Maine Woman Says Sex Ed Book Is Pornographic, Refuses To Return It To Library

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Check out all the stories, she seems pretty obsessed with this book. Hey it can get dull in Lewiston, Maine..

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Lewiston Woman Facing Jail Over Book - Portland News Story - WMTW Portland

Today

LEWISTON, Maine -- A judge has ordered a Lewiston to return a book to the local library and pay $100.

JoAn Karkos is refusing to return the book "It's Perfectly Normal" saying it is pornographic.

Karkos is being held in contempt of court.

The judge is letting her sit at the courthouse and think about it until the end of the day before sending her to jail.

Karkos maintains she didn't commit a crime.



Sept 18th 2007

LEWISTON, Maine -- A Lewiston woman who said she was "horrified" by the content of an acclaimed sex education book has checked out copies from two libraries and refuses to give them back.

JoAn Karkos made her feelings known in letters to the Lewiston and Auburn public libraries. Each letter was accompanied by a check for $20.95 to cover the cost of the book, "It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex and Sexual Health."

In one letter, Karkos wrote, “I have been sufficiently horrified of the illustrations and sexually graphic, amoral, abnormal contents. I will not be returning the books.”

Lewiston library director Rick Speer returned the check, along with a form Karkos could use to request that the book be removed from the shelves. But he said he may seek help from police if she doesn't return what she borrowed.

Spper on Tuesday told News 8, "This is a first. We've never had someone come in take it out, remove it on their own accord and decide no one else can have it."

Robie H. Harris' book was published in 1993 and features frank but cartoon-like illustrations of naked people in chapters on topics that include abstinence, masturbation and sexually transmitted diseases. Its publisher said it has been sold in 25 countries and translated into 21 languages.

In a 2001 interview, Robie said, “A number of people told me not to put in abortion, that we would sell less books, that it would be controversial. Any book on sex in the USA is controversial if it has to do with reproduction and about making choices. I knew it was important to present both sides of the issue -- pro-choice, pro-life. If I left it out, or if we left out particular drawings or other topics -- I mentioned sexual abuse or sexually transmitted diseases -- it would be saying, ‘We can’t talk about those things. You shouldn’t know about them.’"

She added, “Our kids already know about 99.9 percent of this stuff. What concerned me is that they have a lot of misinformation, no matter how much they tell us, and I wanted them to get accurate information. So I think the litmus test for me was, ‘What’s in the best interest of the child? What’s going to help a child stay healthy?’”

The book topped the American Library Association's list of the most frequently challenged books of 2005, where it was cited for homosexuality, nudity, sex education, abortion, its religious viewpoint and being unsuited for its intended age group.

Karkos could not be reached for comment.
 
I hope she's prepared for her daughter to get knocked up at 15 because she doesn't know where babies come from. Way to parent!:up:

Not only that, but her child would be ignorant about sex, leading her to be teased by her peers.

And what did the mother expect? Its a sex ed book, of course it would be explicit! She should've skimmed through the book before taking it out to see if she approved of it or not.

But then again, what is a mother doing taking a book out from the library about sex ed? Why can't she talk openly about sex with her own daughter? Or better yet, subscribe her daughter to a teen magazine where they openly talk about such things and the girl won't be embarassed to go to her mother for questions. But at the same time, something like Seventeen would be pornographic for the mother as well. :rolleyes:
 
I checked it out on Amazon, some people there were "horrified" by it too. But some people gave it 5 out of 5 stars. It's in a library- no one has to read it, look at it, check it out. I guess she's just protecting everyone..

If you want to manage your child's sex ed in a way you feel is appropriate well do it for them-and that's your job. Sitting in a jail cell over a book isn't going to accomplish that.
 
There is nothing amoral or abnormal about discussing human sexuality.

She has serious hang ups and seems like she may need some kind of psychiatric help. I feel sorry for her.
 
But then again, what is a mother doing taking a book out from the library about sex ed? Why can't she talk openly about sex with her own daughter?


When my mom wanted to have the talk she borrowed two books from the library to help her explain it to me. We went through the pics, diagrams etc. (our neighbour was having twins and I had a lot of questions about TWO!! babies). They were so helpful she actually asked to buy them from the library, was allowed, as they were going to get newer copies, and then we just had them around the house in case I had more questions and she wasn't there. Most of my friends parents didn't have the talk with them, so a lot of times when my parents weren't home, my friends would come over and we'd go through the books...I think half the kids on my street learned "where did I come from" from those books because their parents wouldn't discuss.

In short, I don't think getting some books to help the conversation along is a bad thing like you seem to be implying. I think my mom did a great job, with the resources and hostile environment to educating your kids about sex she was working against at the time.


Sorry - I just got caught on that one point, but yeah, this lady is not doing her cause any favours. I think investing time in making and handing out blinders would be far more effective ways for her to get her message over.*
 
Some people just can't talk openly about it-they feel awkward, embarrassed, whatever. So if a book helps, I think that's great. I also think it has to be a book in tandem with discussion. I think having that talk/talks (it should be ongoing) is part of your parental responsibilities-and if you don't do it you are shirking one of those. What right do you ultimately have to complain about any of your kids' sexual attitudes and activities if you don't do it? If they can't have that initial talk with you how will they be able to talk with you about all of that later, when it gets far more complicated? It needs to be both parents too, not just one.
 
Karkos is 64, so she won't be having a teenage daughter 'knocked up' anytime soon.

Relying on a "teen magazine" as a daughter's primary sex ed teaching tool (what are sons supposed to read?) would be equally pathetic IMO.
 
I had no idea how old she was, but there are definitely parents of teens that feel the same way. That was more of a comment on that attitude rather than this woman in particular.
 
Here's the letter she wrote to the local paper

Imperfectly abnormal

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Movies have ratings and music has warnings of lyrical contents, but our public libraries fail to warn that what I believe is "pornographic" material is on the shelves, easily accessible to youth in the children's section.

One particular book, "It's Perfectly Normal," promotes promiscuous sex by illustrations and written content specifically intended to distort, undermine, and destroy wholesome traditional family values. It teaches children they have a right to sex, and that their bodies and others' bodies are toys made for recreation.

Innocence is stolen and minds are imprinted with activities that rob children of the natural progression of sexual investigation. Instructions for sexual maturation are to be given by parents and/or adults who have a good sense of what is truth, what is goodness and what is beautiful.

Sexual predators have got to love this book, which promotes sexual excitement in children, and gets children past the stage of embarrassment, blush and shame, and engaged in its activities.

Library sophisticates have layers of defense and consider what is perfectly abnormal to be normal. I've been sufficiently horrified to take action against this book, "It's Perfectly Normal." What's it going to take to get back parental control on children's education and tell the library to clean up its act, and stop demoralizing our youth?

Immorality is the greatest war against human civilization in the world today.
 
Here's the letter she wrote to the local paper

Imperfectly abnormal

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Movies have ratings and music has warnings of lyrical contents, but our public libraries fail to warn that what I believe is "pornographic" material is on the shelves, easily accessible to youth in the children's section.

One particular book, "It's Perfectly Normal," promotes promiscuous sex by illustrations and written content specifically intended to distort, undermine, and destroy wholesome traditional family values. It teaches children they have a right to sex, and that their bodies and others' bodies are toys made for recreation.

Innocence is stolen and minds are imprinted with activities that rob children of the natural progression of sexual investigation. Instructions for sexual maturation are to be given by parents and/or adults who have a good sense of what is truth, what is goodness and what is beautiful.

Sexual predators have got to love this book, which promotes sexual excitement in children, and gets children past the stage of embarrassment, blush and shame, and engaged in its activities.

Library sophisticates have layers of defense and consider what is perfectly abnormal to be normal. I've been sufficiently horrified to take action against this book, "It's Perfectly Normal." What's it going to take to get back parental control on children's education and tell the library to clean up its act, and stop demoralizing our youth?

Immorality is the greatest war against human civilization in the world today.

Anita Bryant, is that you?
 
I wonder how she came about the book in the first place?
According to the Boston Globe, "she first heard of the book from the American Life League, an anti-abortion group. She felt compelled to act after she checked out the book and found it to be 'pornographic' and worse than she originally feared."
 
Perhaps, if these anti-abortion activists weren't so afraid of young people being smart about sex, less situations would arise that might give cause to abortions.:hmm:
 
There is nothing amoral or abnormal about discussing human sexuality.

Is there any age limit that it is not appropriate to discuss sexual matters with?

She has serious hang ups and seems like she may need some kind of psychiatric help. I feel sorry for her.


50 years ago, 95% of the population would have agreed with her. Would you have also diagnosed them as requiring psychiatric help?
 
When my mom wanted to have the talk she borrowed two books from the library to help her explain it to me. We went through the pics, diagrams etc. (our neighbour was having twins and I had a lot of questions about TWO!! babies). They were so helpful she actually asked to buy them from the library, was allowed, as they were going to get newer copies, and then we just had them around the house in case I had more questions and she wasn't there. Most of my friends parents didn't have the talk with them, so a lot of times when my parents weren't home, my friends would come over and we'd go through the books...I think half the kids on my street learned "where did I come from" from those books because their parents wouldn't discuss.

In short, I don't think getting some books to help the conversation along is a bad thing like you seem to be implying. I think my mom did a great job, with the resources and hostile environment to educating your kids about sex she was working against at the time.

Your mum sounds great. Yay for your mum! :up:
 
Is there any age limit that it is not appropriate to discuss sexual matters with?

Of course. I think you can only discuss sex in an age-appropriate way if you actually want the children to understand you and to get whatever message you are trying to project. It's a bit silly to even ask the question.
 
In the photo, it says right on the cover of the book, "For age 10 and up."
 
I don't mind that she's offended by the book -- she can be offended all she wants. My problem with her is that she doesn't want to allow others the same opportunity to be offended (or not).
 
In short, I don't think getting some books to help the conversation along is a bad thing like you seem to be implying. I think my mom did a great job, with the resources and hostile environment to educating your kids about sex she was working against at the time.


Relying on a "teen magazine" as a daughter's primary sex ed teaching tool (what are sons supposed to read?) would be equally pathetic IMO.

I should've explained what kind of talk I had growing up.

My mom came of age in the 1950s and had me at a late age. Therefore she is very conservative when it comes to sex. When she taught me about puberty and where babies come from, she wasn't afraid about that. What she was afraid of was me finding out from other people. In junior high, when sex-ed came around, she pulled me from the class. I was the laughingstock of my class when it was that time of week to discuss sex ed, because I had to go hang out in the library while my classmates got to hear about the birds and the bees (and no, the library did not have books on sex-ed either). At the time, my mom said she didn't want me to learn about sex-ed with boys in the class. But now I realize she was afraid I would learn something she didn't want me to learn. What, I don't know.

My mom thought I was too young to learn about sex itself, but the problem was, other kids knew things I didn't know. For example, in sixth grade, I wasn't quite sure what a virgin was. To make it short, I had a lot of mortifying moments that year.

Luckily, I had two older sisters who taught me about sex. It was they who subscribed me to Seventeen so I could learn more. At the time, my mom almost cancelled the subscription because she thought I was too young for the magazine. But that is where I learned what masturbation was and what oral sex was, and so on. So learning from a magazine is not pathetic.

Because of my experience, I get annoyed when I hear about parents thinking teaching sex is "immoral" or something. I'm all for sex-ed in school, and most importantly, I am all for parents being frank about sex.
 
I've worked in the public library system for almost ten years and I actually deal with this attitude all the time. The sex-ed books, the unfiltered internet, the books on the history of Las Vegas with topless showgirls in them, the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue; it's always something offending someone and someone complaining that something should be done about it. For the life of me I cannot figure out why these people think they have the right to decide what other people can look at.
 
I've worked in the public library system for almost ten years and I actually deal with this attitude all the time. The sex-ed books, the unfiltered internet, the books on the history of Las Vegas with topless showgirls in them, the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue; it's always something offending someone and someone complaining that something should be done about it. For the life of me I cannot figure out why these people think they have the right to decide what other people can look at.

Yes.
Why people think a library should have restricted information is beyond me.
 
50 years ago, 95% of the population would have agreed with her. Would you have also diagnosed them as requiring psychiatric help?

Fifty years ago, 95% of the population probably referred to female menstruation as "The Curse" too.

Just because a particular belief is popular doesn't mean it is any less neurotic.
 
Just because a particular belief is popular doesn't mean it is any less neurotic.

That is true, but logically there must also be popular particular beliefs of our current time period that are neurotic.
 
That is true, but logically there must also be popular particular beliefs of our current time period that are neurotic.

Of course there are. Ever see the number of "Defense of Marriage" amendments that have passed in the U.S.?
 
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