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Fayetteville School Library Book debate
Fayetteville resident Laurie Taylor has made a proposal to place certain Fayetteville Public School library books she considers to be inappropriate for students on a restricted access shelf. Fayetteville School District patrons received a chance to voice their opinions on whether to restrict student access to certain school library books at a special town hall meeting. The Fayetteville School board eventually decided by a narrow margin not to restrict access to certain books. The stories below cover the issue from its beginings through the decision by the school board and the aftermath.
- School board spends much of 2005 debating books (01-01-2006)
- Taylor becomes public figure with war against books (01-01-2006)
- Times Editorial : A good sign (10-06-2005)
- Taylor joins UA debate team for discussion of library books (10-06-2005)
- School committee says ‘crude’ book to stay in FHS library (10-05-2005)
- UA debate team addressing school’s recent book issue (10-05-2005)
- Books wonít be restricted (09-16-2005)
- Times Editorial : Back to the books II (09-15-2005)
- The great book debate (09-14-2005)
- Times Editorial : Back to the books (09-13-2005)
Local resident Laurie Taylor’s attempts at protecting children from vulgar, sexually-explicit material available in Fayetteville Public Schools has become quite the tempest, and there’s more to come.
The matter has people talking and taking sides. But we never really expected to see on television what local commentator Don Bright offered up recently.
Bright used the electronic soapbox known as Community Access Television to do what most other media — including this newspaper — simply can’t do: He showed the pictures. He read passages out of some of the texts Taylor has pinpointed, and then actually held the books up to the camera and showed viewers the pictures of people acting out, um, their passion for one another.
Honestly, anyone watching the gravel-voiced Bright read about sex witnessed perhaps the best method for deterring anyone from participating in premarital relations. Or relations altogether, for that matter.
But seriously, his exercise does promote an idea worth considering: Before rushing into one advocacy camp or the other, actually examine the books at issue. This discussion can easily become one of generalities. The more people know about the specifics, the better this discussion can be.
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