Thread: (WARNING: Graphic) Common Core Approved Child Pornography

(WARNING: Graphic) Common Core Approved Child Pornography

August 20, 2013 at 9:00 pm / by Macey France

Following are graphic and explicit excerpts from The Bluest Eye, which is on the Common Core’s list of exemplar texts for 11^th graders. If you are easily offended you may want to skip them and go straight to the story.

(Note from editor: Even heavily edited, this is still very graphic.)

Pages 162-163: “A bolt of desire ran down his genitals…and softening the lips of his anus. . . . He wanted to f*** her—tenderly. But the tenderness would not hold. The tightness of her vagina was more than he could bear. His soul seemed to slip down his guts and fly out into her, and the gigantic thrust he made into her then provoked the only sound she made. Removing himself from her was so painful to him he cut it short and snatched his genitals out of the dry harbor of her vagina. She appeared to have fainted.”

Page 174: “He further limited his interests to little girls. They were usually manageable . . . His sexuality was anything but lewd; his patronage of little girls smacked of innocence and was associated in his mind with cleanliness.” And later, this same pedophile notes, “I work only through the Lord. He sometimes uses me to help people.”

Page 181: “The little girls are the only things I’ll miss. Do you know that when I touched their sturdy little t*** and bit them—just a little—I felt I was being friendly?—If I’d been hurting them, would they have come back? . . . they’d eat ice cream with their legs open while I played with them. It was like a party.”

Pages 84-85: “He must enter her surreptitiously, lifting the hem of her nightgown only to her navel. He must rest his weight on his elbows when they make love, to avoid hurting her breasts…When she senses some spasm about to grip him, she will make rapid movements with her hips, press her fingernails into his back, suck in her breath, and pretend she is having an orgasm. She might wonder again, for the six hundredth time, what it would be like to have that feeling while her husband’s penis is inside her.”

Pages 130-131: “Then he will lean his head down and bite my t** . . . I want him to put his hand between my legs, I want him to open them for me. . . I stretch my legs open, and he is on top of me…He would die rather than take his thing out of me. Of me. I take my fingers out of his and put my hands on his behind…”

Pages 148-149: “With a violence born of total helplessness, he pulled her dress up, lowered his trousers and underwear. ‘I said get on wid it. An’make it good, n*****, Come on c***. Faster. You ain’t doing nothing for her.’ He almost wished he could do it—hard, long, and painfully, he hated her so much.”

I understand that after reading those excerpts a lot of you may be angry that this is approved for reading in any school. I could probably end the article here.

However, there are many things that need to be addressed and I have detailed for you here with much help from Jill Manning, PhD.

Adams 12 5 Star School District is the 5^th largest school district in Colorado and has transitioned to the new Common Core standards. The book, Toni Morrison’s 1970 novel, “The Bluest Eye,” is among Common Core’s exemplar texts for 11^th graders.

I was recently afforded the opportunity to discuss the book with Dr. Jill Manning, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She has been involved in social policy and research and has testified for legislators on these issues. Dr. Manning is also a former Social Science Fellow at the Heritage Foundation. She knows what she’s talking about and she also happens to be a concerned mother.

Obviously the reason behind some parents calls for removing the book are the graphic depictions of incest, rape and pedophilia. And not just that, the book actually lets the reader see the depictions from the perpetrators point of view.

In fact, the author of the book, Morrison, says that she wanted the reader to feel as though they are a “co-conspirator” with the rapist. She took pains to make sure she never portrayed the actions as wrong in order to show how everyone has their own problems. She even goes as far as to describe the pedophilia, rape and incest “friendly,” “innocent,” and “tender.” It’s no wonder that this book is in the top 10 list of most contested books in the country.

The Bluest Eye is the story of Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl, who prays every day for beauty: for the blond hair and blue eyes that she believes will allow her to fit in. As her life begins to disintegrate in the face of adversity and strife, such as being raped by her father and beaten by her mother, she finally appeals to Soaphead Church, a pedophile, to help her attain blue eyes. After being impregnated by her father, she loses her baby and ultimately loses her mind.

Dr. Manning is one of 5 people to introduce research-based arguments to remove this book from approved literature in the classroom. Among the five people were two concerned parents who had children that were negatively impacted by the book, an English teacher, a lawyer, and Dr. Manning.

The parents who are actively petitioning the school board to have it removed from the classroom do not want a complete ban on the book nor its removal from the school; rather they would like it to be removed from the approved reading list in the classroom, where students spend three to four weeks reading and discussing, in depth, the developmentally inappropriate material.

There are people out there advocating to let this book remain in the classroom because 11^th and 12^th graders have the ability to read this material especially those in Advanced Placement classes. As Dr. Manning points out, there is a huge difference between being labeled a mature reader, as in one that is technically capable of reading challenging novels, and biopsychosocial maturation. One of the top reasons behind choosing this book is the fact that it is on the Common Core Standards list of exemplar texts. It aligns with the standards and meets the course objectives and needs of students.

Children are simply not mature enough to process the violent, incestuous sex scenes in the book. And yes, high school kids are still considered children! They are minors. They are not adults, and they are not in college. We need to use some common sense when choosing texts to be studied in the classroom. Children’s developing brains do not need to be assaulted with this notion of sexual violence. Educators are supposed to protect children from violence.

The American Academy of Pediatrics studies and develops policies pertaining to youth from birth through age 21, and specifically lists books as part of the mass media environment examined by their institution. The AAP states that exposure to violence in media has a significant risk on the health of children and adolescents and can contribute to aggressive behavior, desensitization to violence, nightmares and fear of being harmed. It is also associated with teen pregnancy and promiscuity. The AAP has also called on schools specifically to do more in the way of preventing young people from being exposed to and negatively impacted by harmful media.

Although this group of concerned citizens in Colorado, including Manning, have repeatedly asked to see any research that would back up the notion that this book and this kind of content is appropriate for children, they have yet to receive any evidence along these lines. Why?

Because there is no evidence that would suggest this book or this kind of content is proven to beneficial or not harmful to children. On the contrary, there are numerous studies from a wide range of fields showing a wide range of harmful effects and risks.

Through some bizarre loopholes in educational policy, this book and others like it are allowed in the classroom. It is able to slip past the checks and balances that we have in place to protect children from violence because even though it does not meet the common standard of decency, it is not a form of entertainment. It’s all in the name of English. No matter the level of filth in the book, it’s English! Therefore it must be allowed.

The Superintendent’s Policy actually has a section that should clearly cause for halt of having this book in the classroom: (“SP”) 6220, Section 2.2.2 requires that “[s]ensitivity to practices and beliefs of other cultures shall be manifested in instructional methods and academic content” (emphasis added). SP 6230, Section 4.0 adds that “[i]nstructional materials shall be selected which: . . . 4.2 enrich and support the curriculum taking into consideration the varied needs, interests, abilities, and maturity levels of pupils served.

Using just the smallest amount of common sense we can deduce that if the book cannot be read aloud in the class, could not be viewable if it was a movie and couldn’t be played on the stereo if it was a CD, then why is it okay for it to be read and discussed; in school of all places! In fact, according to one lawyer, if the incidents in this book were a movie or a picture there would be a very clear cut case for prosecution for child pornography.

I would imagine that a great deal of parents, especially anyone with any semblance of morality in their bodies would be opposed to this book being proffered by a teacher to his or her classroom. A teacher is a trusted adult and surely if they recommend a book for a student to read, that book then has more weight and is seen as “acceptable” with perhaps even “acceptable behavior” in it.

In fact, the teachers mark the pages that can only be read at home. The sexually explicit scenes that take place are noted by page numbers and the kids have to read those portions of the book at home. It’s truly astounding.

If there are parts of the book that are so explicit that they can’t be read in school, you’d think that would be a giant red flag to keep that book out of the hands of children.

I’m all for freedom of speech but I draw the line when it comes to children and minors. Our schools are supposed to be working in tandem with parents to enrich children’s lives and teach them valuable lessons, not including introducing them to graphic, sexual violence with no mental health resources or context provided. Of course, if a book is chosen that would require mental health resources, again, you have a flashing red sign that reads:

Not for children!

Not only that but it’s irresponsible to introduce this literature to kids who you have no idea of knowing their past experiences with rape, incest, or violence. Imagine the scenario where you send a child who has been abused or raped home to read the illicit portion of the book and he or she has to not only read it, and be confused by the portrayal of the perpetrator as a normal human being, but the child also happens to be living with their very own perpetrator who happens to be a family member.

People and educators who are in favor of this kind of book are misinformed. They are perhaps not aware of or understand the social science and medical research that suggest it is not an appropriate choice for the classroom.

Many who have read the book still praise it due to its “the multi-layered structure” and comparisons to blues music.

Dr. Manning believes that, in part, their praise highlights more of a desensitization to sexually explicit material and/or ignorance to the well-documented effects of this kind of material. And then you have people who just haven’t read the book themselves so they don’t know the graphic nature. They look to the lists of books that are deemed appropriate and trust the people who determined the book makes the list. The only caveat is sexual content is not on that checklist of things that would make a book inappropriate for school.

Recently a student, a minor, at one of the CO high schools has started her own petition to keep the novel in their classrooms. This reminds me of a small child advocating for more candy before dinner. Does a child know better than an adult? In most cases, no. In this case, especially.

In fact, in a Harris poll it shows that a 62% of Americans say that books with explicit language should not be available to children in school libraries. The same poll shows that a majority of Americans think no books should be banned completely (56%). This shows you that American’s are against book banning but wants limits by seeking the community standard of decency for books in schools.

Advocates also say that this book is necessary for college preparation. It’s beneficial to a student who can read these kinds of novels to prepare them for academic success. How is reading a filthy book filled with pornographic scenes beneficial and preparing a student for success in college? Oh, but it’s not a filthy pornographic book, it’s not entertainment, it’s for educational purposes! We just want to introduce the kids to different ways of life!

In case you’re just thinking, “Opt out!” I have to tell you, opting your child out of reading this book doesn’t protect him or her. They are still surrounded by the other students who are going to be saturated with this book.

Students that are opted out were being sent to the library for self-guided study for three weeks. This actually violates the equal educational opportunity policy.

According to Dr. Manning, the superintendent has now ruled that if this book is being taught, two classes must be offered that don’t use the book; however, again, this does not deal with the issue of harm. This ‘solution’ only deals with the fact that some people may not like the book. Opt out works when you have similar levels and appropriateness to the material being offered and when none of it goes into the realm of harmful material.

And let’s use the ever-elusive common sense here. If you have a movie that was rated R, a child under 17 couldn’t see it without parental guidance. It certainly couldn’t be shown in the classroom, so why in the world would it be okay to let the child read a book that contains the same sort of things that require parental authority?

This child pornography is protected and lauded because it resides between the pages of a novel. It’s located in libraries and written by an author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in the 1990s. Don’t forget Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace prize for…well, that’s still a head scratcher, so I don’t put too much stock into Nobel prizes.

This is not different than if I take some manure and spread it on a canvas and then place it in a gilded frame and hang it in an art gallery. I call it art, therefore, it is art. I encourage people to get up close with the “art” and even encourage touching it so they can really process it.
Now the same thing is true for the novel and for my manure art. It’s subjective, it’s potentially very harmful to people and in the end, it doesn’t matter the label you slap on it it’s still just a pile of manure.

http://politichicks.tv/column/warnin...d-pornography/

Moms .... you better start kicking these F'rs in the Who Who's ... The Progressives are out of control

Education Secretary Blames White Moms With Dumb Children, Anti-Government Fringe For Common Core Backlash

November 19, 2013 by Sam Rolley

As resistance to the President Barack Obama Administration-backed Common Core education reform grows throughout the Nation, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan claims that discontent with the new education standards is coming mostly from “white suburban moms who — all of a sudden — their child isn’t as brilliant as they thought they were, and their school isn’t quite as good as they thought they were.”
Since 2010, 45 States and the District of Columbia have adopted Common Core English and math standards; but residents in several States are expressing a sort of populist buyers’ remorse over the $4.35 billion education overhaul. Critics of the program say the reforms were poorly designed and untested, which is placing undue burdens on teachers and students forced to comply with the new standards. There is also healthy opposition to the new Federal involvement in education decisions that have traditionally been made at the State and local level.
On Monday, anti-Common Core activist Janet Wilson was joined by about 6,100 Americans, according to her Facebook page, in celebrating National Don’t Send Your Child to School Day in protest of the Common Core reforms.
“Help us send a message to the federal government,” Wilson said in a press release about the event. “We the people want evidence-based curriculum that is locally controlled and which does not require data mining our children. Instead of sending your children to school on November 18th, please educate them at home.”
There is currently a major battle being waged against Common Core in New York, where Education Commissioner John King recently held a series of meetings which revealed widespread concern about the reforms in the State.
CBS New York offered an account of the frustration shared by parents and educators who attended a meeting last week in Long Island:

At Wednesday’s form, 240 questions were submitted by concerned parents and educators.
“I will tell you as a teacher I find this absolutely unhelpful in terms of improving my own instruction,” one educator said at the forum.
“I urge you to slow down the implementation of the Common Core standards,” said Manhasset School Board President Regina Rule.
King said he is listening to concerns, but that Common Core is here to stay. He said it took the state seven years to roll out the curriculum.
“We’re absolutely committed to the Common Core,” he said. “Again, we see the Common Core as a path to ensuring that more of our students are college- and career-ready.”

Meanwhile, Federal officials like Duncan aren’t really interested in the concerns of parents and educators who are seeing Common Core’s failings firsthand.
“It’s fascinating to me that some of the pushback is coming from, sort of, white suburban moms who — all of a sudden — their child isn’t as brilliant as they thought they were and their school isn’t quite as good as they thought they were, and that’s pretty scary,” Duncan told a gathering of school superintendents Friday, according to The Washington Post. “You’ve bet your house and where you live and everything on, ‘My child’s going to be prepared.’ That can be a punch in the gut.”
In addition to “white suburban moms” with dull children, Duncan claimed that many of Common Core’s main opponents exist on the anti-government fringe.
“The Common Core has become a rallying cry for fringe groups that claim it is a scheme for the federal government to usurp state and local control of what students learn. An op-ed in the New York Times called the Common Core ‘a radical curriculum,’” he said. “It is neither radical nor a curriculum. … When the critics can’t persuade you that the Common Core is a curriculum, they make even more outlandish claims. They say that the Common Core calls for federal collection of student data. For the record, it doesn’t, we’re not allowed to, and we won’t. And let’s not even get into the really wacky stuff: mind control, robots, and biometric brain mapping.”
But neither the dull children of suburban white moms theory nor the anti-government theory can explain away the shock some parents throughout the Nation have expressed upon learning about some of the new learning materials being provided to their children thanks to Common Core.
In September, angry parent Brittney Badeaux, of Vermilion Parish, La., alerted FOX News about a Common Core-approved homework assignment her fourth-grader brought home. The assignment taught her 9-year-old the words “Po Pimp” and “mobstaz” while providing the youngster a bit of hip hop history.
The offending assignment read: “Carl Terrell Mitchell, better known by his stage name Twista, was born in 1972. Nineteen years later Mitchell’s first album, ‘Runnin’ Off at da Mouth,’ debuted. In 1997, after appearing on Do or Die’s hit ‘Po Pimp,’ Twista was signed to Atlantic Records. Under that label he released ‘Adrenaline Rush’ and formed the group Speedknot Mobstaz in 1998. His 2004 album Kamikaze went to number-one on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart.”
“I try to instill values in my son,” Badeaux told FOX’s Todd Starnes. “My goal is for him ultimately to become a great man, a family man, a well-rounded man. And now my son wants to know what a pimp is.”
Vermilion Parish School Superintendent Jerome Puyau essentially told FOX that the inclusion of rap references was simply a facet of the Common Core approach.
Last month, Digital Journal reported on another questionable Common Core assignment being used in an Arkansas school district. A sixth-grader in the State’s Bryant School District took home a homework assignment that instructed her to imagine she was part of a special committee put together by the government to update the “outdated” Bill of Rights.
Students are then instructed to “prioritize, prune and add amendments” to come up with a Revised Bill of Rights. The assignment required students to select two Amendments to throw out, add two new ones and put together persuasive speeches to market the idea.
The child’s parent Lela Spears told Digital Journal that her daughter had no previous government or civics classes prior to being instructed to reform the Bill of Rights.
“After she brought it home and explained her assignment to me, it made me question exactly what she was being taught. Where I can see a class using critical thinking skills to modernize the words, as to help them better understand the Amendments, giving an assignment to remove two then add two with little explanation as to why is upsetting,” Spears told Digital Journal in an interview. “When I asked my child what the assignment was to teach her she had no idea. Only that she was TOLD to do it. She didn’t even understand what the Amendments meant. How can she make an informed decision when she doesn’t understand what she is ‘throwing out?’ That was new to me. I also did not like the fact her teacher used, ‘you have been selected to help a special committee’ bullshit.”
Common Core’s implementation has only been going on for a little over three months and there will undoubtedly be more outrageous stories to come about the new standards. But don’t expect Federal officials to back down any time soon. As one blogger recently put it: “Common Core is kind of turning into the Obamacare of education.” And we all know how willing the Federal government has been to step back and admit that Obamacare has, so far, been nothing but a disaster.

http://personalliberty.com/2013/11/1...core-backlash/