To the Fayetteville students that are defending their own right to read: ROCK ON!

From nwaonline.net:

"Books are the epitome of life," said Fayetteville High School senior Monica Ramos, speaking in favor of keeping the books on library shelves where students can get them.

Erin Brothers, also a senior, urged the school board "to deny the challenge to the books and keep them available."

Brothers also presented board members a petition signed by 300 high school students asking the board to "affirm their right to read," to put two students on all book review committees and to support district librarians.

Reed Faitak, a senior, said removal of the books would be "depriving students of an education about the world around them," noting it is "hateful and intolerant to portray these books as pornographic."

I realize that my interest in the Fayetteville situation is verging on the obsessive.

Another article from nwaonline.net (my emphasis):

Taylor, who is now home schooling her daughters, argues the graphic content of the books encourages children to experiment in casual sex and promotes homosexuality or other behavior she considers deviant.

In an e-mail to board members this summer, Taylor wrote, "These books are not educational in content; they are raw, unadulterated sex, biased sexual rhetoric and instructional sexual pandering to children."

She has submitted lists of books to the school administration she finds offensive. Each title was accompanied by an excerpt from the book, although Taylor has readily admitted she has not read all of the books and found many of the excerpts on various Web sites.

"I don't have to read an entire book to decide if the book is pornographic to me," she said during the organizational meeting of the parents group.

But can you blame me?