Censorship Money Rejected
A Texas couple who donated $3 million to St. Andrew's Episcopal school were released from their donor agreement after their demands that a teacher drop Brokeback Mountain from a non-mandatory reading list were not met.
This opinion piece in The Daily Texan is right on: "'Books and ideas are the most effective weapons against intolerance and ignorance,' [Lyndon Baines Johnson] once said. Unfortunately, this idea seems to lack prevalence in America's relationship with 'deviant' ideas - and by deviant, we mean anything straying a hair from the Christian right 'norm.' Teenagers are free to watch educationally-valueless MTV videos with nearly naked actors all but having sex on the screen - but give them access to a Pulitzer Prize-winning author's emotional short story on gay love, and all of a sudden it's "pornographic" and morally-corrupting."
Is this Austin or Berlin, circa 1938. They are so christian to espouse such views and deprive kids of better facilities aren't they. Nice to see these Christians emulating Christ - He just hated fags.
Posted by: DallasLiberal | Sep 30, 2005 10:55:30 AM
isn't austin in the same county as knoxville? blah. people are so blind.
Posted by: CriticalRN | Sep 30, 2005 5:01:45 PM
Congratulations to St. Andrew's Episcopal School, and headmistress Lucy Nazro, for standing up to the McNair bullies. At least there's one place in the world that money doesn't equal power.
"Brokeback Mountain" had been on the optional reading list for St. Andrew's English students, without incident, for five years. Now that it's going to be a movie, it's suddenly controversial. I applaud St. Andrew's for having this novel on it's list, but I wonder how many people had actually read it before the controversy.
There's nothing like banning a book to get it to the top of the NYT Bestsellers List.
Posted by: Jay Croce | Sep 30, 2005 11:07:40 PM
My cousin is a graduate of St. Andrews, and she reports that "everyone" read Brokeback, and would have found it even if it weren't on the optional reading list.
When you look at the recent polls that say 57% of high school kids favor same sex rights, you realize that the right wing is becoming increasingly alarmed. These kids will be making policy in 10-15 years and their current beliefs will change the way the world functions...and eliminate the social fears of the right.
Posted by: Wayne | Oct 4, 2005 2:43:47 PM
I apploud the McNair's for their strong fellings about the book. I think the book is a wrong influence to high school students. The fact that the McNair's did not withdraw their money, the money was regected by St.Andrews needs to be made more clear.
Posted by: Not Said | Dec 17, 2005 2:29:51 PM
Don't try to put a nice face on an arm twist. The School rejected the demand, therefore the money offer was rescinded. I always love how the Christian Right attempts to make themselves out to be exempt from responsibility for their action.
Posted by: BullCrap | Sep 19, 2008 5:04:37 AM