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Father sues district over reading about slavery

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Well as usual, looking at this only from white rose colored glasses. I am not in any way saying suing is right in this situation. But I will look at this from the other side of the coin. Why on earth would any one read a book aloud to "5th graders" with racial epithets. You can have positive discussion about slavery without using the N-word. You don't have to repeat all the filth verbatim concerning slavery to raise discussions in black history month. My daughter is in fifth grade and yes I would be highly concerned if she came home and said the book they were reading out loud had language like that. High school kids, its a different story, but grade and middle school kids should be taught with more discretion. Again, I don't agree with the family trying to get money, but I can definitely see their point.
 
classy said:
Well as usual, looking at this only from white rose colored glasses. I am not in any way saying suing is right in this situation. But I will look at this from the other side of the coin. Why on earth would any one read a book aloud to "5th graders" with racial epithets. You can have positive discussion about slavery without using the N-word. You don't have to repeat all the filth verbatim concerning slavery to raise discussions in black history month. My daughter is in fifth grade and yes I would be highly concerned if she came home and said the book they were reading out loud had language like that. High school kids, its a different story, but grade and middle school kids should be taught with more discretion. Again, I don't agree with the family trying to get money, but I can definitely see their point.
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Agree...this book is not really appropriate for 5th graders. I understand that there are also some rather graphic illustrations in the book as well. Hopefully the teacher had enough sense to not show these to the students...but somehow I doubt it.
 
When I was in School a teacher read a passage from a book about Italians in the early 1900s. She said Wap dago a few times and it scarred me for life...You see im part Italian. She really should have paid me 50 grand for that then it would be ok. Oh and im not Jewish but some history classes required reading aloud about WW2 and some negative lines were said about Jews...Guess Jewish people should be paid 50 grand to while the going is good.
 
I'm more surprised that the school districts around and in Detroit don't get sued for just talking about black history. From 4th grade on all I remember them teaching is black history and black literature.
 
Amused said:
As for "all that money" I inhereted, it wouldn't even buy a nice car. The difference, is, I used it as seed money to start a business instead of blowing it. Most people could save what I got in just a few years. But good try at class envy.
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hahaha. Trust fund baby. Ok now its all making more sense.
 
classy said:
Well as usual, looking at this only from white rose colored glasses. I am not in any way saying suing is right in this situation. But I will look at this from the other side of the coin. Why on earth would any one read a book aloud to "5th graders" with racial epithets. You can have positive discussion about slavery without using the N-word. You don't have to repeat all the filth verbatim concerning slavery to raise discussions in black history month. My daughter is in fifth grade and yes I would be highly concerned if she came home and said the book they were reading out loud had language like that. High school kids, its a different story, but grade and middle school kids should be taught with more discretion. Again, I don't agree with the family trying to get money, but I can definitely see their point.
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Right, because simply saying the "N" word scared her for life. It's not like the vast majority of black teens (and even older people for that matter) don't say it all the time. I mean what was the teacher thinking reading about black history during black history month?

Teaching the facts about black history and why it was wrong? Racist
Sugar coat black history so not to offend anyone? Racist, why you trying to deny the facts?
Avoid the whole subject together so you're not called a racist? Racist, why are you trying to act like it didn't happen?

Meanwhile, the number one cause of death for black teens is.. murder by black teens. That's not a big deal though apparently.
 
IcePickFreak said:
Right, because simply saying the "N" word scared her for life. It's not like the vast majority of black teens (and even older people for that matter) don't say it all the time. I mean what was the teacher thinking reading about black history during black history month?

Teaching the facts about black history and why it was wrong? Racist
Sugar coat black history so not to offend anyone? Racist, why you trying to deny the facts?
Avoid the whole subject together so you're not called a racist? Racist, why are you trying to act like it didn't happen?

Meanwhile, the number one cause of death for black teens is.. murder by black teens. That's not a big deal though apparently.
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Did you actually read the the blurb? They were 5th graders. In school, in a classroom, being taught by a teacher. All that other same stereotypical bs you posted has nothing to do with the fact it is innapprotiate to read any book with any type of vulgar language in it, in a classroom to 10 year olds. End of discussion, end of the story. I haven't read the book, but I can have a full discussion with a 10 year old on racism and slavery without reading a book to them repeating the filthy words. Your post is stupid.
 
classy said:
Did you actually read the the blurb? They were 5th graders. In school, in a classroom, being taught by a teacher. All that other same stereotypical bs you posted has nothing to do with the fact it is innapprotiate to read any book with any type of vulgar language in it, in a classroom to 10 year olds. End of discussion, end of the story. I haven't read the book, but I can have a full discussion with a 10 year old on racism and slavery without reading a book to them repeating the filthy words. Your post is stupid.
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Classy, the book is a fucking children's book. It is written and intended for children to read. 10 may be a little young for the book, but in today's world with kids growing up so much faster, I wouldn't doubt the teacher's judgement.

http://www.amazon.com/Slave-Ship-Fre.../dp/0140566694
 
Red Dawn said:
Well you're definately starting to sound like a Republican and avid Fox Noise Viewer
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There is nothing wrong with defending free speech. Problem is they only high light ridiculousness of little people. You'll never hear a guy like Amused lambast corps like monsato or cargill who made "food disparagement" a felony in some states and sue on it all the time civilly. Oprah had the money to defend but most don't.
 
Hayabusa Rider said:
I'll give you a fourth. There should be a mechanism where the attorney who takes a case and the person filing a frivolous lawsuit has to pay the damages sought. That would stop this crap.
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I've always been an advocate of loser pays but since 95% of law suits are STFU and get out of business lawsuits big corps dont want it so we don't have it. Justice is not who's right, it's who can afford to prove they're right. Once you're exhausted you give up.
 
Zebo said:
There is nothing wrong with defending free speech. Problem is they only high light ridiculousness of little people. You'll never hear a guy like Amused lambast corps like monsato or cargill who made "food disparagement" a felony in some states and sue on it all the time civilly. Oprah had the money to defend but most don't.
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The fuck you won't. Nice job talking out of your ass, though.
 
Wait, let me get this straight; "the excerpts were read last school year during a unit to prepare students for Black History Month" (February), but this father waits until now to file suit for this?

How ridiculous. Oh wait, this is Detroit lol.
 
Doc Savage Fan said:
Agree...this book is not really appropriate for 5th graders.
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Depends how it's worded. I went to a catholic school and the teacher would read passages from the bible in religion class. Since young people can't understand the confusing lingo used in the bible, a lot of it was roughly paraphrased in a non-offensive way.
The best example of word trickery is the term "stoning" to death. A lot of people don't seem to understand the gravity of that term. That's when you kill someone by throwing rocks at them. Recently a movie was made where this was graphically depicted, and it's the most brutal scene imaginable, but stoning is a term that I remember hearing in elementary school.

If my school can get away with talking about killing people with big rocks, then talking about slavery shouldn't be so bad.


classy said:
Did you actually read the the blurb? They were 5th graders. In school, in a classroom, being taught by a teacher. All that other same stereotypical bs you posted has nothing to do with the fact it is innapprotiate to read any book with any type of vulgar language in it, in a classroom to 10 year olds. End of discussion, end of the story. I haven't read the book, but I can have a full discussion with a 10 year old on racism and slavery without reading a book to them repeating the filthy words. Your post is stupid.
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lol wat?
Man, in my day we read all kinds of nasty shit. When Jesus said that the person without sin should cast the first stone, he was literally talking about how murdering people with rocks is wrong. In elementary school, we were talking about stuff like this:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b1e7e992d7 (it's a video of people being killed with big rocks)

If you quote this post, remember to disable automatic URL parsing. That video is kinda violent.
 
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classy said:
Did you actually read the the blurb? They were 5th graders. In school, in a classroom, being taught by a teacher. All that other same stereotypical bs you posted has nothing to do with the fact it is innapprotiate to read any book with any type of vulgar language in it, in a classroom to 10 year olds. End of discussion, end of the story. I haven't read the book, but I can have a full discussion with a 10 year old on racism and slavery without reading a book to them repeating the filthy words. Your post is stupid.
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This.
Amused said:
Classy, the book is a fucking children's book. It is written and intended for children to read. 10 may be a little young for the book, but in today's world with kids growing up so much faster, I wouldn't doubt the teacher's judgement.

http://www.amazon.com/Slave-Ship-Fre.../dp/0140566694
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Are you sure you read the blurb classy? As in the entire thing. You say everyone else is looking through "white" rose colored glasses but you want to down play horrible stuff like this? What's your version for 10 year olds on the founding of the United States, the native american's gave land to the white man in exchange for casinos?

Sounds to me more like the kid had more questions and the father couldn't be bothered in actually teaching his kid something himself. Then the light went off and the race card came out to cash in on it.
 
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