Weather in the Tries:

There must be some truth, albeit not scientific, about Groundhogs and shadows. I went outside several times on Groundhog Day and did not see my shadow once! For which I am grateful and happy. I don’t know why, but on that day, seeing my shadow is a frightening experience! Anyhow, I didn’t, and I’m pleased to say the weather this week will have highs in the upper 40s to mid 50s. And at night the lows will be right at freezing. Yessiree Bobcat, I do believe Spring is about to arrive 😉

Do You/They Really Want Censorship?

Yeah, I’m on a rant. I’ve long thought Banned Books were the best reads out there, and I’ve read several. In fact, I was pretty sure in my tiny conspiracy-laden mind, that the publishers were behind the bannings to up consumership.

I thought the same on Banned Movies. Or R/X rated movies. There was a movie out in 1961 or thereabouts that was rated something—R or X, I disremember. Anyhow, I was too young to go. Boys my age were old enough to carry a rifle in a rice paddy and shoot and be shot, but we weren’t allowed to go to the movie. My girlfriend wanted to see it, and she was old enough. She bought the tickets. I don’t remember much about the movie, other than it took place in a bayou, during a hurricane and I think one of the protagonists was white the other black, and they made love as the ‘cane came ashore. The theme song was something like, “Poor white trash, not a nickel in his jeans…” to the tune of Mammy’s little baby loves shortnin bread.” The movie ended and the lights came up faster than Superman could have left. The audience was, except for us, Gray Haired couples, spread out. And were they embarrassed being “caught.” It was not intended to be funny, but that was one if the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. (As I’ve said before Google can be your friend. The movie title is (wait for it…Poor White Trash) and you can see/hear the opening theme and credits here.)

As a mother and grandmother, I do appreciate the ratings on movies. They let me decide whether to censor, allow, allow with restrictions, etc.

When I was in high school Daddy asked me to please not read Lolita until I was older. I still haven’t read it. And Mother asked me to please not finish reading Onionhead, as my uncle had looked through the book and thought the language was too raw for me and my genteel, virgin ears; and, he said, he had never heard that kind of language when he was aboard ship in the Navy. I’ve never finished it. (But he musta been with a group of bible thumpers!) Did you notice the books were not banned, I was asked. It was such a shock to be asked to not read something, I acquiesced. I’ve never had a book banned to me. Oh, I’m sure there was nothing in that book worse than the f-bomb, and I’d already read Man With The Golden Arm.

And now, the good folks south of the Mason & Dixon Line, and a few north of same, are wanting to get Critical Race Theory out of their kiddie’s school. For what it’s worth, that is a class taught in Law Schools, and it’s elective. It is NOT taught in elementary schools, or high schools, or even to undergrads in college. CRT has become the latest dog whistle to get books found objectionable by a small group of White Supremacists banned from schools on a number of rationales.

For heaven’s sake, the great collective, They, have been trying to ban Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian out of our local schools for years. I read it. I think it should be required reading. White folk don’t like it because a. it’s true and b. it was written by an indigenous person about life on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Alexie is Spokane and Coeur d’Alene. And he is for sure smarter than the average bear, and he’s one heckuva writer. I also think Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson should not just be required reading to graduate from high school, but I think a whole semester should be spent reading and discussing it! (Now you know why I’m not on any school board.)

Any book that doesn’t paint the desired picture of the White Eyes the way in which they see themselves, must go. No matter how true it is. No matter what can be learned. And especially if it wasn’t written by them.

Toni Morrison, another person of color who dared write books telling it like it was, is, and could be, must also be banned. I read her Beloved. I didn’t like it. It was well written, but it was fiction (allegedly) and I want my fiction to have happy ever after (HEA) endings. One of the reasons I read it? Recommended by Oprah’s Book Club. THEN I read where Oprah will never, ever, recommend a book with HEA endings. Should the books be banned? Heck no. They’re well written and have good messages in them.

Would I have wanted my kids to read books by/about other kids of color, other kids of different cultures, other kids of Trans &c. Damn straight I would. I’d read them, too, and we could talk about them.

I understand the White Supremacist parents wanting to keep all those hurtful books away from their poor white children, but I’m reminded of something a good friend told me once. “Parents, do not handicap your children by making life easy for them.” His words may have been slightly different, but that’s basically what he said.

What’s going to happen when those babied kids grow up and leave the protected nest and have no usable skills to survive in the outside world? Oh, I’m sure than can get into a good Southern College, but can they stay there, as functionally and culturally illiterate as they will be? Then what happens when they realize the better jobs are far away, and they can’t get in at the top of the heap because they are still culturally and functionally illiterate? And Human Resources the world around, will have their applications flagged because they’ll know about the schools attended. How will they do when they get hired and not only work cheek to jowl with people of different color and different, fuller, cultures? When those people get promoted into management slots and they find themselves working not just with, but for, those people of color.

No, I fear the people in Texas, in Tennessee, in those other states who Ban Books without good reason (and comfort is NOT a good reason), are handicapping their children for survival in the world of the Two-Legged Honey Badger. And you know what? Honey Badger don’t care.

My recommendation? Go buy the banned books and read them with your kids. If you feel uncomfortable reading them with your kids, do some soul searching and figure out why. Remember the song about racism in South Pacific? You’ve got to be taught, very carefully taught. Unteach yourself. And your kids. Give them the tools to survive in a Honey Badger world. The whole idea of school is to teach, not coddle. How are they going to learn to survive the Honey Badgers if they aren’t taught?

Photo of the week:

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review it at Rainy Day Reads

If you enjoy poetry, read Allegro To Life —by Earl Vincent de Berge. This is the beginning of my review (see Rainy Day Reads above) 

This musical tribute of poetry is a symphony of words in three movements, Songs from My Life, Poems From Guatemala, and Desert Songs. De Berge starts us off with Poetry Begins,

“The art of poetry begins
in the seam where
the grammar of
communication flowers.”

But, if Mysteries tweak your beak, try The Penitent Priest —by J. R. and Susan Mathis. However, Trigger Warning: It’s a one-sit read. You can read my review at the link above. If you liked the Father Dowling series, or Brother Cadfael, you’ll enjoy this book. Think I’ll have to get the rest of them.

Earworm of the week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPf6ITsjsgk

Quotes of the week are from Bustle

“Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance.” —Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak

“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” —Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood

“What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.” —Salman Rushdie

The Brave Dog and I are still reading Banned Books and enjoying them. It appears we’ll have an unlimited supply of good reading in the years to come. We love reading dangerous ideas! Don’t you?