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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1978-06-07, Page 6Page 6—Lucimow Sentinel, Wednesday, June 7,. 1978 Board should trust teachers....... CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 that category. He w4. the definition, of pornography is material used for the purose of provoking sexual arousement for its own sake. He said the material in the three books in question was not pornographic in the context in which it was used in the books. Collins suggested that students have two major environments in which they function, school and the rest of their time. He said the time they spend away from school is consistently filled with material "I truly label pornographic". He said he stopped in at a drug store on his way to the meeting and picked a magazine and a novel off the store shelf. He said the two were v chat he called pornographic adding that he would "refrain from being truly offensive and will not read from the book or show you pictures from the magazine". Collins pointed out that the material -he had purchased was available to all students any time without any real attempt by parents to control it. He said the students constantly face objectionalble material in films, television, magazines and trash novels and parents seemed unconcerned about the matter. He said schools control the use of such material through trained professionals trained to use judgement and expertise putting such material into proper perspective rather than sensationalizing it as the letter from the parents had done. He said the board must trust its teachers. "Banning the books is the surest way I know of getting the students to seek out -the books, read them, and have them adversley affect them by not having the contents put into proper perspective," he said. Collins said the alleged blasphemous material was not blasphemous but was language commonly used in every day life. Re said blasphemy is taking the Lord's name in vain or making a deliberate attempt to dishonour God. He said just about everyone in society makes comments during a day that could be considered blasphemous. He said "most of us try to avoid using them in our speech but habit or reflex prevents that.". He said the use of the words is "habit" not a "deliberate attempt to dishonour God" .. He pointed out that the children in the schools know those \�•ords exist adding that it is far better for the children to learn about "life language and sex" in a controlled environment rather than in a drug store or out on the street. "You trust your doctors and. your ministers you'd better trust your teachers," he warned. Peggy Rivers told the board she represented' a group of people in the Goderich area "concerned with the quality of education offered" and who feel it is worthwhile to "spend time 'showing support for our educational system, for the board that administers it and for the teachers involved in it". Rivers said the Goderich group did not favor banning the books and was also unhappy with the methods,used'`:by. OW group proposing their banning. She said decisions made by councils in the county supporting the ban were based on quotations "arbitrarily selected from the books by a person or persons". She added that the motions by the councils were• sent to county secondary schools without prior consultations with the board of education, "an act we consider a gross infringment on the •rights and responsibilities of the board'.'. Rivers said the methods used in selecting objectionable material from the books made it -obvious that no "intelligent and logical evaluation of the literary merit and worth of the books can be made without a complete evaluation of them". She said the three books were widely acclaimed by scholars to be of superior literary merit and to deprive students of Huron the right to study them would be to "isolate them in a vacuum devoid of any realistic connection with contemporary society". She said the claim that the books, and the teachers using them were attempting to turn our youth into "vulgar, filthy, ungodly individuals is absurd". Rivers said the books have been used in the county system for more than ten years and only in senior grades by students old enough to vote, sit on juries and sign contracts. She said their use had no adverse affect to date adding that surely a person old enough to decide if someone is guilty of a criminal offence is old enough to read any book they choose. Rivers said that a person reading a book is not necessarily influenced by the idealogy of it. She said someone reading Mein Kampf does not automatically become a Nazi and someone reading the biography of John Deifenbaker does not necessarily become a Progressive Conservative. Rivers told the board that the "noteriety Huron County has received by even raising the issue is not something we should be proud of". She said the image the county is receiving on a national level as a result of the issue is leaving "false impressions from which we will be years recovering." She , said the groups presenting their support of the materials were not advocating their mandatory use but was 'protecting the right of selection by secondary school teachers. She said the move to ban the books indicated the people of Huron felt better qualified to judge course content than the. professional teachers they employ. Paul Ross told the board he represented a.group of people from the Clinton area that opposed the proposed banning of the books. Ross told the board that he didn't feel the material in the books was obscene but that the method used to make them appear obscene was "to my mind obscene". "They used a simple children's arithmetic method that (Oifr Id as FOR DAD) For your Number One Man, we've got a Number One selection of Pop -pleasing gift ideas Schmid's OWNERS - W. JOS. AND DEAN E. AGNEW PHONE 528-3532 LUCKNOW JEWELLERY AND CHINA CALL THE LUCKNOW SENTINEL WITH YOUR NEWS AND ADS PHONE 528-2822 says the whole is equal to the sum of the parts," he said. "They've taken parts of- the novels and said that these equal the total and that is an obscenity, Ross said that the teachers in the county should be left with the decisions they are trained to make. He said they have the expertise to decide if material is fit for use in county classrooms and are trained and hired to make those decisions. A public meeting on the issue of the book banning wily be held in Clinton June 13 at the high school. Authors Pierre Berton and June Caldwell plan to attend the meeting to defend the three books. The consumer/conserver BY GERRY ZURBRIGG We are all Consumers. We must now become thoughtful and educated consumers, so that our Consumer Society can become a Conserver Society. We know there is a limit to our non-renewable energy resources in Canada. It is essential, then, that we start NOW to conserve energy. By doing this we can hopefully return to the "Waste not, want not" ethic that has always been a part of our heritage. Much of the fat in our energy diet leads to fat on our bodies. Energy conservation could lead to more exercise, better diets, less pollution and other benefits to human health. We could lead lives as rich, healthy and fulfilling - using less than half of the energy ,now used - with as much comfort and with , more employment. We must set about changing the habits of a lifetime to convert a consumer society into a conserver .society. Here are some things to keep in mind: - Buy for permanence and durability. Resist advertising pressure to purchase environmentally unsound goods (e.g. aerosol cans, non -returnable containers). • Make gasoline mileage your paramount concern in purchasing a new car. - Buy food items in large size packages. This will not only save money but, just as important, it reduces the amount of packaging, required. - Avoid buying instant foods (instant mashed potatoes, cake and cookie mixes, etc.). A great deal of energy is used to produce these "prepared" foods. - Buy cheese in bulk, not wrapped in plastic. - Don't chase the yearly fashions. Try to buy quality clothing that will survive the fashion swings. - Buy stationery, Christmas cards, that have been made from recycled, post -consumer waste paper. - If at all possible, plant a home garden. A carefully tended 20' x 20' plot can produce $400 worth of fresh produce, saving fuel and money '(and providing some very tasting eating). • Let's become a Conserver society by choice, not by necessity. Spot the Merchants prize -winners CONTEST. WINNERS FOR MAY 31, 1978 Mrs. Grace Gibson, Lucknow Glenn Irwin, R. 3 Lucknow Frances Murray, Lucknow Kathy Metzger, R. 3 Lucknow Mary Stanley, Lucknow Mrs. R. A. McQuillin, Holyrood Mrs. Iyy. Hartman, R. 3 Lucknow Olive Needham, Lucknow Jackie Wilson, Lucknow Mrs. Howard Barger, Lucknow Joan Robinson, Lucknow Carol Buchmeier, R. 3 Holyrood Carol Ritchie, R. 3 Lucknow Melissa Becker, Lucknow Jean Irwin , R. 3 Lucknow Olive M. Blake, Dungannon Mrs. Marion Donais, Lucknow Mrs. Lorne Forster, R. 1 Lucknow John de Boer, R. 1 Lucknow Alfred E. Ritchie, Lucknow Chris Collyer, Lucknow Barb (Evans) Helm, Lucknow Darlene Howald, R. 5 Lucknow Heather Maclntyre, Lucknow Pamela McIntosh, R. 3 Lucknow Winners please be sure to pick up prizes before June 14 at 5 p.m. 4 Kinlough BY MAY BOYLE Mr. Spence McFarlan re- turned home from the Wing - ham and District Hospital where he has been having his medical check up. 45th WEDDING OBSERVED Mrs. Alex Percy attended the 45th wedding anniver- sary party at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bob Irwin for his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Al Irwin. Mrs. Mary Trafford of Hanover was also a guest and returned home with her sister and visited with Mr. and Mrs. Alex Percy here for a few days. Mrs. Jack Scott entertain- ed the committee of Holy - rood W.I. in charge of the plans for the Lucknow Craft Festival on Wednesday even- ing at her home. Friends of Mr. Levi Ecken- swiller of London (and form- , erly of here).* are sorry to know that he is a patient in St. Joseph's Hospital. He has been in poor health for sometime. Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. John Ackert (nee 'Joy Bushell) who were mar- ried on May 27th. We welcome Joy to out commun- ity. Friends here were glad to know that Mr. Arthc. Gra- ham returned home Saturday from University Hospital, London.