Porn 101

I love to read. It's something my mother fostered in me from a very young age (THANKS MOM!), and she didn't restrict our choice of reading material (within reason; my brother couldn't read Playboy). Over the years, I have developed favorites from literary classics to modern-era classics such as Stephen King. I've also grown to love my conservative political books. Never, though, did a teacher assign a book with objectionable themes during my school years.

"Perks of a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky (published by MTV Books; that says a lot) was given to an 11th-grade student at William Byrd High School in Vinton, Virginia, by his English teacher. The book was then passed on to the son of John Davis.

Davis found the book in his son's possession along with a bookmark that urged "Read banned books. They're your ticket to freedom."

According to World Net Daily:

"My son was reading the book and stated it was a school assignment," Davis told WND. "He was embarrassed that I began to peruse through the book and discovered its contents. He advised that the book belongs to his English teacher, Mrs. Kathleen Renard."

Here's some of what Mr. Davis found while reading through the book.

• sex acts between teenagers
• male and female masturbation
• suicide
• oral sex
• extensive use of profanity, especially the "F"-word
• multiple cases of homosexual acts between teenage boys, including kissing, seduction and anal sex
• illegal drug and alcohol use, including smoking marijuana and LSD usage
• anonymous homosexual acts between men and boys
• rape of a teenage girl while she cried
  
• molestation of a young boy by a woman
• molestation of a young girl by an older man
• how hitting a girl can turn her on and make her love a boy
• attempted sex between a boy and a dog [B & G note: EWWW!!!]

Here is an excerpt from the same book.

Amazon.com excerpt from 'Perks of Being a Wallflower

Armed with book in hand, Mr. Davis went to confront the principal, Richard Turner. The English teacher was not present during Davis's meeting with Turner, even though Davis had requested that she be called in. Turner refused saying, "I'm not going to fire her over this." (Emphasis mine)

The assigned book is on a list of "banned books" and among the top ten most frequently challenged books of 2008 according to the American Library Association. Other books on the list deal with the occult, violence, sex (hetero- and homosexual), drug abuse, and suicide. No wonder the kids of today are so screwed up! They've been exposed to adult issues outside of the parent's control.

While I believe that it's one of those "If you don't like it, don't read it" issues, these are KIDS. At the very least, the parents should have been notified of the assignment and proper permission given to participate. Alas, they weren't.

It's time that parents be given control over the children they have loved and nurtured. The schools need to stick to teaching FACTS, not personal ideology of the teacher. Until this happens, I urge every parent to closely monitor what is being taught to your kids. Stay involved and DO NOT let the school district bully you into capitulation. The future is not worth giving up.

Oh...to contact the school and the school board:

William Byrd High School and Roanoke County School Board

Meet the 'Safe Schools Czar'

Kevin Jennings, the "Safe Schools Czar" appointed by BHO, has a radical past (surprise...not) of promoting homosexuality in schools, drug use, and contempt for religion. He also wrote at one time of an underage student who had told Jennings that he was having sex with older men. Jennings did not report the incident.

In 1990, as a teacher in Massachusetts, he founded the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), which now has over 40 chapters at schools nationwide. He has also published six books on gay rights and education, including one that describes his own experiences as a closeted gay student.

"Jennings was obviously chosen for this job because of the safe schools aspect... defining 'safe schools' narrowly in terms of 'safe for homosexuality'," Peter Sprigg, a senior fellow at the Family Research Council, told FOXNews.com.

"But at least half of the job involves creating drug-free schools, and we've not been offered any evidence about what qualifications Jennings has for promoting drug-free schools."

In fact, in his 2007 autobiography "Mama's Boy, Preacher's Son: A Memoir," Jennings talks extensively of his drug use during his high school years in the early 1980's.

"I got stoned more often and went out to the beach at Bellows, overlooking Honolulu Harbor and the lights of the city, to drink with my buddies on Friday and Saturday nights, spending hours watching the planes take off and land at the airport, which is actually quite fascinating when you are drunk and stoned."

While I'm not throwing stones here, I will be the first to speak out against drug use. Experience has taught me that it's just not the thing to do. Jennings has largely remained silent on the issue since his book was published.

Liberal groups have said that the revelation of these facts by those on the right are nothing more than a smear campaign. Here we go again...

In 1997, according to a transcript put together by Brian J. Burt, managing editor of the student-run Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, Jennings said he hoped that promoting homosexuality in schools would be considered fine in the future.

"One of our board members" was called to testify before Congress when they had hearings on the promotion of homosexuality in schools," Jennings said. "And we were busy putting out press releases, and saying, "We're not promoting homosexuality, that's not what our program's about. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.... '

"Being finished might someday mean that most straight people, when they would hear that someone was promoting homosexuality, would say 'Yeah, who cares?' because they wouldn't necessarily equate homosexuality with something bad that you would not want to promote."

In 2000, GLSEN co-sponsored a conference along with the Massachusetts Department of Education. It was revealed that there were some pretty graphic and unorthodox sex techniques being discussed with kids. The following is a quote made by a state official who had been talking to teenagers.

"Fisting (forcing one's entire hand into another person's rectum or vagina) often gets a bad rap....[It's] an experience of letting somebody into your body that you want to be that close and intimate with...[and] to put you into an exploratory mode."

I'm not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but could someone tell me how this is an appropriate topic to be discussing with teens at an educational conference? I'd make a safe bet that my 21-year-old doesn't even know what that is. Or maybe I'm just in denial.

On the topic of religion, Mr. Jennings wrote in his memoir:

"What had [God] done for me, other than make me feel shame and guilt? Squat. Screw you, buddy -- I don't need you around anymore, I decided.

"The Baptist Church had left me only a legacy of self-hatred, shame, and disappointment, and I wanted no more of it or its Father. The long erosion of my faith was now complete, and I, for many years, reacted violently to anyone who professed any kind of religion. Decades passed before I opened a Bible again."

He since claims that he is now involved with the Union Theological Seminary, which describes itself as "progressive and evangelical." Jennings also claims that he considers himself a religious person. Of course he does now that he can't be seen as anti-religion.

In 1994, Jennings wrote a book titled "One Teacher in 10" in which he tells the story of a sophomore named Brewster who had told Jennings of being involved with older men.

"Out spilled a story about his involvement with an older man he had met in Boston. I listened, sympathized, and offered advice. He left my office with a smile on his face that I would see every time I saw him on the campus for the next two years, until he graduated."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't teachers required to report the sexual abuse and exploitation of minors? Even if there's no legal issue compelling teachers to do so, they should at least be ethical enough report such incidents.

So there it is. The new "Safe Schools Czar" is a man who, at least in some respects, advocates pushing homosexuality in the schools and has little regard for religion. On top of that, he failed in his duty to report possible sexual abuse of a minor.

Don't you feel even better about sending your kids to school now?

Mandatory Gay Lesson Angers Parents

The Alameda United School District (AUSD) has implemented a curriculum to teach LGBT tolerance to students. Parents have sued the school district to opt their children out of the lessons.

The mandatory program has been officially named "LGBT Lesson #9" and was approved on May 26 by the school board. Children in kindergarten through fifth grade will be required to learn "tolerance" for the homosexual lifestyle starting this upcoming school year. The school has decided not to give the parents the choice to opt their children out of the lessons even if the lesson goes against their religious beliefs.

From the article at wnd.com:

In kindergarten, the schools plan to introduce children to "The New Girl … And Me" by Jacqui Robins. The book is about a young girl who is new at a school and strikes up a friendship with another girl after a popular boy refuses to play with her.

In first grade, students will read "Who is in a Family?" By Robert Skutch. It explores different types of families. One page states, " … Robin's family is made up of her dad, Clifford, her dad's partner, Henry, and Robin's cat, Sassy."

Curriculum for 1st grade students includes 'Who's in a Family?'

Teachers will ask children to "identify and describe a variety of families" and "to understand that families have some similarities and some differences."

"If a student responds that one family in the book is made up of a mother, a father and two children and a cat, you may acknowledge that some families look like this," the curriculum states, "but also ask students for other examples of what a family can look like."

Teachers are told to reflect and "reinforce to students that in our school and our community there are many different types of families that provide love and care to each other. Remind the students that all family structures are equally important."

Second grade students will read about two homosexual penguins that raise a young chick in the book "And Tango Makes Three" by J. Richardson and P. Parnell.

The two male penguins, Roy and Silo, are described as being "a little bit different."

"They didn't spend much time with the girl penguins, and the girl penguins didn't spend much time with them," the text states.

When the male penguins nurture an egg, it soon hatches. "We'll call her Tango," it states, "because it takes two to make a Tango."

The book declares, "Tango was the very first penguin in the zoo to have two daddies."

3rd grade students will watch 'That's a Family' film

In the third grade, students will watch a film called "That's a Family," featuring some homosexual couples in addition to traditional families.

According to the lesson plan, it aims to "assist students in developing sensitivity to gay and lesbian family structures" and teach "respect and tolerance for every type of family."

Fourth graders will be required to read an essay titled, "My School is Accepting – but Things Could be Better" by Robert, an 11-year-old who has two lesbian mothers.

They are introduced to terms such as "ally," "gay," "lesbian" and "LGBT."

Teachers are instructed to ask, "How do you think Robert feels when he hears people say things like, 'this is gay' or 'You're so gay'?"

"This curriculum also puts teachers in an awkward position," England said. "They're forced to teach that traditional views are bigoted, even if they hold traditional views."

By fifth grade, students learn to "identify stereotypes about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people." They are told that "LGBT people have made important contributions within the United States and beyond."

I think the most disturbing part of this whole idea is that more parental rights are being usurped by those in power. Isn't it the job of a parent to instill the idea of "tolerance" for others into their children?

The idea of home visits by the government to those households with children has already been proposed under the guise of "concern for the children." What did parents do before all these government goons decided to make a power grab for our nation's future? We used three things to guide us: faith, instinct, and common sense. The government needs to allow parents to continue using these tools in the rearing of the next generation.

When you hear that my kids are being visited at home by government wonks, please send flowers to the funeral home. I'll be the guest of honor.

The Public School System: Then and Now

Education. It's arguably the best gift a child can receive. I'm not talking about the touchy-feely indoctrination kids today get. I'm talking about teaching them the basic skills they'll need to thrive in this world. Over the years, the public school system has become a failed social experiment. Children today are being presented with a liberal education with the emphasis on social issues over basic knowledge of how to read, write, and do math.

Some teachers have had their hands tied and been denied the freedom to teach. Curricula that have given us, in some areas, a student graduation rate of 25% or less seem to have become standard.

Today's teachers are a mixed bag. There are those who are truly passionate about giving kids an education that will allow them to succeed in today's world, and then those who are so wrapped up in just getting them through to the next grade with minimal skills. Unfortunately, the latter seems to be the majority.

In New York City, there are teachers being paid full salary and benefits to do anything they want. Play games, write a book, paint.....the list goes on. These teachers are awaiting disciplinary hearings for offenses ranging from insubordination to sexual misconduct, and they sometimes wait years. All the while, the citizens of New York City are paying them the same as those teachers who spend all day in the classroom.

Years ago, things were different. Trouble students were expelled, not just tolerated until they could be passed off to another teacher to become their problem. Teachers had a say in how a child was disciplined, and parents often relied on teachers to learn of potential problems that may be on the horizon. Not today. The educational world has become inverted.

The following is a taste of what used to be. It's a graduation test from Saline County, Kansas, dated 1895. The students had to pass this test to move on to the eighth grade. At the end, you will note a list of duties and requirements teachers had to abide by. My how times have changed.

EXAMINATION GRADUATION QUESTIONS
OF SALINE COUNTY, KANSAS
April 13, 1895
J.W. Armstrong, County Superintendent.

Examinations at Salina, New Cambria, Gypsum City, Assaria, Falun, Bavaria, and District No. 74 (in Glendale Twp.)

Reading and Penmanship. - The Examination will be oral, and the Penmanship of Applicants will be graded from the manuscripts.

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GRAMMAR
(Time, one hour)

1. Give nine rules for the use of Capital Letters.
2. Name the Parts of Speech and define those that have no modifications.
3. Define Verse, Stanza and Paragraph.
4. What are the Principal Parts of a verb? Give Principal Parts of do, lie, lay and run.
5. Define Case. Illustrate each case.
6. What is Punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of Punctuation.
7-10 Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

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ARITHMETIC
(Time, 1 ¼ hour)

1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weights 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50 cts. Per bu., deducting 1050 lbs for tare?
4. District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 per cent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per m?
8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 per cent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance around which is 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.

*************************************
U.S. HISTORY
(Time, 45 minutes)

1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided.
2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus.
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States.
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whtney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, and 1865.

*******************************************
ORTHOGRAPHY
(Time, one hour)

1. What is meant by the following: Alphabet, phonetic orthogaphy, etymology, syllabication?
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: Trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals?
4. Give four substitutes for caret “u”.
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final “e”. Name two exceptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: Bi, dis, mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, super.
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: Card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences: Cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

*****************************************
GEOGRAPHY
(Time, one hour)

1. What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of N.A.
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall, and Orinoco.
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
7. Name all the republics of Europe and give capital of each.
8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give inclination of the earth.

1. Where are the saliva, gastric juice, and bile secreted? What is the use of each in digestion?
2. How does nutrition reach the circulation?
3. What is the function of the liver? Of the kidneys?
4. How would you stop the flow of blood from an artery in the case of laceration?
5. Give some general directions that you think would be beneficial to preserve the human body in a state of health.

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

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RULES FOR TEACHERS
1872

1. Teachers each day will fill lamps, clean chimneys.
2. Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and a scuttle of coal for the day’s session.
3. Make your pens carefully. You may whittle nibs to the individual taste of the pupils.
4. Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two evenings a week if they go to church regularly.
5. After ten hours in school, the teachers may spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books.
6. Women teachers who marry or engage in unseemly conduct will be dismissed.
7. Every teacher should lay aside from each pay a goodly sum of his earnings for his benefit during his declining years so that he will not become a burden on society.
8. Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool or public halls, or gets shaved in a barber shop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intention, integrity and honesty.
9. The teacher who performs his labor faithfully and without fault for five years will be given an increase of twenty-five cents per week in his pay, providing the Board of Education approves

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

Now, I will be the first to say that I'd still be in seventh grade. Even though I've been out of school for a quarter of a century, there is still a stark contrast between the education I received and what was taught when my great-grandparents were children. Today's kids would be lucky if they could read the test.

And could you imagine the teachers' union tolerating rules that actually held teachers accountable? Oh, the horror of it all! The NEA would never allow it.

While I'm not saying we need to get back to this era of education, I DO believe that parents today should be given the choice of whether or not they send their most precious gifts from God to a school where social indoctrination abounds and education has become secondary.

How did YOU perform on this test?

The Wonderful Public Education System

Well, my teenage son managed to do what no one else in this family has done. He qualified for summer school by failing a class. The failure was of his own doing because he didn't do the required work, or he just didn't turn it in if he did. The blame is entirely on his shoulders.

Today, I will be signing him up for the summer school program. I phoned the school yesterday to register him, and I was told to come in and do the paperwork. The receptionist then informed me that I can leave a deposit. HUH???

Yes, there is a fee for my son to attend summer school. Ninety bucks to be exact. I have a question for this chickie when I get there.

Why do I pay my school taxes? The teachers are paid a SALARY. Factor in the gas I'll use to transport him to and from school (we live about 15 miles away), and I'll be in the red for about $125 or more. This is a conservative figure when you take into account that I'll be doing this every day (5 days a week) for the next three weeks. The sessions are four hours long for a total of 60 hours. Guess the month of June is kicked in the you-know-what.

If I could provide the education he needs (he's high-functioning autistic), I would homeschool. He truly is a bright kid, but I have neither the patience nor the resources to meet his learning needs.

Maybe the check I write for my school taxes next time will be short by the amount this is going to cost. The school administration needs to learn a lesson.