READERS RESPOND -- Banning books not the answer

I am horrified by Trustee Wendy Leece’s request to the Newport-Mesa

Unified School District to remove “Of Love and Shadows,” by Isabel

Allende, and “Snow Falling on Cedars,” by David Guterson, from the high

school textbook list.

Although I’ve not read the former, I have read other books by Allende

and have found them admirably written. I have read the Guterson book, and

found it well-written and dealing with important subject matter.

I am 78 and have been reading since I was 3.

I was allowed to read anything in our library and at school that I

wanted, that I liked and that I could comprehend.

I gave that same privilege to my children. To deprive children and

young people of reading books, books with obvious literary value, is to

do them a great disservice.

EVA SACHS

Newport Beach

The most compelling reason for any high school or college English

course to exist is to teach students how to appreciate good writing. To

get the students to read their assigned books, the teacher must also find

a text which is not only well-written but also interesting .

If we were to embargo all books from our schools simply because they

contain a tinge of profane language or sexual content, then we may as

well cancel English classes altogether. Those who advocate banning these

books must still be living in a dream world. If they had only bothered to

spend a few minutes in the school cafeteria, they would certainly have

heard all of the profanity possibly uttered in any of the proposed books.

As for sexuality, unless the book is written with the sole intent to

titillate, it probably will not even raise an eyebrow among most of the

students in their teens. On second thought, perhaps it is not a good idea

for the school board members to go the cafeteria at all.

I fear that they may end up banning the students from eating at the

cafeteria as well.

JOHN T. CHIU

Newport Beach

Citizens of Newport-Mesa rejoice. Our teenagers are safe, thanks to

Wendy Leece and her censorship brigade.

Leece asks, “Is it ever appropriate, for any age of our students, to

read this just because the book at some point was deemed of great

literary value and won awards?”

Uh, yeah, those seem like pretty good reasons to me.

What is this, the Bible Belt? I was always under the impression that

California was a little more forward-thinking than that. If Leece and the

other board members really believe that high school students at the age

of 16, 17, and 18 aren’t equipped to read award-winning literature

because it contains sexual content, they are living in a dream world.

Only a fool would think high school juniors and seniors can’t handle

this. Why don’t we start treating these kids like the young adults that

they are.

Once students leave high school, they are considered adult enough to

vote, to get a job and, gasp, have sex.

They might as well be prepared to enter that world, and I hardly think

sexual content in quality literature is going to tarnish these innocent

young minds and turn them into raving nymphomaniacs.

Stop sheltering these kids and let them prepare themselves for the big

world outside of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. Really, it does exist. And

kids, if the school won’t let you read the books, there’s plenty of

libraries and bookstores that have them.

And I even think they made a movie out of “Snow Falling on Cedars.”

Go rent it at the local Blockbuster if you aren’t a big reader.

Besides, I’m sure Leece and company are already working on banning the

Cliffs Notes version.

MIKE McNIFF

Costa Mesa

School board trustees, in many places across our nation, have been

elected to their positions in a campaign by religious activists in order

to further their agenda in our public schools.

Other trustees base their proposals for our young on how society and

social mores were when they where growing up. The reality is society,

culture and what is deemed socially acceptable has changed over the

years, as it always has and always will.

Passion and sex are on daytime television and on our streets. Passion

and sex are not bad things, and our children are exposed to it daily in

different ways. It is the responsibility of the parents at home to

provide their children the environment, through nurturing and open

discussion, on how to deal with these issues in a responsible manner.

The banning of books is not the answer.

PAUL JAMES BALDWIN

Newport Beach

To quote Wendy Leece, a very good reason to use a book for classroom

literature is “because the book at some point was deemed of great

literary value and won awards.”

Works for me as a kindergarten teacher. I’m confident it is also a

good criterion for any grade.

ANNE CONOVER

Newport Beach