trying to whitewash history.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
You're right James. They should also have gay porn in those classrooms for gay children, or those who want to try something different. You know, like gay trade.
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James Riggle-Johnson
@Carl Bernard Elfstrom, why do you make comments like that? I don't think they should class on gay cultrue, but I don't think they should deny their exsistance either. You don't have to disgrace my comment that way. It's rather low brow.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
I've never tried to disgrace you at all James, and really like you a lot, and think highly of your comments. I also think very highly about gay people, and am all about equality and equal rights.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
I wasn't talking about what you think about it James. I personally think there should be classes that study all U.S. cultures and subcultures, so that kids will learn about all the people who live in this nation, so they'll better understand the people they may come in contact with. And don't get the impression that you're the only gay man on this blog, who needs to defend everything that's said about them. Not all gay people feel a need to identify as gay, in every group of people they happen to be part of. Some may even feel that they can carry the message better, on this blog, without identifying as gay, my brother.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
And as for another thing, I don't take everything on this blog too seriously, and become critical and bent out of shape over it, but sometimes seek to find humor in it. If I didn't I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to survive around here nearly as long as I have.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Furthermore James C Riggle, if you ever come to Galveston, Texas look me up, for I have a strong desire to give you a hug.
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Nicholas J Page
Ban inappropriate books sex and nudity yes but history books etc no Children need to learn about their country and other places and races
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Joe Stutler
The problem is that Trumpublican theofascist cultists find anything the don't like to be "inappropriate".
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Cherrie L Perro
Teaching a six year old how to masturbate is what Governor DeSantis is trying to keep out of schools. Children are pure and shouldn't be subjected to illustrations of ANY sexual conduct, especially from their teachers. Any person who supports this, is nothing but a pedophile.
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Louise Racine
Cherrie might I suggest you google "at what age do begin to children masturbate". The scientific consensus is that it is very common for children to masturbate at a very young age, it’s completely normal, innocent and natural. It has nothing to do with "pedophile". I am just sadly shaking my head at the damage done to kids by attitudes like yours.
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Richard Basen
That is what DeSantis wants you to think he's doing. He wants ALL books that teach human interaction and ALL books that teach anything that makes his right wing white idealism look bad. He wants kids to be taught that slavery didnt exist as such, That slaves wanted to be slaves and that gay people choose that way to torment him and his followers. DeSantis only cares about one thing... HIS political career! Anyone who gets in his way gets trampled. He fired the head of the medical commission because they refused to use fake covid numbers that his staff provided .... He had sheriffs ransack his COM-AG's office to find something against her.. They couldn't find anything ... She was and still is telling the truth about him! His "press conferences" are limited to only questions he approves by the media he wants.. anyone who dares to actually question him is escorted out and many have been arrested.
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Rev. B
Ugh. I hadn't heard about that one. Who was this teacher?
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Tom
There isn't one. This is just a made up example to rile up the conservative base around these book bans. They just don't want books written by LGBTQ authors or Black historians to end up educating children because the more educated a person gets, the less likely they are to accept conservative view points.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Nicholas J Page Define inappropriate books please. Where are children going to learn about their country when other places and races when what they are taught in school is a lie? Nudity has been around since the begging of time... Good luck getting that banned especially when kids find it in the Bible and church.
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James Lowrance
The Communst Democrappers are far more dangerous.
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Richard Basen
Childish name doesn't help you.
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James Riggle-Johnson
Seriously?
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Suzette Shelby
U ALL SOUND LIKE A BUNCH OF PEDOPHILES. GET SOME HELP
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Lionheart
Is it possible for you to qualify your statement as to why you have that thought?
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Richard Basen
Many times those who throw around accusations like that are covering it up in themselves! Be careful what you accuse 'everyone' of doing....
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Suzette Shelby It's the priests, ministers and bishops who are the rapists, pedophiles and child molesters.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Suzette, U ALL is not a word, and makes you sound totally illiterate. The proper word to say is y'all (unless you're a Yankee,).
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Richard Basen
Many times those who throw around accusations like that are covering it up in themselves! Be careful what you accuse 'everyone' of doing....
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
I suppose it's probably alright for children to look at child porn, but children should never be allowed to look at adult porn. However, adult teachers can't look at child porn, so the students have to figure it out for themselves, so they probably won't learn much on the subject, and if they aren't being taught anything about it, it has no place in a school.
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Humanism Clergy Linda
I live in Florida and the governor is ridiculous and a laughing joke. He once a run for the presidency so he is pandering to MAGA republicans. He is a very dangerous man if he wins the presidency he's also very intelligent and sly knows how to work around the law
Reading never hurts anyone it's the Not Reading that is Dangerous.
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Lionheart
So, do I take it that you are against making America great again, or are you happy with the looting, illegal immigrants pouring over our border, vets and homeless sleeping out on the street, and the US giving billions of dollars in aid to other countries?
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Richard Basen
ALL of what you stated are from the previous administration! DeSantis believes in bringing undocumented persons to YOUR home town and dropping them off with nothing but a false promise that YOU will house, hire and care for them! He's already paid to have several loads of them shipped several times... at taxpayer expense! BTW that is illegal, but since he's a GOP governor, laws dont apply to him!
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Frank Michael Salinger
What don’t you understand about illegal migrants? Very few of them are real life refugees from persecution. Descantis and Florida along with Texas cannot take care of all of these illegals. They should be sending them all back to their countries to reapply legally.
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Lionheart
But they shouldn't be here in the first place, Richard. We are well into this administration and as far as I can tell, the Vice President hasn't done anything about illegals. in fact, to the contrary, more are flooding in than at any time in history. Are you ok with that? Trump was at least trying to build a wall, which Biden stopped when he got in. I see Biden calls the Russian war an invasion, but he stops short of calling the illegal immigrants here in the US an invasion, even though there are more pouring across the border here than Russians invading Ukraine 🤷🏼
I see you didn't address the looting, homelessness, and money being given to other countries. Yes you can point your fingers to other administrations, but shouldn't this one be doing something to take care of these issues, or are you happy with the status quo? Just asking for a homeless vet that I met the other day that was reading about billions of dollars being given to other countries.
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Richard Basen
I find it intersting that you only think of the few who break laws.. you ignore the fact that The Christian bible orders you to accept ALL refugees and treat them as family... but you choose to put limits on that.
More people are being sent back under Biden than Trump ever did! So, try looking at facts instead of what FOX or other right wing media want you to think.
BTW most 'illegals' are NOT from South America but from Europe and are white and may even live next to you!! They are people who came here years ago and let their 'green cards' expire and still live and work here!! It may even include some members of YOUR family!-
Lionheart
I'd like to see that empirical data that more are being sent back than under Trump. You could be right, but then again, that would be expected being as more have come here than under Trump, so, hopefully, more are being sent back.
Im actually not interested in what that book of yours says. If you try believe everything in it, you will also be approving your gods love of slavery, stoning, drowning, and killing those first born.
As for my family, and also having researched my family history as far back as the 1350's, I'm the only one that has immigrated here to the US, which I did in 1987. My family and I followed the correct protocols of being interviewed twice at the US, London Embassy. They checked my academic qualifications to ensure I could contribute here in the US, which I can assure you I have done, by helping with the redesign of the Solid Rocket Boosters for the Space Shuttle program for NASA to get the Space Shuttle Program back in flight, after the Challenger disaster in 1986. The Embassy also checked our families financial situation to ensure we would not be a drain on the US economy in any way. They also checked all of our health records to ensure we would not be bringing any diseases into the US. That's the correct way to do it. It took over 2 years, but it was worth it.
We are now reaping the effects every day of those who have not done it correctly. If you think those thousands storming in are all from war torn countries seeking asylum, you are sadly misinformed.
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Lionheart
I forgot to mention the US Embassy also checked for any criminal history. All these checks were to ensure we would be citizens worthy of being invited into the US, and to add to its culture. It’s actually no different from similar protocols adopted by other countries. Without these very sensible types of entry protocols for those wishing to immigrate, the country could go into a decline. Oh…..but wait!!! 🤔
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Daniel Gray
and the joke is clearly YOU. DeSantis won in the last election by the largest majority in over 40 years, meaning far more people like him and agree with him then dont. So you can claim what you like but there is no reason to outright lie about it and if you want to claim otherwise then you really need to put in something saying this is YOUR OPINION and is NOT based on fact. I mean how bad do you have to be proved wrong when even NPR and PBS are saying you are lying. https://www.wuft.org/news/2022/11/08/desantis-wins-2022-florida-governors-race-by-largest-margin-in-40-years/
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George T Tusi
A few years Back we had enough common sense to know what was good and what was bad for CHILDREN. A few years Back The World Was a Much Better Place. Our Young Children Were Safer Back Then.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
George, maybe you just weren't paying as much attention, a few years back.
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Tim Cranford
This is right out of the playbook of every fascist regime that has ever seized power in any country. I can see vetting books for age-appropriateness. I can not, however, see any reason to ban books outright, just because some people don't agree with what they contain. It is my understanding that the books in question are not just LGBTQ+ related, but also books regarding the history of trailblazing people of color and basically anyone who has challenged the status quo in American history in the name of effecting positive change and growth.
Be careful. The governor in question will likely run for President, and if he takes office, he will make this a national thing.
This is motivated by fear... fear of LGBTQ+ people, fear of people of color, and fear that truth will eventually eradicate the lies upon which the modern fascist movement is based. If people don't know their history, they will most assuredly be doomed to repeat it. If people are fed a diet of lies and white-washed history, they will live (and vote) in ignorance. Ignorance of history and truth are the foundation upon which fascists can erode and destroy democracy, and fear-based laws are the device through which fascist regimes control the masses. Today it's Florida... tomorrow it begins to spread to other states. This is how fascist regimes take control... slowly, like a virus, until the entire country is infected.
We are watching the next step in the eradication of our rights, freedoms and personal autonomy... and the destruction of democracy. As clergy, I feel it is our duty to raise our voices in opposition as frequently and as loudly as we can. We can not afford to practice apathy when our way of life is threatened, as it most certainly is now.
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Mary Haviland
It doesn't matter if the books are that if homos or not, book banning is not the issue. The issue is age appropriateness. And if that means to bab books from certain age groups. The. Yeah baby them but that isn't the same as banning books out of society. And yes if it's luciferin or such equiv. They should be banned out of exitance. Teaching kids about sex at that age or even homo and trans sex is luciferian.
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Mary
And they do this instead of feeding the hungry and helping people out of poverty. Everything republicans do is dysfunctional.
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Mary Haviland
Good, and they should. They shouldn't have any tight to bring that kind of info into the schools and brainwashing the kids with that crap. Kids at that age are highly influential. They can't disseminate between right from wrong for many years and teachers with an agenda have no right adding there agenda into the school curriculum. That is called brainwashing.
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James Riggle-Johnson
They do not have nor have they ever had porn in schools. This is just an ascuse to stop kids from learning about slavery and that gay people exsist.
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Richard Basen
Mary, much like you are doing? You dont want kids to learn about facts or factual history. you dont want kids to know that people dont always look like you or have the same beliefs as you. That history was not all lollypops and roses. NO ONE has ever had 'porn' in school.. unless a student brought it in!
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
I sometimes drew pornographic pictures with chalk, on the blackboards, at my school. Look what I started!
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Kids of today should only look at the porn mags they find in trash cans, like we did when we were children.
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James Riggle-Johnson
They do not have nor have they ever had porn in schools. This is just an ascuse to stop kids from learning about slavery and that gay people exsist.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
You're right James. Instead they should be showing those kids movies like Stonewall, Out Of The Past, and Roots. I've got all three of them in my Amazon saved for later list right now, and will be watching them every year, in the month of June, for as long as I live.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
It all seems to go back to the persecution of gays to you James. Do you think you might be paranoid? You might want to mention it to your psychiatrist, during your next psycho therapy session.
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Daniel Gray
I dont have a problem with the teachers being told to cover or remove the books. You dont get to go into any workplace and just decide you can do what you want. You want to keep working then you abide by what the rules are, and this has nothing to do with teaching children how to read as one low intelligence person in the story put it as there are thousands of books out there that can be used. What this is all about is some teachers think they can do what they want and when they want and the parents who sign their paychecks be d**ned. get used to it, what books you have i your own home are your business as long as they are not breaking the law (child porn etc) but when you bring them into the public workplace then all rules are off and you follow what the rules of your workplace or you quit. Simple as that
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Richard Basen
The problem is that is NOT what this law is about.. that is just a cover story for it! The law is designed to eliminate teaching of anything that doesn't fit what DeSantis wants you to know. "Slaves wanted to be slaves, gays choose to be that way to torment us, There is only one religion, women dont deserve rights, and, all medical issues must be approved by the governor!"
Free speech and other freedoms only exist if the Governor approves them! It has NOTHING to do with any kind of 'porn'!
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Daniel Gray
Sorry but no, he has never said that. Nice try but you really should stop with all the fluff and cotton balls you are trying to pass as fact
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Lady Celynia
I agree with the idea of not indoctrinating children or exploiting children to push an agenda. Also, our schools, around the country, need to stop being used for political agendas. We used to have the best and the brightest. Now, not so much. My family homeschooled for these reasons. Academics was on a downward spiral when I was a kid in the 70s/80s.
I do not agree with this law. It is divisive and oversteps. Both sides will use it for their own agenda. We already see that here on this forum. On a larger world scale, it just gets worse. We don't need laws. We need philosophical change in how we teach our children. The social agenda needs to be set aside in favor of strong academics in language, science, history (not this social studies garbage that emerged in the 60s), maths, the arts and physical education. Honestly, if teachers are teaching these subjects well, there really is no time for this other nonsense.
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Richard Basen
Some of your ideas are great... the problem is, Most parents have never been taught the things you mentioned! And their parents weren't either! So Homeschooling is not appropriate for them to do.
Today's parents want teachers to be babysitters and not teach anything but things they want the teachers to teach. So which parent's ideals are to be taught? Which ones are 'right'? Yours or theirs?
The vast majority of teachers today would love to be able to teach real facts and reality .. not some parent's ideals.
DeSantis wants only HIS ideals taught ... "no one else should have that right."
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Dean Allen White
There sure are a lot of people here ready to grind their own personal axes, and to push their own personal ideologies onto everyone else. Isn't this what the entire problem is? Please check your "personal ideologies" at the door. Please. Lionheart is correct. Children need to be taught HOW to think for themselves, not WHAT others wish for them to think. Teaching children to think, to apply reason and deliberation doesn't require the use of "Inclusive texts", "Bibles", "Korans", or any one other particular book (if I missed your personal favorite, feel free to imagine it listed here, in this space). That certain books are seen as inappropriate for young children, is the view of many, but not all. I will ask, is this variance in views a matter of true fact, or a matter of opinion? I hold that it's a matter of opinion, and that the very root of the issue being discussed is based upon "opinion". So, should the state government, or the federal government, or the local school board, or an individual teacher, or the child's parents, or a Special Interest Group (this would include religion in all forms), decide what is proper to teach to a child? Obviously, the answer is no, not only one opinion is best in this situation. Something that resembles a consensus must be reached. Perhaps the duties of a school need to be changed, to settle the matter. Perhaps it's best if a school teaches only "Reading, 'Riting, and 'Rithmetic", and perhaps some science? Perhaps history is best left for children to learn on their own, later in life? Most would agree that much of history is opinion, written by those who wish to advance their own ideologies. And revisionist history is the same, persons wishing to push their opinions of history onto others. There are no "easy answers" here, but obviously some compromises need to be made. Should every person with an ideology or a special interest be allowed to force their ideologies and opinions into public schools? Parents, activists, politicians? Public education needs a long hard look, and then some thoughtful, considerate, corrections need to be made. In the meantime, have fun here, pushing your own agendas. Regards, Dean
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Ronaldo
As a parent, I taught my children far more than they learned in school. They learned how to think, how to argue their side of any conflict or disagreement, and became successful in life after graduating. Did I limit certain information and books from them when they were young? Yes, because that information was not essential to their development. All the limitations were eliminated by the time they hit high school, and they could choose their own reading material. There are those who claim that there should be no banned books, even in elementary school. What would they say if copies of "The Anarchist's Cookbook" showed up in those libraries? Kids could learn to make explosives and weapons out of household materials. My kids learned how to make incendiary devices and explosives in middle school. They did not have access to that information while in elementary school because they were too young to use it properly. Should this book be allowed in the elementary school libraries?
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Troy Forbus
Porn of any kind doesn't belong in the class room, period. If a book depicts sexual acts of any kind doesn't belong in the class room. If a book describes in detail sexual acts it doesn't belong in the class room. How hard is this to understand?
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Louise Racine
Sex is a normal part of life, like eating, sleeping and any other biological act. Why shouldn't it be discussed in a factual, scientific, matter of fact manner?
Your phobia about sex is reminiscent of the Islamic phobia of women who expose their faces and hair.
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Joe Stutler
So you agree the Bible should be banned, and anyone introducing the Bible to children should be imprisoned....got it.
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Mary Haviland
Sex is not a normal part of life for kids, nor should it be. That is how the kids innocents are taken away from them. No kids esp pre teens. And esp the homo and transgender crap. Kids don't need to be worrying about that stuff at those ages.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Mary, I don't know where you grew up, but I started having sex with some of the kids in my neighborhood when I was seven years old, and one girl was even younger. Not only that, but she instigated it...every time. We were looking at porn at that age too. Ofcourse, I probably should add that we were all juvenile delinquents in quite a variety of ways. You sound like you might have been one of those good kids, who lived in another part of town, that we did our best to stay away from. Don't get the wrong impression. Not all children are darling, little, angels, unless you include fallen angels in that.
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Mary Haviland
Absolutely not. The reason why this country is so messed up is because of the lack of Christianity in our culture. And schools. A little Christianity won't hurt anybody, while a lot of it do everybody who it effects, it will do wonders for them
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Richard Basen
Mary, Remember it's the Christian church that condones slavery, bigotry, and hatred ...
According to scriptures, Women are not to speak to others without permission from their husbands, also you are to be subservient to them! If you actually read real history, Christianity is one of the most violent religions in history as well!
Christ taught people to love all and care for all .. not just those few you like. But again, since the above teachings are not convenient today, they are ignored.
So which version of 'Christianity' are you talking about?
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Mary, I was raised Christian, even though I've long since been a born again Pagan of the Wiccan variety (and am no longer anything like the juvenile delinquent christian I once was), and most of the horny, little, juvenile delinquent kids in my neighborhood (myself included) we're all students at Catholic elementary schools. I was even an altarboy! That's where I started getting drunk, fairly often, on communion wine before mass. Thank God and Goddess they expelled me from two parochial schools, and never would take me in another one. [Atleast I excelled in Reading and writing.]
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Mary, I hate Christianity, and think it totally sucks!!! Then again, I have plenty of friends and family who are also Christians, and I don't care what anyone believes in, as long as they don't try to force it on others, yelling people what they ought to believe in, or how they should act. And I'll do my best to put a stop to that Everytime I hear it!
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Mary, a little Paganism won't hurt anyone iether.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Get used to it Mary! Christianity is on its way out, and people like me are working hard to push it out the door. Then again, I've heard they can use more people in Mexico.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Troy, atleast they won't find the pages sticky from bodily fluids, as long as the books stay in the classroom. So, as long as they don't let the students take the books home with them, or even to the bathroom during recess, it should be alright.
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Mary Haviland
I wouldn't count on that. They things they are allowing kids to do in classroom, some California schools have been letting boys practice sex on the girls. So I would not out anything past any of this perverts. If they allow sex in the classrooms, they will let the boys cum on the pages of the books.
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Richard Basen
Mary.. please give exact examples of the claims you're making... "Some say" is NOT factual nor a source..
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Mary, they should atleast make the boys lap it up, so the books will be good for future use.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Troy, it sounds like you're saying that it would be better for sex education teachers to require students (probably only pairs, but never more) to awkwardly attempt to engage in sex acts in the classroom, without first looking at pictures, to see how it is supposed to be done. I guess then, that the ones who happen to get it 👍 will get a good 👍 grade for the day. However, it seems to me that far more of them would get good 👍 grades with some kind of previous instructions. I thought that's what going to school is all about. Ofcourse, they could require their male students to bring their own condoms. And the ones who don't could be required to sit in the back of the classroom and watch the others awkwardly attempt to have sex, maybe while eating popcorn.
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Mary Haviland
I'm saying that what they are teaching is not sex ed, and should not be taught to that young of kids either. They have gone way too far with their teaching of inappropriate teaching. It is a ruse to push their indoctrination over on the kids
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Mary Haviland
They've been doing that in California already. It is disgusting.
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Richard Basen
Again you are making claims and have no proof... Also, you need to know why DeSantis is doing this. It' has NOTHING to do with sex but everything to do with eliminating history of gays and any ethnicities other than his. He's also against women having rights. All he wants to do is pander to his donors to get him elected as president. He doesn't care about you or sex ed or anything like that.
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Ronald Edward Howlett
See Book Burning Holocaust Encyclopedia. Some things never change. Mans quest for power. 1930's and 40's Had a dictator named Adolf Hitler. In 2023 we have a huge group or groups of wanna bees.The person standing at the top was made President of the United States. with a rather large following including many that have been made Law Makers in The American Political System. As followers of a God, as many have tried to tell they are.(NOT SURE WHICH ONE TEACHES HIS FOLLOWERS TO STRIVE TO BE UNTRUTHFUL, GREEDY, FORNICATORS OF THE PUBLIC TRUST A LUST FOR VIOLENCE OR CREATE A ENSLAVED SOCIETY). These are our ?Politicians? today. Abortion, slavery, white supremacy all things that can be read in books. No one should be allowed to read them lest they find out who who really has created this in our society
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Richard Lee Cornell
Book burning with a new twist. But in this day and age said banned books can be found online. Since most students have access to the WWW what ever anyone says of student being blinded will not work. There is the reading on You Tube of any book banned by a person in drag. Banning books in Florida that is in English is one thing in another language is a different thing. Banning a book in a religious school opens a can of worms. This Gov. is not too bright when it comes to telling what people can read.
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Humanism Clergy Linda
I live in Florida IMO the governor has gone to far to the right.
There is nothing wrong with children learning history. History is supposed to make one uncomfortable so we don't repeat it. Through reading books we are opened to a different way of thinking and living. Many of the books have the same issue of trying to ban them I read many of those books and they didn't hurt me.
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Mary Haviland
Good the class rooms have been teaching some pretty raunchy stuff lately. There needs to be a stop out to it.
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Christine
I agree, Mary. Private schools are the worst because they mandate students to read them as part of the curriculum. Pedophilia, incest, rape, murder, descriptions of bestiality, genocide, lying, stealing, telling women like you and me to just shut up and do whatever men say, telling women like us we have to hide ourselves away from society every "that time of the month". It's horrendous. I think it's called the Beeble...Babble...something like that.
Oh yeah, I remember now. It's the Bible. It has no place in schools or in a child's life at all. We should have a bonfire and burn a bunch of copies of it.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Christine and @Mary Haviland the reason the school are having to do this is because priests, ministers, bishops and police officers are raping, molesting, lying and stealing from young children a teenage girls all in the name of God.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Those cops and priests really should do it with eachother!
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Christine, maybe it's just altarboy training.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
Teachers are a dying profession. The pay sucks, the Christian fascists don't like what the state tells them to teach, and kids are shooting and killing them. Would you do it with starting pay around $50,000? Your right, we should have a lot of respect for teachers.... Sadly we don't.
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Mary Haviland
Maybe if the racists teachers were not teaching kids luciferin sexuality ways, the teachers wouldn't be a dying breed. If that's all they can teach is sex and how to become antifa, socialistic Marxist communism, them teachers should be one a dying breed.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Mary, did you know that Lucifer is the ancient Greek god of light. And there's absolutely nothing perverted about him. I wonder how you come up with these far fetched notions of yours. You must be one of those people who say the first thing that enters their minds, as if you thought, on your high horse, that it was inspired by God.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Mary Haviland You have a good point. Let's fire all of the teachers and close all the schools. No need to have an educated society.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
We don't need no education! We don't need no forced control! No dark sarcasm in the classroom. Hey! Teacher! Leave them kids alone!
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Douglas Robert Spindler
@Carl Bernard Elfstrom Have to agree. The words from that are the words of science. Instead of teaching everyone to think the same way, it's about the individual being able to think for themselves and not believe what religion tells them to believe. It's science and thinking individuals who brought us computers and that organized religion is just thought control.
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Stewart
They never learn just say no to drugs did not work ... Sara Palin is the poster child for abstinence sex education failing not once but twice and the list goes on weed was the ultimate evil but with education the citizens are realizing it was all smoke an mirrors .
Allowing a police state to be built using fear in many places prisons are the largest employers mostly filled with small time users or other christian enemies that do not buy into the whole everything we don't want you to enjoy is a felony .They are afraid of education its why their cult is dying a slow death like many before it .
What gives us the right to condemn a person for loving another human being? God made us as we are, and God doesn't make mistakes. Love is the greatest power in the universe; God is love. For as long as I am the pastor of Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church, I will not turn anyone away because they are gay or lesbian. For we are ALL God's children and I shall not judge."
Remember, God is known by many names by many people. God is spirit, and God is love."
As Jesus sat teaching in the temple, the Sadducees and Pharisees tried to entangle and tempt Him with their questioning in Matthew, Chapter 22, and Verse 36 through 38.
"A lawyer asked Jesus, Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?
Jesus said onto him, Thou shalt love the Lord Thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.
Jesus had more to say to the Pharisees:
"And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
"If we follow these two commandments, and accept Jesus as the Son of God, then we are right with God. But I say to you, my brothers and sisters, how can we be right with God if we do not love our neighbors as ourselves? For if we hate a man because of the color of his skin, we have not the love of God in us, because that man is our neighbor, and we are breaking one of the two great commandments.
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Mary Haviland
Sure some kids might learn about sex but not all of them will learn it, and pass it onto others. But it is not about teaching sex to kids. And kids at early ages don't usually learn about sex. But to out right reach all the kids about sex, at early ages and esp about previsions, and parent still should have that final say. As to how and what the kids learn. And at what age. Not just sexualize them and turn them into sluts and whores.
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Richard Basen
Mary, it's interesting how you take a story about political ambitions and turn it into a sex ed story. We understand that you dont want kids to know about sex or realities of life. But this entire topic is about a politician banning all books from grade schools that HE and he alone doesnt like, to get people like you to vote for him. He doesnt care about you or anything but your vote. He and his party want to charge YOU a 30% sales tax on EVERYTHING you buy! All food, all clothes and everything else you may need to buy will be taxed! IS this what you want?
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Hayley Jane Person
This is just unbelievably sad
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Boo hoo hoo! Here, have a Kleenex.
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Allen Levings
I'm worried about the state of the world. This is another example of trying to impose their beliefs onto others. This happened many times in history and it never ends well. I believe in God being the only one who has the right to judge me. The choices I make about my life are mine and mine alone.
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Lionheart
Which of the worlds gods are you referring to? Mankind has created so many 🤷🏼
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Lori-Ann Neeb
You are correct in that religion is manmade and has created books of dogma to bog down the human mind. There is only one all loving God and it doesn't matter what name one calls Him. It's not His first day over at Home. Languages and cultures that. create different names and customs mean nothing there.
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Lionheart
"There is only one all loving God" is of course said by all people of all faiths. A good friend of mine that was a Lord Krishna fanatic said the exact same thing about his God. I also have some polytheistic believing friends that also say the same thing about their gods. I wonder if any of you are correct? 🤷🏼
I guess we'll never know for sure until the next life......if there is one 🤭
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Mary Haviland
That's arrogance and pride, two things that ruins humans. Pride goes before the fall. That is carnel mindedness and we should be letting yhwy lead us In our lives. If not, you are sure to life a misguided life of sin.
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Mary Haviland
If you let yhwy impose his will over you, your life will never go wrong. The only time it goes wrong is if you let the demigods do their will over you. Yhwys will will never stir you wrong. Your just being rebellious.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Mary, it sounds like you like being dominated. If you're interested, I've got whips and chains in my bedroom.
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David Buck
I think some people are taking this wildly out of proportion. I am with deSantis on this and the other law (which is being wildly mis-characterised as "Don't say gay"). There is a time and a place to discuss and teach shall we say 'non-traditional' ideas of sexuality. That is in high school, not when they are 5 and 6 years old. The 'fun with Dick and Jane' books should not include depictions of Dick and Fred having sex, and Jane doing who-knows-what with several somebodies. And if you think I am exaggerating, some of the books which have been found are exactly that. A six year old does NOT need to know how to masturbate.
Don't even get me started on the lies that are passed-off as history these days. Critical Race Theory is a pernicious evil, that has no place in schools - ever. You want to teach the history of slavery, be my guest - but teach the whole worldwide history of slavery, not just a narrow slice of it. Teach how on 25 March 1807, King George III signed into law the Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade and the the Royal Navy spent decades and lost dozens of vessels and thousands of men trying to stamp out the slave trade. But the 'all white people are evil' bunch don't want anybody to know about that, it would spoil their narrative.
You know what would be really nice? If school could go back to being about the three Rs, and history about facts, with no moral judgements and no political agendas.
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Lori-Ann Neeb
The problem with that is that by the time they reached high school, they already be good little hate filled neo-nazis. Hearing or reading nothing but Christian hate propaganda would poison their minds making it much harder if not impossible to try to teach them not to hate.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
You're right, Ehrman! Many of those persons who strive for excellence are high on heroin, and shouldn't be paid any attention to.
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Ronald Edward Howlett
READ "BOOK BURNING/HOLOCAUST ENCYCLOPEDIA" and you will know WHY the, so called Politicians, are doing what they are doing. The lust for greed has created a Political Society of overly spoiled children. OOPS, sorry Adults that are attempting to create a new society where they can rule unchecked, by making laws that enforce their power. Many profess to be doing this because of God and their Faith. I'm not sure I know of any God. in any Religion or sect that Teaches greed,lies, killing (that is Legal), theft, (millions of dollars taken from corporate entities to boost their life style) . Reading books about their country's past may may teach people HOW NOT TO LIVE THE FUTURE. They could all be out of a job. Beware of the"woke" (whatever that is. Beware of critical race theory ( whatever that is. Only new words to frighten their new found slaves and keep them in control
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Ehrman, you couldn't be more wrong about that. There may be some lesser person's than myself (yourself included (with your silly Desiderata), but there are definitely none greater than me.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Y'all are right about that. There are definitely loudmouths like Ehrman, with his silly poem, that I will gladly avoid, as soon as y'all quit putting verses from his Desiderata below my comments.
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Mary Haviland
Yes I kniw Lucifer is a demigod if light. But that doesn't mean he is not perverted. At one time Lucifer was one of yhwys top angles. But as the documents say, inequity was found in him. And inequity is sin and perversions.
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Keith Graham Ainsworth
So many Christians, particularly the right wing Christians are perverted too?
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Get over it Ehrman! I don't have any fears, and am never fatigued or lonely. Whenever I'm alone I'm in solitude, and love my own company madly!!! And I take too many nutritional supplements to ever get fatigued. You seem like you do a lot of projecting onto others things you don't want to see in yourself.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
Now, instead of accepting you made a mistake Ehrman you're telling me that I should be on good terms with all persons. You're a classic example of self righteousness.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
I guess this is too deep of a subject for flugo, even in his alter image as Professor Fleush, to make a comment on this.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
But Ehrman, I'm not at all fatigued or lonely, and usually prefer to stay home in solitude, and take it in hand, with all my exes (who live in Texas), and then some, on my mind. Face it, man. Sixty ii too old too old to look cute, and too old to go out carousing around, looking for chicks, that you know you aren't going to get, without it costing you more than you care to lose, just for the sake of getting something you could have stayed home and done all by yourself, while thinking about your exes, who all live in Texas.
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Val Jester
The rule of a teacher is to teach reading, writing, arithmetic, history, civics, etc. Keep to politics at home. If you can’t handle that, get a job at Starbucks.
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Tom
Since when is teaching that gay people exist political?
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Father Frederick
The only thing I can say is a teacher's job is to teach and not indoctrinate. But it is clear that starting with the Generation X to Generation Z, more people favor handing their children over to schools with little or know knowledge of what is the child would be taught. Add to that there is no support for schools and teachers, but everyone has an opinion on what should be the lesson. I think we have to face the facts that we put more effort into social media's words, than what is documented history and skill sets.
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Keith Graham Ainsworth
Can't have the kids actually learning things can we, that might be dangerous
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Valerie Sapienza
For what it's worth, here is MY OPINION..... I raised my children with the mindset....if they are old enough to ask the question they are old enough to get an honest answer. I might have used words that were age appropriate at that time....but the answers were honest. But that is the thing....they asked ME and I answered. They did not get the information (idea) at school. There are some things that should be left to the PARENTS to educate their children about. When the PARENTS feel that their child is mature enough to be given an honest answer!!! To be clear....I am talking about ANYTHING of the sexual nature....be it "Where do babies come from?" or "Should I be a boy or a girl?" NOT HISTORY!!! I honestly feel that grammar school is too young and that high school is a more appropriate time to introduce these books or discuss these topics. When a child should be mature enough to understand and not think that they are a girl trapped in a boys' body because their favorite color is pink!!!
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Ellen B. Wentzel
If any book should be banned, it should be the "Book of Mormon." It was written by a fraudster, if you read his biography. We should not be banning any books. What is this, "1984?" There is a book that I can't remember the name where all books are banned and people have to memorize the books before they are banned/burned. This world is moving backward, not forward. Ridiculous!
Ideas are not harmful. People are harmful. Anyone who believes that exposing children to American history or the fact that some people prefer their own sex is deluding themselves. They will find out any way and then grow to distrust those who kept the truth from them.