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Parents fume over gay prince book Thursday, March 18, 2004

#1 User is offline   Chefelf Icon

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Posted 18 March 2004 - 11:53 AM

QUOTE
Parents fume over gay prince book
March 19, 2004

THE parents of a young girl are fuming over the book their daughter brought home from the school library: a children's story about a prince whose true love turns out to be another prince.

Michael Hartsell said he and his wife, Tonya, couldn't believe it when Prince Bertie, the leading character in King & King, waves off a bevy of eligible princes before falling for Prince Lee.

The book ends with the princes marrying and sharing a kiss. "I was flabbergasted," Hartsell said.

"My child is not old enough to understand something like that, especially when it is not in our beliefs."

The 32-page book by Linda De Haan and Stern Nijland was published in March 2002 by Tricycle Press, the children's division of Ten Speed Press of Berkeley, California. A sequel, King & King & Family, was recently published.

The publisher's website lists the books as intended for readers age 6 and up.

Barbara Hawley, librarian and media coordinator at Freeman Elementary School, said the book has been on the library's shelves since early last year.

"What might be inappropriate for one family, in another family is a totally acceptable thing," said Elizabeth Miars, Freeman's principal.

Hawley said she couldn't comment on the book because she hadn't seen it. She declined to say whether she knowingly selected a book on gay marriage.

The Hartsells said they are keeping the book until they get assurances it won't be circulated.

But Hawley said all county schools have a committee that reviews books after their appropriateness is questioned, and the Hartsells must make a written complaint and return the book for review.

The Hartsells said they intend to file such a complaint and are considering transferring their daughter.

http://news.com.au/c...5E13762,00.html


C'mon, have you seen the way those princes dress? I think a straight prince would be a real shock.

Thanks to Heccubus for this one!
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#2 User is offline   Ferris Wiel Icon

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Posted 18 March 2004 - 01:16 PM

Another argument against forced public schooling. Put the power of choice back in the parents' hands and they don't have to deal with somebody else indoctrinating their children.

--FW
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#3 User is offline   jyd Icon

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Posted 18 March 2004 - 04:56 PM

yeah! ask the parents about every book coming into the library. and take out all books that mention cookies, i dont want my kids indoctrinated about cookies, they may think its a good idea to eat a whole box.


I think every book on some level indoctrinates the reader and hey, if the kids can only read 100% fairly tales with neither moral nor any connection to real life...how will a child learn to experience life, and wait..what books are tehre like that? i would imagine none lest jon gutner is an author and the entire book is just BLAHBABAGO over and over. and i am sure these parents had no idea what they were asking for when they said they want to choose what goes into the library. i bet they complain about junk mail or annoying phone calls too...howabout one a day, "is this book okay? please dont sue us"
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#4 User is offline   Chefelf Icon

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Posted 18 March 2004 - 05:13 PM

Oh man. I wish Jon Gutner would write that book. I'd be the first in line to pick up a copy.

BTW: Isn't the classic tale of a girl wanting a prince to come along on a horse and turn her into a princess sorta demeaning? If we can keep teaching girls that the only way to make it in life is to marry into wealth then teaching them that homosexuality exists--since it DOES--isn't so terrible now, is it?
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#5 User is offline   Supes Icon

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Posted 18 March 2004 - 07:29 PM

QUOTE (Ferris Wiel @ Mar 18 2004, 01:16 PM)
Another argument against forced public schooling. Put the power of choice back in the parents' hands and they don't have to deal with somebody else indoctrinating their children.

--FW

When the majority of your eligible population cannot be bothered to vote, why on earth do you think they are going want to have anything to do with books in a school library.

You end up with a minority representation that quitre frankly end up being less informed or narrow minded. Both jyd & Chef make excellent points. Your issue is related to the content of the book (homosexuality). I'm not going to restate arguements made on other topic threads. But frankly, one way to break down prejudice is to introduce such topics at early ages so children do become more informed and less influenced by their parents prejudices.

If a kid who has read this book and knows about homosexuality and understands that it exists still decides in later life that it is unacceptable for whatever reason then more power to them. At least they will be working from an informed opinion not an enforced one.

I do wonder what the Hartsell's think about stories like Rapunzel et al as good learning principles for their daughter.
Luminous beings are we... not this crude matter.
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#6 User is offline   Jon Gutner Icon

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Posted 18 March 2004 - 07:33 PM

[B][I][U][FONT=Arial][SIZE=7][COLOR=purple]

mee meybbe wriit it 1 dey.
ny #uno best sellor?
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
biggrin.gif biggrin.gif biggrin.gif biggrin.gif
GEWD IDEEA!!!!
GEWD IDEEA!!!!
GEWD IDEEA!!!!
GEWD IDEEA!!!!
itt mite bee kinda hard dough.
BLAHMBABAGO!!!!! smile.gif smile.gif smile.gif smile.gif smile.gif laugh.gif laugh.gif laugh.gif

This post has been edited by Jon Gutner: 18 March 2004 - 07:33 PM

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#7 User is offline   barend Icon

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Posted 18 March 2004 - 08:18 PM

the great thing abaut a gay prince, is that he will one day grow up to be a QUEEN!

QUOTE (jyd)
i dont want my kids indoctrinated about cookies, they may think its a good idea to eat a whole box.


I think the Hartsells are afraid their daughter will end up eating a box!

**********************************

sorry folks, you should have know I wouldn't take this one maturley!!!
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#8 User is offline   jyd Icon

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Posted 18 March 2004 - 10:37 PM

ahahahahahahahahah barend lets get married..two princes
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#9 User is offline   Chefelf Icon

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Posted 18 March 2004 - 11:23 PM

It makes me wonder if that's what the song "Two Princes" by the Spin Doctors was about.
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#10 User is offline   Cemetery guy Icon

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Posted 19 March 2004 - 10:07 AM

I have a simple solution to this mess. Lets go back to the 1950's. When I was growing up, there was no such thing as divorce, gays, premarital sex, offensive song lyrics, or sexy TV shows. Oh sure, you might have a friend whose dad was always away a lot, or a slightly afeminate uncle who never married, a classmate who went away for a few months to visit a grandmother in Chicago, the Everly Brothers singing "Wake up little Suzie", or a hot mama named "Dagmar" who would strut her stuff on the Jack Paar Show. But that was all. No one really looked out for us kids. This is not to say that parents were neglectful, they just figured you would find out about life on your own. You know what, we did. One by one these things became clearer. I suddenly woke up one day and said, "the magazines that the barber kept behind the cash register for the men who frequented his shop, might contain some nudity." I didn't need my parents to sue the barber, the cash register company, and the magazine publisher.

So lets dig up Eisenhower and put him back in the White House. The only things we will then have to worry about is if the next Three Stooges episode will contain Curley (yeah), Shemp (tolerable), or Curley Joe (kill me now) or when the Russians launch their nuclear attack against the US, how the hell is ducking under our school desk with our coat over our head is going to save us from being vaporized.
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#11 User is offline   Chefelf Icon

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Posted 19 March 2004 - 10:23 AM

Well, Dad, it seems like America's next step in making it be the fifties again may actually be to dig up Eisenhower. I sure wouldn't mind Eisenhower's corpse in the White House over Dubya.

I don't want this NeoMcCarthyism to make it be the fifties again, but I agree that a lot of the things outlined by Cemetery Guy make sense. I don't like the idea of not being able to acknowledge someone's pregnancy or homosexuality without causing a local controversy. However, it would be nice if all of these hyper-sensitive idiots in this country could just suck it up and deal with things.

As Kim Campbell (forer Canadian Prime Minister) once said (last week): "If you are living somewhere where you are not offended by something in your immediate surroundings then you are not living in a free country."
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#12 User is offline   Supes Icon

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Posted 19 March 2004 - 08:11 PM

QUOTE (Cemetery guy @ Mar 19 2004, 10:07 AM)
I have a simple solution to this mess. Lets go back to the 1950's. When I was growing up, there was no such thing as divorce, gays, premarital sex, offensive song lyrics, or sexy TV shows. Oh sure, you might have a friend whose dad was always away a lot, or a slightly afeminate uncle who never married, a classmate who went away for a few months to visit a grandmother in Chicago, the Everly Brothers singing "Wake up little Suzie", or a hot mama named "Dagmar" who would strut her stuff on the Jack Paar Show.

So what you're saying is that we had all these things in the 50's but people didn't talk about it. That we have always had these potential issues, but they only become issues when you bring them out into the light. wink.gif Next thing you'll be telling me that there was homosexuality in Ancient Greece...oh wait, they were called the Spartans weren't they. It looks like this sort of thing has been going on for thousands of years!!!! Why wasn't I informed of all this???? biggrin.gif

I must admit that with the fear mongering going on it does give me some insight into what it must have been like to fear having a "Red under the bed". Of course though, if we are looking at quotes to help us understand where we should be heading then it is hard to go past that great mind Willy Wonka. I believe he said,

"Oh, you can't go back! You've got to go forward to go back."

P.S. I've always been partial to "Unchained Melody", but I'm a romantic at heart. wub.gif

This post has been edited by Supes: 19 March 2004 - 08:13 PM

Luminous beings are we... not this crude matter.
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#13 User is offline   jyd Icon

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Posted 19 March 2004 - 11:51 PM

QUOTE (Cemetery guy @ Mar 19 2004, 10:07 AM)
I have a simple solution to this mess. Lets go back to the 1950's. When I was growing up, there was no such thing as gays

problem solved
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#14 User is offline   Heccubus Icon

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Posted 20 March 2004 - 06:59 PM

I want to go back to the 50s! Then I wouldn't be a freak for wearing pants that don't hang down around my knees.
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#15 User is offline   Chefelf Icon

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Posted 20 March 2004 - 07:10 PM

QUOTE (Heccubus @ Mar 20 2004, 06:59 PM)
I want to go back to the 50s! Then I wouldn't be a freak for wearing pants that don't hang down around my knees.

But then I WOULD be!

I just get hand-me-downs from all my friends. It just so happens that most of my friends are 6' 2" while I'm a modest 5' 8". It's well worth it for the savings!
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