Censorship and the ridiculousness that ensues

I have a strong feeling about the way our school systems try to censor books. I cannot understand how they can make such a huge ordeal over one part of a book that they cannot agree with. It truly grates at my nerves when I read or hear parents complain about all the terrible things their children are forced to read. I cannot help but ask, "Are you this strict about what they are exposed to on television?" Beyond all my frustrations with 'over protective' parents. Harry Potter was my hook to the world of books when I was in third or forth grade. I despised all the books we were assigned in class and rarely read all the assignments that were required. It was not until my tutor introduced me to Harry Potter that I realized the incredible world that books can create. I do not know what my reading career would have been like if some ridiculous religious maniacs had pushed for Harry Potter to be ban. But I am thankful that the decision makers on censorship have level heads, for the most part.

I believe that like the article said that some books should be banned for certain ages for obvious inappropriateness within those books. But still those books that are inappropriate for young children are fabulous for young adults. It is the right of a parent to decide what is appropriate for their children but I feel that also it is the right of a teacher to decide what he/she feels is appropriate for their students. I strongly believe that teachers have been trained and are capable to make the best choices on book assignments for their students. So while I believe that banning a book seems silly, it is the responsibility of teachers to censor through the books they use in their classroom. In that same regard it is the responsibility of a parent to censor what their child reads outside of the classroom. Hopefully then everyone could be happy...but doubtful.

Martin Luther King Jr

Martin Luther King Jr
Peacemaker, lover, preacher, believer
He was a husband, a father to many, a leader to all African Americans and a friend to all
Lover of all people no matter what color, a lover of unity and a lover of change
Who felt the calling of the Lord to change the world, who felt that African American's needed their rights, and love for every person
Who found happiness in helping his fellow African Americans fight peacefully for their rights
Who needed the world to listen to his ideas, and some did yet sadly not all are as open
Who dedicated all his life to help African Americans get the rights they deserve
Who feared that the time would never come for black boys and girls to hold hands with white girls and boys
Who liked to see the hope in his fellow African Americans eyes when they accomplished what they had strived for so long to achieve
Who enjoys the singing, praying, talking with all the people who needed him to lead
Martin Luther King Jr

I am Opal

I am nervous yet kind
I wonder where my mama is
I hear Otis' music and it makes me smile
I imagine memories of my mother
I want to fill the void in my heart
I am nervous yet kind

I pretend to be Winn Dixie's mother
I feel as if I have missed out on certain childhood things
I hold my mamas hand as we walk to the library
I worry that daddy is sad about mama leaving
I cry when i see other little girls having fun with their mothers
I am nervous yet kind

I understand more than my daddy thinks I do
I tell my stories so that people can enjoy them the way my mama would
I dream about having a full family again
I try to make friends but it is hard being a new girl in town
I hope that one day daddy will come out of his turtle shell for good
I am nervous yet kind

A Good Book

The first thing I think of when the term 'good book' comes to mind is the diversity that comes with it. There are so many books that some consider good while others find them terrible, this diversity is what I adore about books! There is so much room for conversation while discussing a book that some people like and others despise. As a child I hated to read, mostly because I was and still am a bit of a slower reader, this hindered me a lot as a young student. One Christmas my fathers partner gave me a book that was a bit out of the ordinary, he had read it one day in a book store just killing time and thought I would enjoy its colorful story. "A City in Winter" was its title and it was about a little girl who was heir to the throne of this little kingdom. It was a bitter sweet tale as she tried to regain her throne with her tutor to help her along the way. I remember so vividly sobbing at the end of the story because the girls tutor had sacrificed himself as the sign from God that she was the rightful heir. I loved this story because the only times I would read it was when I was right by the fire cuddled under my favorite afghan my grandmother had made me and I truly felt as if I could be that little girl sneaking about the castle trying to regain my rightful place. Oh to have that imagination again!