Petitioning the "RFH Reading Assignments, Rumson NJ 07760" Petition
302 Comments
M
Michael Humphreys
10 years ago
First we have PC on colleges so the little darlings are sheltered from the world that they will eventually have to make their way in.
Now we have a threat to reduce freedom for learning in a good High School, Rumson-Fair Haven HS. This potential banning of books must be stopped in its tracks!
If the Board of Ed opposes the ban, support the Board of Ed, but if it supports the ban, vote out the Board of Ed next election!
J
Jennifer Entinger
10 years ago
Crazy and short-sided. My favorite is a short story, The Lottery. I read it in high school. It struck a chord with me. I even re-read it occasionally.
E
Erin Lamb
10 years ago
My favorite book in high school was Catch-22. It's been banned, and yet made the Library of Congress' "Books that Made America" list.
W
William Brophy
10 years ago
It's absurd this even has to be done.
C
Christian Capanelli
10 years ago
Banning books is a sign of cowardice. If we can't read, react to, and interpret others' ideas, we've no right to put forth our own. I hope the RFH population is never instilled with a fear of ideas.
A
Anonymous
10 years ago
parents are stupid
A
Alice (Kitty) McNally
10 years ago
I am devastated by this. I am proud to be a graduate of RFH (1984), and even more proud to be a high school English teacher for 25 years. I teach in a Jesuit high school where the concept of banning books is not only abhorred, it is recognized as an insult to intellectual freedoms. As a parent, if I were not so sickened, I might feel badly for the fools - these parents who believe they are protecting their children from words and ideas, when they very likely don't know the lives their children lead in the modern world. It is a form of abuse, to force ignorance upon them, and even more so to wrap it as protecting them. Where is the forward-thinking, comfortably urbane town I used to know. It seems as though it has been swallowed by the glitz and neediness of new money, social climbing, and the embrace of ignorance as yet another desperate grab for attention.
M
Mallory McGill
10 years ago
I wish I could say I'm suprised. Everything about this town always blew.
R
Ravi Srinivasan
10 years ago
It's been three years since I graduated from RFH...and this is what happens? Not cool. I've seen so much better.
K
Kim Nitto
10 years ago
Are you there God it is me Margret
This book allowed my friends and I to share our prepubescent insecurities
"Having the freedom to read and the freedom to choose is on of the best gifts my parents ever gave me "
R
Rebecca McCabe
10 years ago
Surely those clamoring for these two specific books to be "removed" from the RFH curriculum are aware they both deal with political terrorism? (Or did they just scan the "dirty" words and read the "dirty" scenes? Given our children are growing up in a world rife with political terrorism not sure how anyone would find Cal or Death and the Maiden irrelevant or not worthy of being taught and discussed. Cal is powerfully ant-war while the author of Death and the Maiden grew up amidst political turmoil. Getting an urge to watch George Carlin's 7 Dirty Words right now ha ha...
S
Sandy Blakelock
10 years ago
Education is to expand minds...
K
Kasi Sweeney
10 years ago
It's these challenging, insightful, and thought provoking books that enabled me to grow as a person, student, and eventually teacher. RFH should KEEP these texts in their curriculum.
J
Joann Lapp
10 years ago
really. Rfh?
A
Andre Ehrlich
10 years ago
I didn't think they could make English class worse than it was, until now. id like to see the list of banned books, they're probably worth reading!
J
Julia Dowling
10 years ago
Censorship has no place in a public school. What's more, adolescents should be respected enough to take literature in full, instead of short passages or "provocative" words (not to mention the very practical fact that most have already partaken in similar acts themselves). It is a shame to deny them the intellectual freedom to grow and change, and real threat to our society to promote morality codes such as this.
C
Chase Caruso
10 years ago
Couldn't agree more!
C
Courtney Dunphy
10 years ago
Rfh 2014 grad. Can't believe the stupidity of people that would think it's better to limit our knowledge.
R
Rob petitti
10 years ago
If I never read whale song I would never have turned out so successful in life. Damn you parents damn you. On serious note maybe upgraded books but to ban them is as dumb as not making people stand up for pledge of alligence. Ironically probably the same group of entitled people.
S
Sarah Thole Fischell
10 years ago
I understand it's complicated, and I understand that parents need to be in-the-loop, but banning books that teachers want to teach and students want to read is deeply wrong.
First we have PC on colleges so the little darlings are sheltered from the world that they will eventually have to make their way in. Now we have a threat to reduce freedom for learning in a good High School, Rumson-Fair Haven HS. This potential banning of books must be stopped in its tracks! If the Board of Ed opposes the ban, support the Board of Ed, but if it supports the ban, vote out the Board of Ed next election!
Crazy and short-sided. My favorite is a short story, The Lottery. I read it in high school. It struck a chord with me. I even re-read it occasionally.
My favorite book in high school was Catch-22. It's been banned, and yet made the Library of Congress' "Books that Made America" list.
It's absurd this even has to be done.
Banning books is a sign of cowardice. If we can't read, react to, and interpret others' ideas, we've no right to put forth our own. I hope the RFH population is never instilled with a fear of ideas.
parents are stupid
I am devastated by this. I am proud to be a graduate of RFH (1984), and even more proud to be a high school English teacher for 25 years. I teach in a Jesuit high school where the concept of banning books is not only abhorred, it is recognized as an insult to intellectual freedoms. As a parent, if I were not so sickened, I might feel badly for the fools - these parents who believe they are protecting their children from words and ideas, when they very likely don't know the lives their children lead in the modern world. It is a form of abuse, to force ignorance upon them, and even more so to wrap it as protecting them. Where is the forward-thinking, comfortably urbane town I used to know. It seems as though it has been swallowed by the glitz and neediness of new money, social climbing, and the embrace of ignorance as yet another desperate grab for attention.
I wish I could say I'm suprised. Everything about this town always blew.
It's been three years since I graduated from RFH...and this is what happens? Not cool. I've seen so much better.
Are you there God it is me Margret This book allowed my friends and I to share our prepubescent insecurities "Having the freedom to read and the freedom to choose is on of the best gifts my parents ever gave me "
Surely those clamoring for these two specific books to be "removed" from the RFH curriculum are aware they both deal with political terrorism? (Or did they just scan the "dirty" words and read the "dirty" scenes? Given our children are growing up in a world rife with political terrorism not sure how anyone would find Cal or Death and the Maiden irrelevant or not worthy of being taught and discussed. Cal is powerfully ant-war while the author of Death and the Maiden grew up amidst political turmoil. Getting an urge to watch George Carlin's 7 Dirty Words right now ha ha...
Education is to expand minds...
It's these challenging, insightful, and thought provoking books that enabled me to grow as a person, student, and eventually teacher. RFH should KEEP these texts in their curriculum.
really. Rfh?
I didn't think they could make English class worse than it was, until now. id like to see the list of banned books, they're probably worth reading!
Censorship has no place in a public school. What's more, adolescents should be respected enough to take literature in full, instead of short passages or "provocative" words (not to mention the very practical fact that most have already partaken in similar acts themselves). It is a shame to deny them the intellectual freedom to grow and change, and real threat to our society to promote morality codes such as this.
Couldn't agree more!
Rfh 2014 grad. Can't believe the stupidity of people that would think it's better to limit our knowledge.
If I never read whale song I would never have turned out so successful in life. Damn you parents damn you. On serious note maybe upgraded books but to ban them is as dumb as not making people stand up for pledge of alligence. Ironically probably the same group of entitled people.
I understand it's complicated, and I understand that parents need to be in-the-loop, but banning books that teachers want to teach and students want to read is deeply wrong.