I’m writing to submit a correction to erroneous information in the “Bigots vs. groomers” article published on November 2. Wallenpaupack Area School District Superintendent Keith Gunuskey is quoted as saying, “We are currently in the review process for The Kite Runner and On the Bright Side.” The correct and complete title of the second book mentioned is On the bright side, I’m now the girlfriend of a sex god: further confessions of Georgia Nicolson, by Louise Rennison.
I don’t know if this error was intentional, but the omission of the rest of the title is very telling because the full title of the book makes abundantly clear why it might be challenged by parents. Sexually explicit content should not be available to minors at school. The mischaracterization of this issue as “bigotry” has fueled a major misunderstanding and caused an unnecessary chasm amongst neighbors who should all agree that certain content is not appropriate for minors. I see no one disputing movie ratings that exclude minors from viewing explicit material that may be age inappropriate. Why are parents who expect the same standard to be applied in a school library “bigots?”
We’re not “bigots.” We’re just involved parents who are aware of what’s available to minors in their place of learning. We encourage all adults to become equally aware. Accordingly, thank you for including BookLooks.org in your reporting. The explicit content available in the books that have been challenged is too vulgar to print in a local newspaper, but adults can go to that website and see for themselves why certain books like Perks of Being a Wallflower, Out of Darkness, The Kite Runner, We Are the Ants and On the bright side, I’m now the girlfriend of a sex god: further confessions of Georgia Nicolson have been challenged.
Jasmine Ruiz
Vice Chair, Pike County Moms for Liberty