...who pulled President-elect Obama's books from a Catholic school library? "Hey, at least he didn't burn them!" goes the punchline.
That was Dallas Morning News religion blogger Bruce Tomaso's take on a Missouri Catholic priest's decision to yank Obama's tomes from the shelves of St. John LaLande Catholic School's library (see screencap at right).
Tomaso noted that Fr. Ron Elliott describes himself as "very pro-life" but that after reviewing the books in question "he didn't find anything objectionable" and will hence return the books to the shelves "in February or March" as Elliott noted, "after the dust kind of settles."
At that point Tomaso couldn't refuse the impulse to add an editorial quip:
In this case, it doesn't seem to me that there was any dust, until a zealous priest decided to stir it up.
In doing so, Tomaso seems to be forgetting that Elliott as parish pastor oversees the church's school, which educates students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Given the age and impressionability of younger students, it behooves a Catholic educator to take a close look at books by politicians, particularly pro-choice ones, to ensure they are not advocating views at odds with the Church's teachings, particularly regarding faith and morals.
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As cold
Mon, 12/22/2008 - 12:20 ET by littlemissmuffinAs cold as it is, maybe he should burn them to keep warm! :)
Remembering little Caylee Anthony (2005-2008). May justice be served.
The story
Mon, 12/22/2008 - 12:27 ET by KC MulvilleWhy would a blogger from Dallas care about what a priest in Missouri is doing? I know we have to keep an eye on the Catholics, especially the Irish, but isn't this a little Orwellian?
People should have learned
Mon, 12/22/2008 - 13:09 ET by RR GOPPeople should have learned by now that these book censorship things never get them anything other than bad publicity and they end up putting them back on the shelves anyway. The fight to keep young minds from reading trash is a losing one, especially where teenagers are concerned. Besides, most educators are happy if they even bother to read anything. However, if a kid really, really, really wants to read a book mom and dad can buy it for them or they can go to the public library.
What I can never understand is why they order certain books in the first place if they later deem them to be objectionable?
Also, these kids are far more interested in reading stuff like Catcher in the Rye than classics like Les Miserables where they'd have to look up and learn new 'big words' and put the book down for a moment now and again to ponder and assimilate the deep thoughts the author is trying to convey. Also, the various allusions in the Classics would be beyond most of their knowledge base, and they're too lazy to look up such references.
BTW, I thought Catcher in the Rye was a great book for its level...but the mind needs meat, not just whipped cream.
Most of what these kids read are little more than comic books without all the pictures and we wonder why they can't read worth a damn.
One of the 24% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 89% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.