Letters for 03-07-2010

Man says school texts harm kids
I was surprised that Mr. Martin (Feb. 7 Daily Leader letter to editor) spoke of me as if he knew me. I am a “supposed Christian.” You preferred to list books that won the Pulitzer Prize. The way things are going now, it would not surprise me if Larry Flint became president. One book that was given to my child was “Of Mice and Men.” In the book it used God’s name followed by a curse word 23 times, the “n” word 14 times, son of a b…. seven times, Jesus Christ in vain 31 times and the “d” word 21 times. You stated that I am putting venom into the school system. How about your gothic neohumanistic dystopian Christian bashing trash? This will cause long- term substantial harm to impressionable children. Instead of fostering conversation, it results in children who withdraw, become introverted and disturbed.

I would wish that instead of naming the books you find suitable, that you would read the books and talk about their content, the most risqué portions could not be printed. If the paper will not let you print anything about objectionable nasty content, then how can this be suitable for fifth to 12th grade? How can you present a credible ethos when you do not teach high school? If a child does not approve of what you are teaching, they can simply take another class or drop your college class.

In high school, you do not have an option as they are teaching this literature in every class. You have to take English to graduate.

The Bible is the most infallible piece of literature that exists. It has stood the test of time (as many will give this to define a “classic), and it is a No. 1 best seller in many other languages. It will always be a best seller when compared to dystopian and gothic literature, who, by the way, is such a minute portion of literature and this genre will always come last when compared to the Bible. One of the Ten Commandments states that you should not take the Lord’s name in vain.

Maybe some parents do not care if their children’s spiritual, emotional and mental limits are constantly pushed to the limit, but I do. I am no better than anyone else, I am a sinner. My sin harms myself, not a large number of innocent and impressionable children. The solution is to provide children a choice to this literature.

Parents need to be informed as to what the content of this literature is. If parents have to sign a consent form for sex education, then we should have to sign a consent form for this literature. There are warnings on movies and video games about sexuality and violent content. Why can’t we have this warning in schools?

The Ruston High School handbook states that there is a zero tolerance to profanity. You stated that I am not credible to write or refer to literature. I take this as a compliment because I would not want to lower myself to the level of someone who approves of literature speaking of seven- and- eight-year-olds engaging in “erotic sexual acts.”

It is disappointing to buy a house in Lincoln Parish, get a job and relocate your whole family to discover that the only way your child can get around the literature is to homeschool. These are not the same schools my grandparents told me about when they lived here.

Marc Holloway
Ruston