Vamos A Cuba

[Justin24]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060621/ap_on_re_us/cuban_book_ban

"The ACLU and the Miami-Dade County Student Government Association argued in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Miami on Wednesday that the school board should add materials with alternate viewpoints rather than remove books that could be offensive.

Last week, the board voted 6-3 to remove "Vamos a Cuba" and its English-language version, "A Visit to Cuba" from 33 schools, stating the books were inappropriate for young readers because of inaccuracies and omissions about life in the communist nation."

First I don't see why we still have problems with Cuba anymore, unless Castro still sends out his goons to kidnapp dissidents.

If they keep these books, then I hope they would allow books on what the Communist government of Cuba has done to it's people and not just have some book where everyone seems so happy to be ruled by Castros regime.

 

[BVS]

Banning books? What year is this?

 

[Justin24]

1984 oops I mean 2006. Or are we living the world of fahrenheit 451

 

[nbcrusader]

I'm not sure we fully grasp the sensitivities of the Cuban population in Florida who would feel insulted by what is likely perceived as a sugar coating of the communist takeover of Cuba.

 

[BVS]

I'm not sure we fully grasp the sensitivities of the Cuban population in Florida who would feel insulted by what is likely perceived as a sugar coating of the communist takeover of Cuba.

But this isn't forced reading, it's just in the library.

 

[nbcrusader]

I realize that it is not forced, but as you saw with the Elian Gonzalez case, it doesn't take much to raise the ire of this community when it comes to communist Cuba.

 

[BVS]

I realize that it is not forced, but as you saw with the Elian Gonzalez case, it doesn't take much to raise the ire of this community when it comes to communist Cuba.

I understand that, but we can't just go banning ideas because they don't like them. Like everything else, if you don't like it; don't check it out, change the channel, don't buy the CD, etc...

 

[nbcrusader]

I understand that, but we can't just go banning ideas because they don't like them. Like everything else, if you don't like it; don't check it out, change the channel, don't buy the CD, etc...

I'm not sure banning is the goal of this group, just balanced presentation. The practical outcome is removal of the books.

Describe the books as insensitive and insulting, and the tenor of the situation changes.

 

[verte76]

Banning books is so stupid. Cuban-Americans are familiar with the horrible reality of life in Cuba. I can see why they're upset over a sugar-coating of Castro's regime, but honestly, can't they just tell their kids this book is nonsense?

 

[nbcrusader]

Kids struggle with conflicting messages. Parents struggle to keep up with all the conflicting messages their kids receive.

 

[Se7en]

they should offer books detailing the many pleasantries of batista's puppet regimes instead!

 

[BVS]

I'm not sure banning is the goal of this group, just balanced presentation. The practical outcome is removal of the books.

Describe the books as insensitive and insulting, and the tenor of the situation changes.

What? That's exactly what the ACLU is proposing that they balance the presentation by allowing many viewpoints, this is what makes America. Removal is a dangerous slippery slope that never ends well.

 

[nbcrusader]

I think they are both on the same page, just the current action does not achieve either side's goals. The parents want to address inaccuracies and omissions.

 

[verte76]

Kids struggle with conflicting messages. Parents struggle to keep up with all the conflicting messages their kids receive.

Yes, but isn't the most powerful way to fight Castro's Cuba for these people to tell their children and their grandchildren their own personal experiences? How they had to get the hell out of Cuba so their lives wouldn't be hellish and all that? Rather than burning up so much steam over a book, they could use this.

 

[ntalwar]

Banning books in school libraries is nothing new. Catcher In The Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird are already banned in some school districts. It's a shame, but it happens.

Here's a sample article:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,33108,00.html

 

[A_Wanderer]

they should offer books detailing the many pleasantries of batista's puppet regimes instead!

I imagine that they aren't the books that aren't getting librarians hauled off to jail in Castro's socialist paradise.