New Jersey School Bans "Controversial" Books

Another WTF moment that makes my head hurt.

In their infinite wisdom, the parents and administration at Monroe Township’s high school have together asked that the books “Norwegian Wood” and “Tweak” be removed from the sophomore students reading list.  Reason: “graphic lesbian sex passages, drug use, and a homosexual orgy.”  And according to the same Washington Post article, Peter Spriggs from the Family Research Center (a Christian organization that promotes the traditional family unit) added that it was further proof of “…the homosexual agenda being pushed”  in public schools.  Seriously?

I guess by following that kind of logic I’m supposed to conclude that reading about homosexuals will make me want to engage in that same activity?  The same way that reading about a handgun will make me want to pick up a thirty-eight and take out my neighbor in a moment of random violence?  Or that reading about someone’s tolerance for pain will encourage me to stick a needle in my own eye?  And I love how God gets drawn into these battles by people who cannot come up with a more compelling argument or reason to ban a book/action (like God doesn’t already have enough on his plate).  I believe that God cares more about tolerance, forgiveness, compassion, and helping those in need than he does about mundane little dramas like this….

And don’t get me started on the definition of a traditional family unit…..

Maybe instead of worrying about what books our kids are reading, schools should be promoting honest and open discussions about the content of those books so those same kids can draw their own conclusions and make their own decisions.  Better yet, maybe parents, schools, and administrators should concern themselves with an agenda that educates our kids to compete in today’s global market – learning skills like science, math, reading comprehension, and deductive reasoning abilities.