Petitioning the "RFH Reading Assignments, Rumson NJ 07760" Petition

Outrageous! No book is the enemy... but clearly books have many enemies. This must be resisted in every way.

To clarify and emphasize, the owner of this petition is F. Norman Dannen III, RFH Class of 2005. If there are any questions or concerns, please reach me at [email protected]. Keep it up everyone Sincerely, F. Norman Dannen III (FND3)

Books enable students to learn about new ideas. For a school like RFH, which has little diversity to begin with, banning books will only educate students to be more ignorant and dismiss ideas that are "not appropriate" or disagree with one group's ideas.

No book should be baned.

this is absurd! let the kids read

This is just another example on how the new administration staff needs to check themselves before they run RFH to the ground.

Censorship is essentially the erasure of knowledge. To do that would be doing a great disservice to students and our society in itself. If we do not expect our students to take a mature approach to learning, they will not be prepared to make educated decisions when confronted with the serious issues that plague our world today.

While I can understand some parents' concerns over adult content in selected books, I fully believe that being exposed to serious and adult matters makes for better educated individuals. Discussing thematic material with our peers helps us develop new insights and in turn makes us better global citizens. We are fortunate enough to live in a supportive and intelligent community. Sadly, there are people who do not have the same advantages, and by reading about their experiences, we gain a deeper appreciation for our own circumstances and others' situations beyond our communities of Rumson and Fair Haven. Reading "Death and the Maiden", "Native Son", and "All Souls" throughout my tenure at RFH exposed various sociopolitical events I most likely would have never encountered. Furthermore, the knowledge gained has greatly served me in the year(s) since reading them.

I miss you John

This is literally the plot to Fahrenheit 451. As in, these soccer moms are evolving into sci-fi fantasy villains before our eyes. What to heck.

My favorite book is Joy in the Morning by Betty Smith.

Good Luck with your petition.

Caitlin Waters, bravo.

"If this nation is to be wise as well as strong, if we are to achieve our destiny, then we need more new ideas for more wise men reading more good books in more public libraries. These libraries should be open to all—except the censor. We must know all the facts and hear all the alternatives and listen to all the criticisms. Let us welcome controversial books and controversial authors. For the Bill of Rights is the guardian of our security as well as our liberty." -John F. Kennedy

To ban a book is not simply to hide words on a page. To ban a book is to dismiss an idea, and tell students that it isn't "appropriate" to discuss. But the truth is, not many things that are worth discussing are appropriate. Though themes in literature play a key role in shaping young minds, the way people around us treat these themes is even more important. Education is exposure. Why are we so focused on trying to smother these issues instead of fixing them?

My favorite books are Slaughterhouse-Five, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, The Great Gatsby, and Lord of the Flies.

Is this the mid 1900s? Come on now.

The books in question are "Cal" by Bernard MacLaverty and "Death and the Maiden" by Ariel Dorfman. The books have been referenced several times in commentary. One individual pointed out that Ariel Dorfman is a long time professor at Duke University. The original petition asked the board to take "immediate action" in removing ...the inappropriate material. There was no counter discussion until Norm posted his counter petition. I think most reasonable parents would agree that any high school student who was upset by material presented in required reading might talk to the teacher privately. Or better yet, talk to their child. To attempt to remove a text that one personally finds offensive and to remove it from my child's reading list in the process is not right. It does go both ways. Ignore any nasty comments and read the valuable ones. Particularly those from RFH students past & present who were not harmed in the reading of these books.

Banning books is never a good idea... I think (hope) most people would agree with that statement, even those signing the other petition. So I'd like to shed some light on this situation... When I first read the excerpts from these two books in question, I was appalled and couldn't believe that those books were in the classroom! I felt the same way many of you probably did when you first heard that parents were trying to ban books. So then I came to this site. Many of you had great points that made me rethink my original stance. It's true that kids need to be exposed to different things, they're mature enough, this is an opportunity for parents to have important conversations, we can't shield these kids forever etc. But now, I'd like to encourage you to do what I did, and listen to the other side of the argument. I think the objective here is for students to have a choice. Just like parents shouldn't ban these books because they have a problem with it, the opposite is also true. If there are students that are not ready for this material, they shouldn't be forced to read it either. It goes both ways. Also, it's important for people to voice their opinion, but I'm sad to see how nasty some people's comments are. There once was a time in America where people would go down to the local tavern and discuss philosophical, religious and governmental matters over a pint of ale. There was mutual respect for one another and people would agree to disagree with each other and not tear each other down. Our finest documents of government were hammered out in this fashion. Unfortunately today people resort to belittling others which in fact stifles free speech. I think it's import at to present your arguments logically and with respect. Students who have sensitive consciences deserve respect. A sensitive conscience is a good thing. Also, I find it interesting that many of you are signing this petition however Norm hasn't even named the two books that are in questio

This topic first became a discussion between my husband and I, as we tried to reflect on how we felt about both sides of this subject. It then became a topic of conversation between us and our RFH 2014 Graduate. It has moved on in a more age appropriate conversation with our current 7th grader. What I love most is that the subject and controversy has opened dialog between generations among family and the community regarding subject matters that we would not ordinarily discuss. Subjects such as: What to do if you find something your are studying or experiencing in the classroom is uncomfortable for you, How lucky we are to live in a community of parents and educators who are in touch with and concerned enough about our children to address the tough stuff. Having spent time volunteering at RFH and being surrounded by students, many of whom have signed this petition, I have heard their conversations and their subject matter around the halls. Needless to say, I have learned a great deal from them. One important thing I have learned is that these are intelligent students who have opinions and an eagerness to learn about issues that expand far outside the walls of RFH, the towns we live in, the United States and even the world. Reading many of the comments and the way many of these students have expressed respect for their education and educators seems to me, proof that they are well educated, well versed and well read individuals that are thriving in their lives and proud of where they are going in their futures. Raising my children is the greatest responsibility I will ever have. I cannot teach them everything and with so much information available to them far beyond my control, I appreciate any challenging, yet safe, environment in which they learn valuable lessons and skills to live within a world far more diverse than what they can experience with my sole influence. The African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” is quite fitting in debate. It se