Aug 30, 2017 5:43 PM
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icounttopotato
I don't think the folks trying to take down statues read books or they wouldn't have started with Robert E Lee.
The guy who disbanded the confederates who wanted to continue to fight and was Lincoln's first pick to lead the union armies.
JamieSmyth
I thought one of my tweets got posted! Then I remembered that I don't have twitter. And I'm not a black man.
YouJustG0tSarged
Where they burn books, in the end they will burn people
TheosophicBlues
Put those Saddam statues back up! Its important to history!
LemmiwinksKingofGerbils
Who is saddam? His statue went down so we have no historical record of him
Ghost7167
We shouldnt nan stuff like this so we can learn from the errors of our past. Not recreate it.
lawideas
All these folks thrilled to have the statues come down will be shocked to realize that it did nothing to reduce racism.
sadbbqday
how has this gotten so my uppers? are people in support of tearing down statues for the past?
rocketturttle
weird times, man
DrShrinker
Obviously. It's about emotion, not logic.
Imgurkoff69
The current generation has confused feeling with thinking.
rooik14
You sure that isn't you? You seem pretty emotionally invested in those statues staying out in public rather than in museums. There's >>
also only one side in this that tried to kill multiple people about their emotional attachment to those statues.
I am very much against historical revisionism. Erasing the past condemns us to repeat it.
Grudgezilla
Every day things get closer and closer to idiocracy.
IamJustinSane
Moving public statues into museums is more about "not celebrating" your dark history. Nobody is erasing anything.
Slashenaar
I'm sure a few extremists think this, but otherwise these two ideas are diametrically opposed. The museum relocation idea is very popular.
rando84
Where were these history enthusiasts when they gutted CBGB's?
Elroydb
Most of the statues need to be relocated but history in books is all but ignored
Shadehawk
i know! i cant remember the last time i left my house and i wasnt assaulted by a book flinging itself at my face and making me read it!
That would make things easier :/ "THERE ARE NAZIS HERE AND -" *Rise and Fall of the Third Reich to the face*
Allrighty
If people want the statues to stay for the sake of "history", can we please remind them of slavery every single day?
GilaMonsieur
Sure, most people have ancestors that were slaves in any given ethnic group, depending on the era.
GalacticSquirrel
Because letting them take the statues can lead to taking other things. These items are art. Art is supposed to evoke a range of 1/2
Feelings including shock, horror, and anger.
danishjuggler21
Slippery slope fallacy.
ITalkAboutGoats
Art that doesn't have to be there. It's an implied intimidation. "Don't vote. Don't seek police help."
If these statues were such a big deal, why weren't they taken down sooner?
You're not the only one wondering that.
Because people have to have courage enough to ask. Sometimes that takes time.
Again, during Obama's reign, where Democrats had control, why was nothing done? It's mostly democrats demanding the statues of their former-
leaders, I mean Civil War statues being torn down now? Especially since Trump's administration is so fascist and oppressive.
NotFarEnough
This didn't pop out of the blue. This was an issue that was, in fact, being discussed during the Obama era
Dingus2
Oh yeah, public education will help. Pfffffffft.
windmere
“The good writers touch life often. Mediocre ones run a quick hand over her. Bad ones rape her & leave her for the flies.” Fahrenheit 451
forobservation
The problem with the statues is that they glorify and memorialize these people. Education about them is necessary. Glorification is not.
twfeline
Statues of people are meant to be looked-up to as exemplars. Oh, and to remind negroes that whites are always watching them.
pourmacncheeseovermynakedbody
It doesn't "glorify" them. They are all there as a reminder as to never repeat all of the bad things that happened in history.
PerhapsAnotherPerspective
...Usually if you're building statues to commemorate tragedies you build statues of those who suffered, not the torturers.
itsdarkandicantseewhatimtyping
This is just patently false, the statues were erected to glorify them as paragons of the time.
Bobeez
I would love to hear what these Confederate-defenders would say to a statue honouring Nat Turner or Malcolm X, lol. Watch the fury then!
Like the one in Harlem? It's fine. Humans are complicated.
"It's my estimation that every man ever got a statue made of him was one kind of sumbitch or another"
iShouldBeWorking42
You're assuming these people are literate
[deleted]
IronicUsername
It's not.
hexbolt751
They are tearing down statues because it hurts their butt, I would assume illiteracy as well. What next? The museums? Then what?
No, just the statues erected to honor traitors but don't let that stop you from making your slippery slope argument.
ManOfIce
Lmao yes, because you keep political sides from 100s of years ago, and know who traitors were. Piss off.
Traitors to whom? Enlighten me please, I don't want to slide off the slippery slope of Facebook clickbait top 8 arguments to avoid.
TheGame21x
That's why they need the statues! What we need to do is get some picture books for them. Or maybe some pop-up books!
With interactive popup bayonets!
Cheomesh
You had me at bayonets.
My first thought.
EadEchiC
For hate groups, it was never really about the statues.
Oh it was to an extent. Much like the swastika confederate imagery has become synonymous to them with their ideals. That's why some are >>
willing to kill for their symbol.
GambitLW
When they learn of museums it will really blow their tiny minds.
CheckOutMyFavoritesPart2
Wait till they find out about museums
12rt2345g342563
Museums are for queers! No really that's how these kind of people think.
SlightlyDodgy
These are the uneducated /brainwashed, They'll never see inside a museum for fear of being proven wrong, or contradicted to their beliefs.
thraxcres
So like I get it. Slavery is bad and having statues of slavers is bad. But then if it was any other historic statue it would be an outrage
Including Egyptian work aka the biggest slavers on the block for a few hundred years.
Yep, gotta tear down those Pyramids next.
Because no one is carrying the flag of some pharaoh and associating with him and what he went to war to preserve.
Most americans aren't saying bring back slavery. The monuments are dedicated to those that fought for southern ideals due to the increasing
Gulf between southern and northern ideals mainly due to the lack means to travel and limited communication. The separated into different
Cultures and when Lincoln proposed an end to slavery they felt so detached it would be like another country trying to ban their main export
except the pyramids being build by jewish slaves is a myth.
still built by slaves
Yeah and statues of that slave owner Washington
I never said anything about pyramids or Jewish people. Egyptians had many slaves from multitude of back grounds and religions.
NickRivieraMD
This seems silly. How many of these statues have been destroyed? Sounds to me like they're just moving most of them.
Cyranojoe
And museums! They even have museums for racists, I bet!
KnightsOfShame
I think the reason they pull down statues is because statues are a way or honouring, or celebrating people's lives, not because it's history
Slimulus
Yes. Idolatry =/= historical memory.
midsongnipplerub
imgurisgo
It WAS a way of honoring someone's life but now it's history and out in public it's a reminder.
A reminder that the South doesn't view black people as human and they shouldn't have the same rights as whites.
ThreeDogeMoon69
How would you feel about Germany if it had a Hitler statue?
brokenchicken
No they have no context just flowery romanticized inscriptions. They don't belong in the front of public schools and gov. buildings
Not to mention they were placed strategically during times of white supremacist intimidation and violence as a reminder of who's in power
Rendili
You can make an argument about taking these statues down and moving them into museums, where they belong, because they are on public lands 1
But recklessly taking them down in protest? Please, let's just act rationally and petition government instead of rashly mobbing together. 2
thanatos777
Shitty state legislatures make it illegal for cities to do that.
What if your governor passes a law that makes it illegal to remove them? I'm not pulling em down but I like seeing the cheap ones crumple
Segagenesischalmers
I think they should leave them all... BUT add a sign that says "I had really stupid ideas and lost on the battlefield"
NoxRiddle
Yes, and the people whining about preserving history aren't really interested in true history - just their rosie-lensed view of it.
IshitOnWindshields
No. As black person they should not be destroyed
Seriously, it's baffling how people have a hard time with this concept...but then again there's a lot of baffling things going on these days
SpeedDart
Wow, the one person that got it right.
Strasburg6592
They're pulling Confederate statues down because they're like the OLDEST form of participation trophies.
God, I wish I had more upvotes to give.
DRFUZY
+1 for the caption.
VileSlanders
Silly educated black man! Them southern white folk can't read!
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
They've already banned a lot of books from schools since I've been in school. Like pretty much everything Mark Twain wrote.
whyisthissohot
This is literally not true. Conservatives do most of the banning and it isn't about the N word. Twain is not banned widely at all.
floxsyu
our school had banned books. they just needed an adults signature for permission to teach as it was to be read by those under 18
photog
Majinbuu1
Its banned in elementary and junior high but taught in highschool wtf do you mean
skellington01
Well the books are still in stores & libraries
No shit.
TraitorousTrump3
Yeah, but were they banned from schools that are near Confederate statues? I bet there's a huge overlap in that Venn diagram.
nonamejanie
Not in Mississippi!
Good!
Suur
We watched the original roots mini-series in 7th grade social studies. Boobs and all. The teacher had a copy of the book to lend out.
You're spreading bullshit.
http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/censorship/bannedbooksthatshapedamerica
MakeBreadNotWar
The only book that was banned in my school was 50 shades of gray. Public school and graduated in 2013. All the classics were there.
DevonGronka
What about the Anarchists' Cookbook? That one's pretty universally banned, but it has no real literary value. some stuff is interesting,1/2
but a good chunk of it is just how to be a piece of crap human- how to steal identities, commit petty theft, etc.
ProfessorMorifarty
Yeah, there's a ton of bullshit in the comments. The actual bans vary wildly from place to place, and are all local.
Lol'd at the username
Memes4Cheap
you can read in other places like idk libraries
Veggisaurus
They also alter the books to make them more child friendly. Tell them when it came out and they will understand the context.
JohnMagneTrane
And in Sweden they change Pippi Longstockings...
iAlwaysUpvoteMN
Yep better censor perhaps one of Americas greatest authors for the use of one word they hear hundreds of times daily in the halls and online
"From schools" is just vague enough to be technically correct while misleading you to believe this is widespread. Well done.
A politician or a lawyer in the making... =P
TheAmericanYokai
I'm actually proud of my school cause we got Mein Kampf in the library
Orzbek
Good! I loved that book! It was a masterpiece of fiction; truly a classic. Seriously though, it really was an interesting book.
KillerTofu615
Wait... When? I was forced to read Mark Twain in school less than 15 years ago.
http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/censorship/bannedbooksthatshapedamerica isolated cases
eromitlab
Hopefully there are more kids like me that will then seek out banned books to see what the fuss is about.
ZachPutland
The books still exist, you'll be glad to learn
akiba22
One of my old school librarians keeps a collection of banned books he lends to students.
That's a bit of a stretch. Wasn't it just one school, and only The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that was banned?
Exactly, only that book, and only banned in Montgomery Co., PA. Hardly the same as "schools" banning "everything Mark Twain wrote."
Alright alright. It was a bullshit statement I pulled right out of my ass but check it out I got like 300 points for it. What can I do now?
IDK, continue being dumb?
imreallytrying
As a liberal Im strongly opposed to this. Preventing access to this kind of information is tantamount to pretending it never happened
Lesurous
We read Huckleberry Finn in my senior year. And I just graduated earlier this year.
acme64
uh..what? did i miss a headline?
Examples: http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/censorship/bannedbooksthatshapedamerica
No. It's isolated cases. Some districts ban other books. So, it's not across the board but huckleberry Finn has the n word. So. Ban.
dafuck? you can say it in historical context... who the fuck is running these schools?
School boards and angry moms.
myr14d
Time to move to a better school district. (if you have kids)
This would be a concern of mine but note that this isn't a national thing. No controversy reading his works in High School.
And completely unrelated to statues honoring confederates. Its the same idiot parents that get books banned for profanity and sex.
Qualtagh
Just so everyone is clear, a book being "banned from schools" and a book actually being banned are completely different things. Schools 1/
are run based on tons of government-written rules. Those rules often restrict what subjects are taught, so a weird teacher won't spend 2/
two months just introducing their class to scientology or some shit. Sometimes books are ruled out, particularly for young kids. But 3/
the books are still in libraries, and any parent who feels like it is free to have their kid read those books. 4/4
PiggyWobbles
Can someone explain why the fuck catcher in the rye was banned?
Thanks! Still seems weird they found it "obscene", even in the 1950s
Right?
It encourages rebellion and there's sex talk and underage drinking. And the f word.
Yeah ive read that as the reasoning at the time, but it just seems so... tame nowadays
Clockworkdancerobot
This is a case of parents starting trouble in their own districts. They lose a gasket, call meetings, etc. Since school boards are local...
edgarbird
You say "from schools" like it was a national decision. It was not a national decision.
Nope. every single one. I should know because I totally wasn't forced to read Mark Twain or John Steinbeck ever. =P
Seriously man, Poe's Law. Ya gotta mark that shit. Usersub is dumb as hell.
kuzvo240
Are you telling me you've attended all 98,000 public schools in the US?
yes. Every last one.
Well that is just damn impressive. Thats somethin like 140 schools per every day of highschool. lol
RogerSeagull
Just because you didn't have to doesn't represent the other thousands of schools that are not your school.
DukeDarkwood
And thank goodness for that.
BerwynBrewyn
Neither was the removal of statues.
freegiant
Were they national statues, though?
imtheguyintecornerofpartieshangingwithhisintrovertfriends
No
National schools?
superleggera101
my librarians from 6th and 7th grade had a banned book week, were you could check out some of the more recent books to be banned.
Thats awesome. Did you read any of them?
actually, I did read one of them, I couldn't remember the name unfortunately.
a browsed through some (one of them was catch-22 surprisingly) and they looked like good books.
I think its a bad idea to ban books anywhere.
definitely agree.
DrunkSnowWhite
My middle school English teacher gave us extra credit for reading banned classics. "There's this shelf in the back corner of the library..."
That's awesome. Which ones did you read?
1984, To Kill a Mockingbird, and 2 or 3 others I can't remember off the top of my head
Those are both good ones.
Galactasaur
Well that's disappointing
zezethedragon
It depends on the school. Not only did I study Tom Sawyer in school, we had a lengthy discussion about why some of his book were banned.
ForgotMyOtherAcct
Them you had what is known as a "decent English class", a rarity.
Based on the replies here, I don't know if it's as rare as you think. Then again, I could be the wrong one. It's probably regional.
Yeah I don't think it's a unicorn, I exaggerated for missed comic effect there
My bad. Jokes on the Internet are hard.
TonyTortellini44
This. Banning books is a local thing, and other schools use it as a way to promote certain books. We had a whole "banned books" shelf in HS.
MossyBadger
Seriously? No one is going to point out that reading Tom Sawyer rather than Huck Finn is whitewashing why Twain is an important author.
Pyranamus
I read Tom Sawyer in elementary school and Huck Finn in high school. If you ban either then you might as well ban the history textbook.
Bonus points to those who understand the whitewashing reference. You da man.
Like I said, we talked afterwards about why some of his stuff, specifically Huck Finn, was banned. I don't think there's anything wrong 1/2
with reading Tom Sawyer over Huck Finn in that case. 2/2
Amazingamandaaaaa
My school in upstate NY did the same! We also had a whole semester class on just the Holocaust and books about it.
ExC12
We literally read Fahrenheit 451, and discussed the dangers of banning books
Koshunae
F451 and 1984. Im so glad I got a chance to read those. I even bought 1984 a few years after graduation.
NinjasStoleMyMama
I don't think they're illegal. They just don't assign them for summer reading.
Updoodilydoo
could also be downsizing. My highschool probably didn't have them simply because the library is now like one shelf.
They being a few concerned parents that end up changing a district for a while. They tend to get overturned once those parents leave.
You are right.
Just want to say that I think there is a lot of agreement across the political spectrum that banning books in schools is fucking stupid.
That's more a shitty overprotective parents thing than a left/right thing.
Poodlestrike
I guarantee you that people have been banning Mark Twain books since well before you were in school.
Im sure you're right. I graduated HS in 2001. Mark Twain is juuuuussssst a bit older than that.
lol. I'm just saying, there hasn't been some rash of censorship. People want monuments to white supremacy torn down, is all.
Danasouris
lol there's a school named Mark Twain near where I live and I'm from a very liberal city. DOWN WITH EDUCATION!
Probably not for long.
apercent
It's not really liberals or conservatives, it's overprotective moms
PmMeYourFavDinosaur
Why Mark Twain? What's wrong with him? Where do you go to school?
apothecary555
uses the "n" word throughout
sombrerohorsewagon
In historical context...shudder
They weren't banned when I was in school. I graduated in 2001.
Cutsforhugs
A lot have happened under the year 2000 when it comes to topics like racism and slavery, as you probably know. Apparently one work was 1/2
banned due to it using the N-word in it, which made some students uncomfortable. dventures of Huckleberry Finn from 1884 for example.
I graduated in 2005, Huck Finn was part of our required reading.
thisappistrashihatesigningnintothings
Yeah we read Mark twain and I graduated in 2012
Shush up. The adults are talking. /s
MrPredator
Eeyup. I'll be shocked if the books I read about Aztec live sacrifices is still in HS accepted books.
They are. The commenter literally admitted they made this shit up, as well.
BarfTittiesGalore
My daughter is 4 and 1/2 years old and I'll be damned if some of the Great American Classics are barred or not taught
beasttubbs
You'll probably be damned then
LetMePickMyTeethThenHaveMoreChips2
But the N word!
MachineInterface
The best way to have these books never read again is to force children to read them in school, though.
Time to move to a better school district.
dirtcreature
Ironically, the "better" districts are the biggest banners, terrified of being judged by what happened 100 yrs ago.
If they ban books then they're not better. Easy as that.
BrontTheGoodBoy
4th grades nowadays are learning how to code. The only thing I know about coding is from the semicolon memes from Imgur.
haveanothergif
spend a little time on http://scratch.mit.edu
SaphirePhenux
.
BrownskinOriental
Your 4 1/2 reads Mark Twain?
lcplspanky
No, she reads Samuel Clemens
Someone HAS to explain it to me. :)
mrread55
"There once was a big black guy named N****r Jim." "Daddy what's a ni-," "Go to sleep honey it's past your bedtime g'night". *runs out door*
Gayforbae
I did. Well I was 5 but close enough.
Your daughter will start school soon and they can teach her about what her gender is but not about history.
That's retarded, pardon my eloquence. I'm seriously thinking about shelling out for private school. Fucking public system makes me sick.
Bliffity
As a high schooler, I just want to learn but schools fuck me over at every turn. I'm moving away from America if I have kids to somewhere <
> the public school system doesn't suck. I won't be able to do a private school on an indie game dev salary, and America sucks anyways. <
AranaDiscoteca
Teacher here. We talk about history all the time with an emphasis in kids tracing back events to explain how people could feel that way. 1/3
Starting in 3rd grade. 5th does reports on how WWI led to WWII and learn critical thinking for why things happened, not just lol ppl evul
Itsdarkandhellishot
I bitch and complain each year about the cost of private school & then realize my children are getting a damn good education. Worth it.
And that's what I would do, most certainly. Piss and moan about the money, when the end product isn't in sight yet, but I know it's worth it
LocutusOfBored
Do it. Your child's brain and soul is not worth saving the $10Gs+. Look into Montessori.
TheUltimatePunMaster
I went to Montessori public schools throughout elementary and middle school. Best thing my parents did for me.
Seriously. I would if I had kids.
eion85
Did you two enjoy your right-wing mutual masturbation session?
Want to see me stick Nine Inch Nails through each one of my eyelids?
Datmurdaa
As bad as public schools are there is no way private school can be as good as how expensive they are. Prices are ridiculous
Ftaang
Teachers at private schools usually care a lot more both about their students and what they teach
It's worth it. Your child's brain only develops once.
mythendrel42
Considering by going to private they will actually get an education, I'd say it's pretty worthwhile.
What can and cannot be taught is almost always the result of parents complaining and not the teachers. Our job is to educate and
get thrown under the bus by people who think we're glorified babysitters, while dealing with ridiculous curriculum requirements
from business people who have never taught classroom, taken course about human development, and are getting paid by testing companies
History is required in every public school. If someone didn't learn history, it is probably more because they made no effort to learn it.
I know that some public schools dont have the resources to teach some things well, but a student that is dedicated enough can learn anything
Patches3000
Went to public school and learned history just fine. Doing well for myself now
So did I in the 90's
I graduated in 2013. Fairly recent still.
icounttopotato
I don't think the folks trying to take down statues read books or they wouldn't have started with Robert E Lee.
icounttopotato
The guy who disbanded the confederates who wanted to continue to fight and was Lincoln's first pick to lead the union armies.
JamieSmyth
I thought one of my tweets got posted! Then I remembered that I don't have twitter. And I'm not a black man.
YouJustG0tSarged
Where they burn books, in the end they will burn people
TheosophicBlues
Put those Saddam statues back up! Its important to history!
LemmiwinksKingofGerbils
Who is saddam? His statue went down so we have no historical record of him
Ghost7167
We shouldnt nan stuff like this so we can learn from the errors of our past. Not recreate it.
lawideas
All these folks thrilled to have the statues come down will be shocked to realize that it did nothing to reduce racism.
sadbbqday
how has this gotten so my uppers? are people in support of tearing down statues for the past?
rocketturttle
weird times, man
DrShrinker
Obviously. It's about emotion, not logic.
Imgurkoff69
The current generation has confused feeling with thinking.
rooik14
You sure that isn't you? You seem pretty emotionally invested in those statues staying out in public rather than in museums. There's >>
rooik14
also only one side in this that tried to kill multiple people about their emotional attachment to those statues.
Imgurkoff69
I am very much against historical revisionism. Erasing the past condemns us to repeat it.
Grudgezilla
Every day things get closer and closer to idiocracy.
IamJustinSane
Moving public statues into museums is more about "not celebrating" your dark history. Nobody is erasing anything.
Slashenaar
I'm sure a few extremists think this, but otherwise these two ideas are diametrically opposed. The museum relocation idea is very popular.
rando84
Where were these history enthusiasts when they gutted CBGB's?
Elroydb
Most of the statues need to be relocated but history in books is all but ignored
Shadehawk
i know! i cant remember the last time i left my house and i wasnt assaulted by a book flinging itself at my face and making me read it!
Elroydb
That would make things easier :/ "THERE ARE NAZIS HERE AND -" *Rise and Fall of the Third Reich to the face*
Allrighty
If people want the statues to stay for the sake of "history", can we please remind them of slavery every single day?
GilaMonsieur
Sure, most people have ancestors that were slaves in any given ethnic group, depending on the era.
GalacticSquirrel
Because letting them take the statues can lead to taking other things. These items are art. Art is supposed to evoke a range of 1/2
GalacticSquirrel
Feelings including shock, horror, and anger.
danishjuggler21
Slippery slope fallacy.
ITalkAboutGoats
Art that doesn't have to be there. It's an implied intimidation. "Don't vote. Don't seek police help."
Imgurkoff69
If these statues were such a big deal, why weren't they taken down sooner?
Allrighty
You're not the only one wondering that.
ITalkAboutGoats
Because people have to have courage enough to ask. Sometimes that takes time.
Imgurkoff69
Again, during Obama's reign, where Democrats had control, why was nothing done? It's mostly democrats demanding the statues of their former-
Imgurkoff69
leaders, I mean Civil War statues being torn down now? Especially since Trump's administration is so fascist and oppressive.
NotFarEnough
This didn't pop out of the blue. This was an issue that was, in fact, being discussed during the Obama era
Dingus2
Oh yeah, public education will help. Pfffffffft.
windmere
“The good writers touch life often. Mediocre ones run a quick hand over her. Bad ones rape her & leave her for the flies.” Fahrenheit 451
forobservation
The problem with the statues is that they glorify and memorialize these people. Education about them is necessary. Glorification is not.
twfeline
Statues of people are meant to be looked-up to as exemplars. Oh, and to remind negroes that whites are always watching them.
pourmacncheeseovermynakedbody
It doesn't "glorify" them. They are all there as a reminder as to never repeat all of the bad things that happened in history.
PerhapsAnotherPerspective
...Usually if you're building statues to commemorate tragedies you build statues of those who suffered, not the torturers.
itsdarkandicantseewhatimtyping
This is just patently false, the statues were erected to glorify them as paragons of the time.
Bobeez
I would love to hear what these Confederate-defenders would say to a statue honouring Nat Turner or Malcolm X, lol. Watch the fury then!
rocketturttle
Like the one in Harlem? It's fine. Humans are complicated.
rocketturttle
"It's my estimation that every man ever got a statue made of him was one kind of sumbitch or another"
iShouldBeWorking42
You're assuming these people are literate
[deleted]
[deleted]
IronicUsername
It's not.
hexbolt751
They are tearing down statues because it hurts their butt, I would assume illiteracy as well. What next? The museums? Then what?
IronicUsername
No, just the statues erected to honor traitors but don't let that stop you from making your slippery slope argument.
ManOfIce
Lmao yes, because you keep political sides from 100s of years ago, and know who traitors were. Piss off.
hexbolt751
Traitors to whom? Enlighten me please, I don't want to slide off the slippery slope of Facebook clickbait top 8 arguments to avoid.
TheGame21x
That's why they need the statues! What we need to do is get some picture books for them. Or maybe some pop-up books!
iShouldBeWorking42
With interactive popup bayonets!
Cheomesh
You had me at bayonets.
twfeline
My first thought.
EadEchiC
For hate groups, it was never really about the statues.
rooik14
Oh it was to an extent. Much like the swastika confederate imagery has become synonymous to them with their ideals. That's why some are >>
rooik14
willing to kill for their symbol.
GambitLW
When they learn of museums it will really blow their tiny minds.
CheckOutMyFavoritesPart2
Wait till they find out about museums
12rt2345g342563
Museums are for queers! No really that's how these kind of people think.
SlightlyDodgy
These are the uneducated /brainwashed, They'll never see inside a museum for fear of being proven wrong, or contradicted to their beliefs.
thraxcres
So like I get it. Slavery is bad and having statues of slavers is bad. But then if it was any other historic statue it would be an outrage
thraxcres
Including Egyptian work aka the biggest slavers on the block for a few hundred years.
DrShrinker
Yep, gotta tear down those Pyramids next.
LemmiwinksKingofGerbils
Because no one is carrying the flag of some pharaoh and associating with him and what he went to war to preserve.
thraxcres
Most americans aren't saying bring back slavery. The monuments are dedicated to those that fought for southern ideals due to the increasing
thraxcres
Gulf between southern and northern ideals mainly due to the lack means to travel and limited communication. The separated into different
thraxcres
Cultures and when Lincoln proposed an end to slavery they felt so detached it would be like another country trying to ban their main export
Shadehawk
except the pyramids being build by jewish slaves is a myth.
rocketturttle
still built by slaves
thraxcres
Yeah and statues of that slave owner Washington
thraxcres
I never said anything about pyramids or Jewish people. Egyptians had many slaves from multitude of back grounds and religions.
NickRivieraMD
This seems silly. How many of these statues have been destroyed? Sounds to me like they're just moving most of them.
Cyranojoe
And museums! They even have museums for racists, I bet!
KnightsOfShame
I think the reason they pull down statues is because statues are a way or honouring, or celebrating people's lives, not because it's history
Slimulus
Yes. Idolatry =/= historical memory.
midsongnipplerub
imgurisgo
It WAS a way of honoring someone's life but now it's history and out in public it's a reminder.
CheckOutMyFavoritesPart2
A reminder that the South doesn't view black people as human and they shouldn't have the same rights as whites.
ThreeDogeMoon69
How would you feel about Germany if it had a Hitler statue?
brokenchicken
No they have no context just flowery romanticized inscriptions. They don't belong in the front of public schools and gov. buildings
brokenchicken
Not to mention they were placed strategically during times of white supremacist intimidation and violence as a reminder of who's in power
Rendili
You can make an argument about taking these statues down and moving them into museums, where they belong, because they are on public lands 1
Rendili
But recklessly taking them down in protest? Please, let's just act rationally and petition government instead of rashly mobbing together. 2
thanatos777
Shitty state legislatures make it illegal for cities to do that.
brokenchicken
What if your governor passes a law that makes it illegal to remove them? I'm not pulling em down but I like seeing the cheap ones crumple
Segagenesischalmers
I think they should leave them all... BUT add a sign that says "I had really stupid ideas and lost on the battlefield"
NoxRiddle
Yes, and the people whining about preserving history aren't really interested in true history - just their rosie-lensed view of it.
IshitOnWindshields
No. As black person they should not be destroyed
NotFarEnough
Seriously, it's baffling how people have a hard time with this concept...but then again there's a lot of baffling things going on these days
SpeedDart
Wow, the one person that got it right.
Strasburg6592
They're pulling Confederate statues down because they're like the OLDEST form of participation trophies.
thanatos777
God, I wish I had more upvotes to give.
DRFUZY
+1 for the caption.
VileSlanders
Silly educated black man! Them southern white folk can't read!
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
They've already banned a lot of books from schools since I've been in school. Like pretty much everything Mark Twain wrote.
whyisthissohot
This is literally not true. Conservatives do most of the banning and it isn't about the N word. Twain is not banned widely at all.
floxsyu
our school had banned books. they just needed an adults signature for permission to teach as it was to be read by those under 18
photog
Majinbuu1
Its banned in elementary and junior high but taught in highschool wtf do you mean
skellington01
Well the books are still in stores & libraries
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
No shit.
TraitorousTrump3
Yeah, but were they banned from schools that are near Confederate statues? I bet there's a huge overlap in that Venn diagram.
nonamejanie
Not in Mississippi!
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
Good!
Suur
We watched the original roots mini-series in 7th grade social studies. Boobs and all. The teacher had a copy of the book to lend out.
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
whyisthissohot
You're spreading bullshit.
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/censorship/bannedbooksthatshapedamerica
MakeBreadNotWar
The only book that was banned in my school was 50 shades of gray. Public school and graduated in 2013. All the classics were there.
DevonGronka
What about the Anarchists' Cookbook? That one's pretty universally banned, but it has no real literary value. some stuff is interesting,1/2
DevonGronka
but a good chunk of it is just how to be a piece of crap human- how to steal identities, commit petty theft, etc.
ProfessorMorifarty
Yeah, there's a ton of bullshit in the comments. The actual bans vary wildly from place to place, and are all local.
MakeBreadNotWar
Lol'd at the username
Memes4Cheap
you can read in other places like idk libraries
Veggisaurus
They also alter the books to make them more child friendly. Tell them when it came out and they will understand the context.
JohnMagneTrane
And in Sweden they change Pippi Longstockings...
iAlwaysUpvoteMN
Yep better censor perhaps one of Americas greatest authors for the use of one word they hear hundreds of times daily in the halls and online
IronicUsername
"From schools" is just vague enough to be technically correct while misleading you to believe this is widespread. Well done.
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
DevonGronka
A politician or a lawyer in the making... =P
TheAmericanYokai
I'm actually proud of my school cause we got Mein Kampf in the library
Orzbek
Good! I loved that book! It was a masterpiece of fiction; truly a classic. Seriously though, it really was an interesting book.
KillerTofu615
Wait... When? I was forced to read Mark Twain in school less than 15 years ago.
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/censorship/bannedbooksthatshapedamerica isolated cases
eromitlab
Hopefully there are more kids like me that will then seek out banned books to see what the fuss is about.
ZachPutland
The books still exist, you'll be glad to learn
akiba22
One of my old school librarians keeps a collection of banned books he lends to students.
ProfessorMorifarty
That's a bit of a stretch. Wasn't it just one school, and only The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that was banned?
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/censorship/bannedbooksthatshapedamerica
ProfessorMorifarty
Exactly, only that book, and only banned in Montgomery Co., PA. Hardly the same as "schools" banning "everything Mark Twain wrote."
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
Alright alright. It was a bullshit statement I pulled right out of my ass but check it out I got like 300 points for it. What can I do now?
ProfessorMorifarty
IDK, continue being dumb?
imreallytrying
As a liberal Im strongly opposed to this. Preventing access to this kind of information is tantamount to pretending it never happened
Lesurous
We read Huckleberry Finn in my senior year. And I just graduated earlier this year.
acme64
uh..what? did i miss a headline?
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
Examples: http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/censorship/bannedbooksthatshapedamerica
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
No. It's isolated cases. Some districts ban other books. So, it's not across the board but huckleberry Finn has the n word. So. Ban.
acme64
dafuck? you can say it in historical context... who the fuck is running these schools?
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
School boards and angry moms.
myr14d
Time to move to a better school district. (if you have kids)
TheosophicBlues
This would be a concern of mine but note that this isn't a national thing. No controversy reading his works in High School.
TheosophicBlues
And completely unrelated to statues honoring confederates. Its the same idiot parents that get books banned for profanity and sex.
Qualtagh
Just so everyone is clear, a book being "banned from schools" and a book actually being banned are completely different things. Schools 1/
Qualtagh
are run based on tons of government-written rules. Those rules often restrict what subjects are taught, so a weird teacher won't spend 2/
Qualtagh
two months just introducing their class to scientology or some shit. Sometimes books are ruled out, particularly for young kids. But 3/
Qualtagh
the books are still in libraries, and any parent who feels like it is free to have their kid read those books. 4/4
PiggyWobbles
Can someone explain why the fuck catcher in the rye was banned?
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/censorship/bannedbooksthatshapedamerica
PiggyWobbles
Thanks! Still seems weird they found it "obscene", even in the 1950s
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
Right?
whyisthissohot
It encourages rebellion and there's sex talk and underage drinking. And the f word.
PiggyWobbles
Yeah ive read that as the reasoning at the time, but it just seems so... tame nowadays
Clockworkdancerobot
This is a case of parents starting trouble in their own districts. They lose a gasket, call meetings, etc. Since school boards are local...
edgarbird
You say "from schools" like it was a national decision. It was not a national decision.
DevonGronka
Nope. every single one. I should know because I totally wasn't forced to read Mark Twain or John Steinbeck ever. =P
edgarbird
Seriously man, Poe's Law. Ya gotta mark that shit. Usersub is dumb as hell.
kuzvo240
Are you telling me you've attended all 98,000 public schools in the US?
DevonGronka
yes. Every last one.
kuzvo240
Well that is just damn impressive. Thats somethin like 140 schools per every day of highschool. lol
RogerSeagull
Just because you didn't have to doesn't represent the other thousands of schools that are not your school.
DukeDarkwood
And thank goodness for that.
BerwynBrewyn
Neither was the removal of statues.
freegiant
Were they national statues, though?
imtheguyintecornerofpartieshangingwithhisintrovertfriends
No
BerwynBrewyn
National schools?
superleggera101
my librarians from 6th and 7th grade had a banned book week, were you could check out some of the more recent books to be banned.
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
Thats awesome. Did you read any of them?
superleggera101
actually, I did read one of them, I couldn't remember the name unfortunately.
superleggera101
a browsed through some (one of them was catch-22 surprisingly) and they looked like good books.
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
I think its a bad idea to ban books anywhere.
superleggera101
definitely agree.
DrunkSnowWhite
My middle school English teacher gave us extra credit for reading banned classics. "There's this shelf in the back corner of the library..."
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
That's awesome. Which ones did you read?
DrunkSnowWhite
1984, To Kill a Mockingbird, and 2 or 3 others I can't remember off the top of my head
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
Those are both good ones.
Galactasaur
Well that's disappointing
zezethedragon
It depends on the school. Not only did I study Tom Sawyer in school, we had a lengthy discussion about why some of his book were banned.
ForgotMyOtherAcct
Them you had what is known as a "decent English class", a rarity.
zezethedragon
Based on the replies here, I don't know if it's as rare as you think. Then again, I could be the wrong one. It's probably regional.
ForgotMyOtherAcct
Yeah I don't think it's a unicorn, I exaggerated for missed comic effect there
zezethedragon
My bad. Jokes on the Internet are hard.
TonyTortellini44
This. Banning books is a local thing, and other schools use it as a way to promote certain books. We had a whole "banned books" shelf in HS.
MossyBadger
Seriously? No one is going to point out that reading Tom Sawyer rather than Huck Finn is whitewashing why Twain is an important author.
Pyranamus
I read Tom Sawyer in elementary school and Huck Finn in high school. If you ban either then you might as well ban the history textbook.
MossyBadger
Bonus points to those who understand the whitewashing reference. You da man.
zezethedragon
Like I said, we talked afterwards about why some of his stuff, specifically Huck Finn, was banned. I don't think there's anything wrong 1/2
zezethedragon
with reading Tom Sawyer over Huck Finn in that case. 2/2
Amazingamandaaaaa
My school in upstate NY did the same! We also had a whole semester class on just the Holocaust and books about it.
ExC12
We literally read Fahrenheit 451, and discussed the dangers of banning books
Koshunae
F451 and 1984. Im so glad I got a chance to read those. I even bought 1984 a few years after graduation.
NinjasStoleMyMama
I don't think they're illegal. They just don't assign them for summer reading.
Updoodilydoo
could also be downsizing. My highschool probably didn't have them simply because the library is now like one shelf.
Clockworkdancerobot
They being a few concerned parents that end up changing a district for a while. They tend to get overturned once those parents leave.
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
You are right.
12rt2345g342563
Just want to say that I think there is a lot of agreement across the political spectrum that banning books in schools is fucking stupid.
12rt2345g342563
That's more a shitty overprotective parents thing than a left/right thing.
Poodlestrike
I guarantee you that people have been banning Mark Twain books since well before you were in school.
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
Im sure you're right. I graduated HS in 2001. Mark Twain is juuuuussssst a bit older than that.
Poodlestrike
lol. I'm just saying, there hasn't been some rash of censorship. People want monuments to white supremacy torn down, is all.
Danasouris
lol there's a school named Mark Twain near where I live and I'm from a very liberal city. DOWN WITH EDUCATION!
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
Probably not for long.
apercent
It's not really liberals or conservatives, it's overprotective moms
PmMeYourFavDinosaur
Why Mark Twain? What's wrong with him? Where do you go to school?
apothecary555
uses the "n" word throughout
sombrerohorsewagon
In historical context...shudder
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
They weren't banned when I was in school. I graduated in 2001.
Cutsforhugs
A lot have happened under the year 2000 when it comes to topics like racism and slavery, as you probably know. Apparently one work was 1/2
Cutsforhugs
banned due to it using the N-word in it, which made some students uncomfortable. dventures of Huckleberry Finn from 1884 for example.
KillerTofu615
I graduated in 2005, Huck Finn was part of our required reading.
thisappistrashihatesigningnintothings
Yeah we read Mark twain and I graduated in 2012
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
Shush up. The adults are talking. /s
MrPredator
Eeyup. I'll be shocked if the books I read about Aztec live sacrifices is still in HS accepted books.
edgarbird
They are. The commenter literally admitted they made this shit up, as well.
BarfTittiesGalore
My daughter is 4 and 1/2 years old and I'll be damned if some of the Great American Classics are barred or not taught
beasttubbs
You'll probably be damned then
LetMePickMyTeethThenHaveMoreChips2
But the N word!
MachineInterface
The best way to have these books never read again is to force children to read them in school, though.
myr14d
Time to move to a better school district.
dirtcreature
Ironically, the "better" districts are the biggest banners, terrified of being judged by what happened 100 yrs ago.
myr14d
If they ban books then they're not better. Easy as that.
BrontTheGoodBoy
4th grades nowadays are learning how to code. The only thing I know about coding is from the semicolon memes from Imgur.
haveanothergif
spend a little time on http://scratch.mit.edu
SaphirePhenux
.
BrownskinOriental
Your 4 1/2 reads Mark Twain?
lcplspanky
No, she reads Samuel Clemens
BarfTittiesGalore
Someone HAS to explain it to me. :)
mrread55
"There once was a big black guy named N****r Jim." "Daddy what's a ni-," "Go to sleep honey it's past your bedtime g'night". *runs out door*
Gayforbae
I did. Well I was 5 but close enough.
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
Your daughter will start school soon and they can teach her about what her gender is but not about history.
BarfTittiesGalore
That's retarded, pardon my eloquence. I'm seriously thinking about shelling out for private school. Fucking public system makes me sick.
Bliffity
As a high schooler, I just want to learn but schools fuck me over at every turn. I'm moving away from America if I have kids to somewhere <
Bliffity
> the public school system doesn't suck. I won't be able to do a private school on an indie game dev salary, and America sucks anyways. <
AranaDiscoteca
Teacher here. We talk about history all the time with an emphasis in kids tracing back events to explain how people could feel that way. 1/3
AranaDiscoteca
Starting in 3rd grade. 5th does reports on how WWI led to WWII and learn critical thinking for why things happened, not just lol ppl evul
Itsdarkandhellishot
I bitch and complain each year about the cost of private school & then realize my children are getting a damn good education. Worth it.
BarfTittiesGalore
And that's what I would do, most certainly. Piss and moan about the money, when the end product isn't in sight yet, but I know it's worth it
LocutusOfBored
Do it. Your child's brain and soul is not worth saving the $10Gs+. Look into Montessori.
TheUltimatePunMaster
I went to Montessori public schools throughout elementary and middle school. Best thing my parents did for me.
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
Seriously. I would if I had kids.
eion85
Did you two enjoy your right-wing mutual masturbation session?
BarfTittiesGalore
Want to see me stick Nine Inch Nails through each one of my eyelids?
Datmurdaa
As bad as public schools are there is no way private school can be as good as how expensive they are. Prices are ridiculous
Ftaang
Teachers at private schools usually care a lot more both about their students and what they teach
LocutusOfBored
It's worth it. Your child's brain only develops once.
mythendrel42
Considering by going to private they will actually get an education, I'd say it's pretty worthwhile.
AranaDiscoteca
What can and cannot be taught is almost always the result of parents complaining and not the teachers. Our job is to educate and
AranaDiscoteca
get thrown under the bus by people who think we're glorified babysitters, while dealing with ridiculous curriculum requirements
AranaDiscoteca
from business people who have never taught classroom, taken course about human development, and are getting paid by testing companies
TheUltimatePunMaster
History is required in every public school. If someone didn't learn history, it is probably more because they made no effort to learn it.
TheUltimatePunMaster
I know that some public schools dont have the resources to teach some things well, but a student that is dedicated enough can learn anything
Patches3000
Went to public school and learned history just fine. Doing well for myself now
hikidsdoyoulikeviolence
So did I in the 90's
Patches3000
I graduated in 2013. Fairly recent still.