Parents censor high school literature and are allowed to burn books they find offensive
By Margo L. Roberts
“Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence
in itself. It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime.” Supreme Court
Justice Potter Stewart-1966.
Recently [story posted Thursday, February 3, 2005] a
book that was being used as part of an English assignment was
confiscated from freshmen at Norwood [Colorado] High School due to
references of paganism and an alleged magnitude of profanity.
Here in Norwood, a small group of parents sent letters to Superintendent Bob Conder, expressing their concern over, "Bless Me, Ultima,"
a book being used in the classroom as a literature book. Conder said
the books, about 2 dozen in total costing $6.99 each, were pulled from
the classroom, and designated to be destroyed. The parents approached
the superintendent and asked that they be able to burn the books
instead of the school janitor destroying them.
Conder granted them their request, as he has the
right to dispose of them. Conder informed the School Board in a letter
after the fact. He further stated, “I can’t dictate morality, but my
job is to protect the kids. The books should have never been purchased,
and were not properly disclosed for approval.”
The author, Rudolfo Anaya,
said in a phone interview, “Freedom of democracy is learned in our
school systems.” Anaya, who started teaching in a one-room school house
in New Mexico further stated, “Parents have the right to monitor what
their children read, however they do not have the right to tell others
what they can read. That is un-American, un-democratic and
un-educational.”
Conder said the books were not sold to recoup some
of the cost or donated to a library elsewhere because, “I would not
feel comfortable with those books possibly falling into another child’s
hands, and the return would not be more than 50 cents to a dollar a
piece”. When asked if the teacher who introduced the book to the
students was in danger of being terminated, Conder said, “No, she was
truly sorry for her lack of judgment.”
An individual, who did not wish to be identified, felt this was reminiscent of the Nazi regime,
and feared their job as a teacher was in jeopardy if parents could
dictate the curriculum in such a manner. “Our kids already receive a
limited exposure to knowledge because of our location, why limit them
further.” The individual stated they were familiar with the book, and
that the profanity was limited. They added “There are many classic
novels with a varying levels of profanity that can be found in the
school’s library; it all depends on the connotation and frequency of
the words used.”
Rudolfo Anaya, a professor emeritus of English at the University of New Mexico,
wrote “Bless Me Ultima” in 1972. It explores the difficulty of
reconciling conflicting cultural traditions. The main character, a
young boy growing up in New Mexico during World War II, struggles with
the complexities of his religion. He becomes increasingly frustrated by
the failure of the Catholic Church to explain the most pressing
questions about morality and human experience and is frustrated by his
failure to find a forgiving god, and then finds an unlikely mentor in a
local “healer” who comes to live with his family.
Many of the characters in the book are limited by
their cultural prejudices and never learn to look beyond their own
assumptions. Meanwhile the main character grows to understand that his
experiences are lessons about life, and he knows that he must take
life’s lessons to heart, even when they are difficult, painful, or
disappointing. Learning the importance of tolerance marks his growth,
especially as he begins to realize that some religions may be better
suited to some people than to others.
The same book was chosen by other Colorado
communities, such as Fort Collins, Boulder, and most recently Grand
Junction at Mesa State College as the book of choice to be read as a
community. Anaya commented, “The book should be judged in its entirety.
There is some strong language in strong situations, but there is no
flippant use of profanity.”
The author was also aware that this same book had
met with opposition in cities in Calif., Texas and New York. However
the students in New York had the ban overridden by approaching the
school board.
“Bless Me, Ultima” is currently on the Montrose High
School’s approved reading list for the sophomore class, according to
Jeff Black of the MHS English Department.
Permission granted by the editor of The Daily Planet (Telluride, Colorado) to mount this article.
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