Arizona lawmakers banned schools in the state from teaching "ethnic studies" classes. Unless public schools canceled classes that included racial and ethnic themes, the state could block schools from receiving millions of dollars in critical classroom funding.
But Arizona state officials pushed one school district too far: Tucson Unified School District not only cancelled its vibrant ethnic studies classes, but also banished any book that dealt with "race or oppression."
As a result, students and teachers say dozens of books -- including Shakespeare's The Tempest -- can no longer be taught in class, and some have even been removed from classrooms and locked up in school storage.
The literary purgatory of Tucson's school storage facilities now contains dozens of books that have race as a central theme. In addition to the boxed-up books about Chicano and Mexican American history and literature, classics by authors like Thoreau, Shakespeare and Atwood are seen as too controversial by school officials.
Please sign the petition:
Tucson School Board: Don't lock up knowledge, return books to students now!
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I suppose "ethnic bashing" is OK, so Jan Brewer's book is safe from the ban...
SB 1070, the bill that authorizes local law enforcement to question persons suspected of being illegal aliens, was signed by Governor Jan Brewer. She goes on and on and on about it in her book "Scorpions for Breakfast: My Fight Against Special Interests, Liberal Media, and Cynical Politicos to Secure America's Border," ghostwritten by one Jessica Gavora, who also penned "America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag" for Sarah Palin.
Apparently, President Obama didn't like Brewer's book. I read several excerpts on Amazon and I don't blame him. It's atrocious!
