No book banning, burning; Huck Finn, porn, schools attacked; DeSantis, woke; FDIC bailout

Book objections: Learn full context before acting rashly

Recently, I watched an interview with a father opposed to the teaching of Mark Twain’s novel, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

He objected to this American classic because it contains characters, including Huck, who use the culturally offensive “N” word. What surprised me most wasn’t the father’s objection, but the fact he’d never read the novel, a staple of American literature since the 1880s.

This father’s uninformed reaction exemplifies how ignorance about an issue leads to counterproductive behavior that has a negative impact on educational quality. The father, who knew nothing about the story or its purpose to the curriculum, decided that “Huck Finn” is inappropriate because of a single, offensive word.

What this individual didn’t know or take the time to learn is that Twain wasn’t a racist. However, in order to create an atmosphere of verisimilitude — that is, an appearance of real life — he gave racist characters a realistic vocabulary accurate for that period.

Huck, a product of a segregated culture and son of an abusive drunk, inherited the biases and language of the antebellum South. Nevertheless, he befriended an escaped slave, offering to help him locate his family while dodging bounty hunters and other predatory adults as they traveled down the Mississippi River on a raft.

Because the father mentioned above had not read the text, he couldn’t begin to comprehend its value and importance to students learning about the dark undercurrents of America’s racist history. Therefore, he joined a raucous group of equally naive parents screaming for the book’s removal from the school’s curriculum. They didn’t care about the book’s relevancy to the course.

Ignorance leads to fear, and fear produces paranoid reactions that undermine intellectual and emotional growth.  Socrates advises: “Know thyself." This includes taking care to use discernment before acting rashly.

Cray Little, Vero Beach

Book banning, burning not occurring

In the K-12 public school community, it is illegal to have books containing pictures or descriptions of graphic rape, incest, pedophilia, bestiality, oral sex, anal sex or any other pornography in the hands of unaccompanied minor students.

Unfortunately, some media center specialists and teachers with classroom libraries have not vetted books, or worse, they make every excuse to rationalize having them because they want this material to influence children. It is why, to protect children, laws and rules have been developed over the past few years. These books only belong in the adult section of the public library and available for purchase at stores.Banning is not being able to have access to something. Book burning is absolutely not happening by parents, grandparents and community members in Florida or across the country.The part of the Florida obscenity statute, 847.012, where material harmful to minors is defined, has been law for many more years then the current legislation. However, in many instances, it wasn’t being followed in our schools.

Now that these books have been discovered in the schools, and, are knowingly available to children, they are being challenged to be permanently removed from school libraries and classrooms because they violate state statutes and Florida education standards. As it always has been, it is our job as adults to protect children and follow the law.True history is not being removed. It’s the pornographic content that is being challenged! Misinformation is rampant. If you cannot read passages from these books in a public meeting, publish excerpts in the news, or read them on the radio, then they do not belong in the hands of minor children.

Jennifer Pippin, Sebastian, chairs Moms for Liberty in Indian River County.

Satire: Why not thank DeSantis for efforts to root out wokeness?

The recent criticism of Gov. Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump and the DeSantis de-WOKEing policies in the Free State of Florida have been completely misunderstood and completely misrepresented by the media.

Take, for example, the corporate guidance DeSantis provided the Walt Disney Co. Without DeSantis’ help, Disney would have surely gone down the rabbit hole of its own woke corporate culture by continuing to listen to its own misguided employees' extreme woke points of view. DeSantis saved Disney from becoming a woke hellhole.

Does he get a thank you, a "great job, Gov.," or a "keep up the good work"? He does not. Instead, he gets painful references about his fascist tendencies.

Stemming the woke tide in the Free State of Florida is a full-time job. Woke violations are rising across the state at an alarming rate. Every day, new woke voices are heard from and need to be put down.

To meet this ever-expanding tide of wokeness, DeSantis has assembled a task force of retired third-grade school teachers to ensure compliance. The operation — code name: WOKE-B-GONE — is primarily an enforcement tool used to get citizens of the Free State of Florida thinking the right way and, providing the citizens of the Free State of Florida comply, violence will not be necessary.

Recently, I hear DeSantis declared this about the Free State of Florida: “In the Free State of Florida, the past is the present … and the future.”

Hard to disagree with that.

Chris Christensen, Palm City

Time to unite to stop mass school shootings

Grandparents, students and parents (who have time) — let’s unite! Let’s pursue reasonable gun legislation!

Who believes anyone should have a gun designed solely to destroy life — not for food, not for sport — but to maim and destroy? And why would anyone use an assault rifle to kill for food?

It’s beginning to feel like we’re becoming the world of Mad Max.

And why do legislators feel just about anyone should have a gun? Is it just to get the gun lobby’s campaign contributions for election/re-election?

Students, like the Parkland students, had the energy to go for it, but apparently lacked the numbers needed to convince our state government. Let’s write letters and protest: Why not all students — high school, college? Why not grandparents? Why not parents of young children? Why not first-responders? And why not people who simply care?

Grandparents can write letters to legislators and governors. Students and parents can do not only that, but they can also march and make their voices heard (so can physically active grandparents). Vote!

Why do we keep voting for politicians whose response is “Second Amendment” when asked about gun legislation? The Second Amendment is often quoted as an excuse, but how often is it read? (“Article II: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”)

Does this mean all people who own guns are considered a part of a well-regulated militia? Wouldn’t "well-regulated" imply some kind of legislation?

How many more tears will we shed when we learn of yet another mass shooting of young children? Haven’t we had enough?

Anne Brakman, Vero Beach

Public, school safety: Florida Legislature an embarrassment

How can our legislators look in the mirror today and claim to protect children?

Blindly following the anti-woke agenda, they reduce what children learn in school, exclude marginal groups and sic angry parents on teachers if they object to a movie about Ruby Bridges, a history lesson about Rosa Parks or a Renaissance statue of David. But they continue to ignore and indeed compound the greatest threat to children: guns. More children die from guns here than from other causes.

One mother on the radio the other day said she takes a picture of her children every day when they leave for school. Think on that. Through permit-less carry, allowing untrained individuals and those who can evade federal background checks to evade checks in Florida to buy a gun is madness. Devotion to the gun violence ideology of the National Rifle Association and the right-wing gun groups is sickening.

The Second Amendment is not the capstone of the U.S. Constitution. But under gun lobby indoctrination, money and the fear-inducing rhetoric of those promoting gun rights above all else (including common sense), it seems as if we all need to live in fear of being shot while going about our daily business. Legislators don't, because they don’t allow guns where they work.

They even have the nerve to insult the dead children at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas by proposing to drop the age back to 18 to purchase assault rifles. Shame on them; that law was fought for with the blood of children.

Their answer ― allow 8 of 12 jurors to issue a death sentence ― is a joke. They should do something to prevent the coldblooded murders in the first place.

At some point, it becomes too obvious to ignore: Guns need to be restricted.

Mary-Win OBrien, Stuart

FDIC's extra-generous bank bailouts to cost us all

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am infuriated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. plan to bail out the depositors of two recently failed banks with more money than their insurance covers ($250,000) at a cost of $20 billion.

Here's what your newspaper article said about what it called the largest "impact in FDIC history":

"(The FDIC) plans to recoup those funds ($20 billion) through a levy on banks that will likely be passed on to consumers.

"Late Sunday, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said that resolving the two banks, including reimbursing depositors, would cost its insurance fund $20 billion, the largest such impact in its history. It plans to recoup those funds through a levy on banks that will likely be passed on to consumers."

When was the last time anyone had their insurance company pay more money than they had for coverage? And if this is not insulting enough, the costs for this bailout will eventually be borne by bank depositors: That's you and me!

Are you outraged yet?

Donna J. Clasen, Palm City

Children's Home Society's contributions not well understood

While many of us love the Children’s Home Society of Florida for its longtime work in foster care and adoption, few understand the true impact of the organization ― and how it has affected us all.

After opening its doors in 1902, Children’s Home Society of Florida played a key role in drafting national child labor and compulsory education laws ― the very laws that allow our own children the right to go to school.

Even a century ago, the organization’s leaders understood the importance of blending single-child focus with large-scale, societal change that comes through collaboration, commitment and innovation.

It’s exactly what we’re seeing at Dodgertown Elementary, our region’s only Community Partnership School. Through a long-term partnership among Children’s Home Society of Florida, Indian River State College, the School District of Indian River County and Treasure Coast Community Health, students attending this school in the heart of Gifford benefit from comprehensive services and support to help address challenges that could interfere with their ability to focus in the classroom.

Because of this collaboration, students and families at Dodgertown Elementary have onsite access to health, dental and vision care; counseling; food pantries and clothing closets; and dozens of after-school and leadership opportunities.

What must not be lost is the secret to success: community support. We wouldn’t have this transformational initiative in our area if weren’t for the investment of 100 Women Strong, our Florida Legislature ― including the fierce advocacy of Rep. Dana Trabulsy ― and the dedication of countless entities, groups and individuals who believe in the potential of our kids.

Please join me in asking our Legislature to invest in our children through an $11 million allocation to sustain and expand Community Partnership Schools. To learn more, visit chsfl.org/advocate.

Crystal Morris, Port St. Lucie, is co-chair for Children’s Home Society of Florida’s board of directors serving the Treasure Coast.

Good health care news for a change

I had an excellent experience at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital's Scully Endoscopy Center.

The entire staff, from the receptionist to the nurses and doctors were exceptionally friendly and extremely competent, and the facility was first class.

We moved to Vero Beach a year ago for the fabulous winter weather. Several of our neighbors warned us about how bad the Indian River hospital had become. Well, after today, I have nothing but praise for the superior care that I received there.

It's nice to be able to write a positive letter, rather than complaining.

Richard Sheehan, Vero Beach

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: No book banning, burning; schools attacked; DeSantis, woke; FDIC wrong