'Jackass' gets book banned in Mass.

[The Straight Story]

'Jackass' gets book banned in Mass.

BOSTON, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Two Massachusetts school districts rejected a book meant to encourage youngsters to read because of its offending last line -- "It's a book, jackass."

Pat Earle, who operates a literacy program, the First R Foundation, told The Boston Globe people offended by the book, called "It's A Book," have been filling her in-box with offensive e-mails. Earle made "It's A Book" her choice for first-graders and offered copies to elementary schools in Gloucester and Rockport.

"This is the first time I have had people who don't know me say nasty things about me," Earle said. "I'm 'subversive.' I'm 'poisoning children's minds.' They feel they can say anything. This whole public discourse becomes so uncivil."

The characters in "It's A Book," include a donkey who has trouble understanding how anything without a wireless connection and batteries can be entertaining.

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2010/12/11/Jackass-gets-book-banned-in-Mass/UPI-69701292115022/

I'm for it. Schools should never be allowed to offend people. No religion mentions, no ideology/philosophy, nothing but facts, plain gray uniforms. Kids might be harmed for eternity if they see something (faith/idea/celebration/book) different.

Want to sing a kwanzaa or christmas or hanukkah song? Good lord someone might die on the spot.

Want to have a book with "Jackass" in the title? Might do the same thing - offend someone.

Hell, ban all the books.

[hobbit709]

1. There will always be at least one person offended by something.

If you cater to everyone's little hangups, pretty soon you won't be able to do anything.

[Coventina]

2. Ha ha! I clicked on this thread thinking it was about the MTV franchise

I assumed they got something banned as a stunt!

"Watch Johnny & co. attend a school board meeting and get "My Pet Goat" banned as promoting inappropriate contact between humans and animals."

[lunatica]

3. I see Massachusetts is still puritanically banning books

All my life I've heard about Massachusetts banning books. There a very long list of banned books. Here are some examples:

Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck (1937)
The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger (1951)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain (1885)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
Slaughter House Five" by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
and , of course, the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowlings

[ET Awful]

4. There are almost 300 school districts in Massachusetts

Two of them acting like idiots does not equal Massachusetts banning the book.

[lunatica]

5. All the banned books I mentioned were banned the same way

That's historical knowledge of banned books in Massachusetts. The fact is, Massachusetts gets blamed, just like entire states get blamed for what happens in them.

[TexasProgresive]

6. Is the donkey male? Then in is a jack.

Regardless it is an ass. People sure get wound up over nothing.

[Tesha]

8. Didn't Jesus ride an ass in the Bible? (And no, I'm not referring to Mary Magdalene's!) (NT)

[Myrina]

7. ... I thought Bush's book was titled "Decision Points" ?

:rofl:

[seabeyond]

9. it is for first graders? we teach them not to cuss. give them a book with a cuss word

validating cussing. the author used it was gasp effect. got gasp effect. now whining.

author could have had same effect saying fart to a little one.

[MattBaggins]

10. No matter how much you hem and haw; religion doesn't belong in school