Controversial Books: In Our Mothers' House

OMG! Lesbians! Raising children!

I've always loved to read, and I hold a special place in my black little heart for banned and controversial books. I hope to make such posts a regular feature of this blog. "In Our Mothers' House," by Patricia Polacco, has the dubious honor of being the first book I'll blog about in this particular category.

This book (unsurprisingly) caused quite a stir in Salt Lake City, UT! It all started back in January of 2012, when a kindergarten student at Windridge Elementary School decided to check the book out from the school library and bring it back to his house. His mother was shocked and appalled by her son's reading selection, and promptly drafted a petition to remove the offending literature from the school library, which 25 other parents signed.

In April, it was decided that the book could remain in school libraries but that it should be kept behind the counter. Their reasoning? The book "didn't comply with state law barring homosexual advocacy in the school curriculum." Yes, there really is such a law in the progressive state of Utah. Shocking, I know.

So, if Windridge Elementary School is located in Utah, why did they even add "In Our Mothers' House" to their library? According to a spokesperson for the school district, the book was added to 5 of the district's 50 elementary schools back in June 2010, after learning that a Windridge student was being raised by lesbian parents. Is it sad that I'm honestly more surprised by the school district's initial attempt to foster understanding and inclusion than I am by the angry mob that demanded that the book be banned from Utah schools?

Well, you can bet that the ACLU got their collective panties in a twist when they heard that "In Our Mothers' House" had been relegated to a position of secrecy behind the library counter. In a letter to Superintendent Bowles, John Mejia, Legal Director of the ACLU of Utah, pointed out that Utah law prohibits the advocacy of homosexuality in health curriculum, and that even if "In Our Mothers' House" were to be included in health curriculum, it could hardly be said to advocate homosexuality. The Alliance Defense Fund also contacted Superintendent Bowles, emphasizing that the school district had not banned "In Our Mothers' House", but was simply requiring parental consent in order to read the book, arguing that "parents have the primary role... in the upbringing of their children."

Throughout this entire debacle, I couldn't help but think that the parents crying for the ban of this book were severely crippling their own children. As a parent, you should be aware that you can't shield your child from reality. Any attempt to do so is only going to end up causing more harm to the child. Whether you like it or not, your child is going to exposed to "radical" ideas, concepts, and images, despite your efforts to prevent that from occurring. Through television, video games, the internet, their environment, and their peers, your child is going to be exposed to ideas that you may not agree with. If you're not ready to have healthy discussions with your child about these ideas, concepts, and images, then you're not ready to be a parent. Period. End of discussion.

The desire to ban a book just because it conveys ideas that you don't agree with is also ridiculous and does nothing to deter an unhealthy culture of fear. Hell, when I was a small child, I read those "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" books and scarred myself for life. I'm sure that my parents weren't thrilled when my overactive imagination was spurred into nightmare overdrive, but did they contact my school district and cry for the books to be banned? No.

This lady ruined part of my life.

(Ironically, parental complaints led to the "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" series being re-released with updated, less terrifying illustrations, but I'll cover that in my next blog in this series.)

As of January 21, 2013, "In Our Mothers' House" is back on library shelves in the Davis School District.

If you'd like more information on "In Our Mothers' House", check out the book on Amazon.com. You can purchase it directly from Amazon.com or through a local retailer. Unless you live in Utah, anyway- then you might have to check behind the counter of your local retailer, or you might be chased from the premises of your local retailer if you inquire about the book. Proceed with caution, Utahns!

Family of Eric Kisly Wants Understanding for Asperger's

You can read the original article here.

This is a sad story on many different levels. There is an assumption that those with Asperger's, or those on the high-functioning end of the spectrum, need less assistance with everyday things. That's simply not true. Take this article, for example. It points out that Eric was the ideal employee: he was focused, honest, and hard-working. So why couldn't he find a job? Because he lacked many of the social skills that others tend to take for granted. Unfortunately, in our society, the interview process isn't based solely on an individual's qualifications. A lot of "small talk" and social cues are involved in the hiring process. Unless someone has a fair understanding of these social aspects of the interview process, their chances of finding employment are slim.

When they do find employment, these individuals still face daily struggles: socializing with co-workers, getting along with their boss, dealing with customers, and adapting their routines to the organizational demands of a corporate environment, to name a few.

Although early intervention can be important, I feel that it's equally important to educate adults about Asperger's and autism spectrum disorders. The co-worker that keeps to himself, never making eye contact? He's not necessarily aloof; he may want to initiate contact but lack the social skills required to do so.

What a sad story. Eric was young, smart, and showed a lot of promise. I really hope that we can create a better world, one in which people can look past their first impressions.