Friday, December 12, 2008

School Board oks compromise for "kite-runner"

A few months ago the novel "the kite-runner" was taken off the sophomore summer reading list for the students in Champaign Illionois. Some of the scenes in the book are controversial, including a scene were a boy is sexually assaulted by a group of bullies.
This brought up the usual argument of "artistic censorship" vs. "protecting my child." Eventually the two sides reached a compromise: the book can stay in the curriculum if there is an alternative available to read for those who are uncomfortable with the book.
I think this is an amazingly simple compromise that fits both sides of the argument perfectly. My point in all of this is that why can't agreements like this be struck in other places as well? Any number of censored books could be taught if the students could read alternatives as well.
Is this a good thing? A bad thing?

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