This week a lot has been taking place within the online community concerning an article by Dr. Wesley Scroggins. (Please note that the article was linked to in this piece and is quoted from but has since then been taken off of the original website)
We've always lived in a society where freedom of speech has been a quality bestowed upon us by parents, teachers, and our community. Not too mention Freedom of Speech is our right as human beings. What Dr. Wesley Scroggins is claiming in his article takes away that Freedom. Not only does he strip us all of our individual freedom to choose what we read, he has taken away our right to be heard. There are so many instances where women and men, boys and girls, go through things we can't even begin to imagine - things that change their lives forever, and they don't always know how to deal with it. In the article, Scroggins claims that,
"Sex education curriculum in the fourth grade includes topics on reproduction. Is this what parents and taxpayers in this community want their children exposed to in school? Is this how taxpayers want their tax money used? Equally shocking is the content of the high school English classes. In high school English classes, children are required to read and view material that should be classified as soft pornography."
The last time I checked, the age in which children are now sexually active has increased exponentially. Why is it so wrong for children to learn about sex education at an early age? It is often the case that children who are not educated in sexual reproduction end up pregnant or sexually active at early ages. No, sex education at a 4th grade level will probably not stop the age in which teens begin having sex, but isn't that up to the parents to decide? If they are unhappy with the material being covered they should speak to their child's teacher and see if something can be worked out.
Now, to begin on the subject of his apparent "soft pornography." Trying to even fathom what kind of man can deduce rape to soft pornography is excruciatingly difficult to comprehend. Soft Pornography by definition is something in which is enjoyed -either voyeuristically or read. Rape is an act UNWANTED by the victim. It is something in which far too many have to deal with and are unsure how to go about dealing with the impact this violent act has had on their lives. Books like Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, allow for teens who are going through the same thing as the main character, or perhaps another issue, to relate and seek the help they need. Books like Speak allow for victims of unwanted crimes, image issues etc to know they are not alone. Scroggins comments by saying,
“One such book is called "Speak." They also watch the movie. This is a book about a very dysfunctional family. Schoolteachers are losers, adults are losers and the cheerleading squad scores more than the football team. They have sex on Saturday night and then are goddesses at church on Sunday morning. The cheer squad also gets their group-rate abortions at prom time. As the main character in the book is alone with a boy who is touching her female parts, she makes the statement that this is what high school is supposed to feel like. The boy then rapes her on the next page.”
Actually, the book and movie both contain two rape scenes. Apparently Mr. Scroggins has not attended high school, which makes me begin to wonder how he managed to get his doctorate. Speak is dealing with REAL issues that take place everyday in high schools - not only in North America, but around the world as well. Girls DO deal with having unprotected sex and unwanted pregnancies. Families can be dysfunctional; does that make them less loving? No! As I have yet to read Speak, I am are not sure what exactly takes place, but I've seen girls so self conscience and down on their selves that they are so broken, the acts they do or partake in happen without them even realizing. They are so numb by this point, they think they are worthless. Apparently the pain and suffering a rape victim goes through means nothing to Scroggins. Apparently it is all in good fun or in Scroggins’ words, Soft Porn.
Books should not be censored. Who gives anyone the right to tell others what they can or cannot read or what they can or cannot write? Obviously Scroggins has lived a beyond ignorant and sheltered life. His world must be full of rainbows and butterflies. His mind is deluded and his world is not reality. Novels that are able to address real life problems give a voice to those who are either too ashamed or too scared to speak out themselves. These novels give them the platform to seek the help they need.
Please speak out against censorship! It is through our voices, people like Scroggins will stop telling us what our Freedom means. We are disgusted with people like Scroggins who think they know best for an entire population.
Bloggers Speak Out is a movement sparked by the recent article, "Filthy Books Demeaning to Republic Education" by Dr. Wesley Scroggins that was published in the Springfield, MO News-Leader on September 18th. In this article, Scroggins vehemently advocates the censorship of books in schools, and specifically requests that the following books be removed from the Republic school system: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler, and Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. To show our support of these authors and to fight against book banning and censorship, we have decided to take action and speak out.
We've always lived in a society where freedom of speech has been a quality bestowed upon us by parents, teachers, and our community. Not too mention Freedom of Speech is our right as human beings. What Dr. Wesley Scroggins is claiming in his article takes away that Freedom. Not only does he strip us all of our individual freedom to choose what we read, he has taken away our right to be heard. There are so many instances where women and men, boys and girls, go through things we can't even begin to imagine - things that change their lives forever, and they don't always know how to deal with it. In the article, Scroggins claims that,
"Sex education curriculum in the fourth grade includes topics on reproduction. Is this what parents and taxpayers in this community want their children exposed to in school? Is this how taxpayers want their tax money used? Equally shocking is the content of the high school English classes. In high school English classes, children are required to read and view material that should be classified as soft pornography."
The last time I checked, the age in which children are now sexually active has increased exponentially. Why is it so wrong for children to learn about sex education at an early age? It is often the case that children who are not educated in sexual reproduction end up pregnant or sexually active at early ages. No, sex education at a 4th grade level will probably not stop the age in which teens begin having sex, but isn't that up to the parents to decide? If they are unhappy with the material being covered they should speak to their child's teacher and see if something can be worked out.
Now, to begin on the subject of his apparent "soft pornography." Trying to even fathom what kind of man can deduce rape to soft pornography is excruciatingly difficult to comprehend. Soft Pornography by definition is something in which is enjoyed -either voyeuristically or read. Rape is an act UNWANTED by the victim. It is something in which far too many have to deal with and are unsure how to go about dealing with the impact this violent act has had on their lives. Books like Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, allow for teens who are going through the same thing as the main character, or perhaps another issue, to relate and seek the help they need. Books like Speak allow for victims of unwanted crimes, image issues etc to know they are not alone. Scroggins comments by saying,
“One such book is called "Speak." They also watch the movie. This is a book about a very dysfunctional family. Schoolteachers are losers, adults are losers and the cheerleading squad scores more than the football team. They have sex on Saturday night and then are goddesses at church on Sunday morning. The cheer squad also gets their group-rate abortions at prom time. As the main character in the book is alone with a boy who is touching her female parts, she makes the statement that this is what high school is supposed to feel like. The boy then rapes her on the next page.”
Actually, the book and movie both contain two rape scenes. Apparently Mr. Scroggins has not attended high school, which makes me begin to wonder how he managed to get his doctorate. Speak is dealing with REAL issues that take place everyday in high schools - not only in North America, but around the world as well. Girls DO deal with having unprotected sex and unwanted pregnancies. Families can be dysfunctional; does that make them less loving? No! As I have yet to read Speak, I am are not sure what exactly takes place, but I've seen girls so self conscience and down on their selves that they are so broken, the acts they do or partake in happen without them even realizing. They are so numb by this point, they think they are worthless. Apparently the pain and suffering a rape victim goes through means nothing to Scroggins. Apparently it is all in good fun or in Scroggins’ words, Soft Porn.
Books should not be censored. Who gives anyone the right to tell others what they can or cannot read or what they can or cannot write? Obviously Scroggins has lived a beyond ignorant and sheltered life. His world must be full of rainbows and butterflies. His mind is deluded and his world is not reality. Novels that are able to address real life problems give a voice to those who are either too ashamed or too scared to speak out themselves. These novels give them the platform to seek the help they need.
Please speak out against censorship! It is through our voices, people like Scroggins will stop telling us what our Freedom means. We are disgusted with people like Scroggins who think they know best for an entire population.
Ashley
Below is a list of links of bloggers speaking out against book banning and censorship--in the form of giveaways, posts, and reviews. Some are "officially" participating in what we're calling Bloggers Speak Out, and others are posts that we've found around the blogosphere. If you get time, you should definitely check them out!
Giveaways of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
**All giveaways will end on 10/3, unless otherwise noted**
Other Giveaways
**All giveaways will end on 10/3, unless otherwise noted**
Other Posts Against Book Banning and Censorship
Authors Speak Out
Important Articles on the Subject
"Filthy Books Demeaning to Republic Education" (the article that started it all)
"Republic School Book Choices under Fire" (Springfield News-Leader)
I can't even talk about this issue without stumbling over my words in my fury at his article. I'm just so dumbfounded that someone could, in all seriousness, compare rape to soft porn. Astounding. Thank you for writing on this issue, the more of us that do, the bigger difference we can make:)
ReplyDeleteAre you sure Scroggins is his real name? It awfully sounds very similar to Scrooge and he is acting like one too....
ReplyDelete