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Home My WebLink AboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1979-05-09, Page 4Page 4—Luchnow Sentinel, Wednesday, May 9, 1979 Parents' light to select books for study... • from page 2 control class•roorn material. He said the attitude by many school ad- ministrators that children were the property of the state when they were in school was what Renaissance wanted to combat. "Children are part of the family not part of the state," he said. "That's what this liberation is all about." He told parents that their efforts to have the novels taken out of classrooms has resulted in unwarranted attacks from book publishers and groups ,that feel that any restrictions placed on literature is a restriction of rights.. He said both groups attempt to make the parents out as fools. He said parents, or anyone else offended by literature such as The Diviners are made out as "bigoted, narrow min- ded, red -necked boon- . dockers". He added that Huron County has suf- fered more from these attacks than other areas because of its rural 'background. He pointed out that the same novels upsetting Huron County parents had surfaced in Hamilton with next to no publicity. He said top school aQ administra r in the city had commend -.that -.that a novel was unfit for secondary school use because of its content and the remark was virtually unnoticed. "Why zero in on Clinton, why not Hamilton?" Campbell asked. The minister told the crowd that Renaissance International , was not formed 'to promote censorship or to dean up classroom materials but rather to fight for parents' rights to control what is used in schools-. He said the movement had no list of novels it wanted banned nor did it concentrate any effort on a .particular novel. It merely fought for parents' rights to have their children taught from material the parents approve of. He said Renaissance was, not a fundamental sect nor did it have any religious overtones as the media and book py.iblishers have • in- ' dicated. It was a group devoted to having classrooms in Canada reflect the values of homes in a pluralistic society with a Judeo- Christian heritage, Renaissance 411- volvement with literature used in classroonrs stemmed from bocrk selection p,olicies used by the education system. The movement wants book selection policies that guarantee parents the right to determine what their children are taught. Campbell's attack of education systems bucking Renaissance drew a revival type response from the crowd. His criticism of school administrators that are "unbelievably arrogant" and school policies that require parents to ex- plain why they don't want a book used drew a chorus of "amens" from the audience. He told the parents there was no way any "self respecting parent with any personal worth or dignity should have to write an essay telling why he or she doesn't want a book read". "All that has to be said is I don't want that book read....ganie over....period," said Campbell. He said school ad:, ministrators and boards did not "have the right to impose values on my home". He said parents should "reject the totalitarian concepts of those child seducers". Campbell said all Renaissance wanted was educators to observe the good neighbor policy. He said the good neighbor policy shows respect for people's differences. He said that policy permits parents that have ob- jection to literature used ih schools appeased by providing their children with alternatives. He said literature parents choose to have in their home is their own busifiess but literature used in classrooms should show the good neighbor policy. He said any literature that "creates fiction and tension is unacceptable in a public school room serving a pluralistic society". Campbell told the crowd he did not know why educators and publisher§ held ttp works that have a theme with a "note of despair and meaninglessness" as shining examples of viodern literature. Ile said the youth of today are suffering from the "despair of meaninglessness" adding that he found novels that fostered that feeling more objectionable than novels containing "an occasional blasphemy-. •• NO HANDICAP Being weighted down with money seldom hinders one from swimming in the sea'of life: 0E301111 at ina n o . 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