Webster's Dictionary Contains Porn
So what does everyone think about the Menifee Union School District removing Webster's Dictionary from classrooms just because it contai...
http://www.menifee247.com/2010/01/websters-dictionary-contains-porn.html
So what does everyone think about the Menifee Union School District removing Webster's Dictionary from classrooms just because it contained the term "oral sex"?
After a parent complained about an elementary school student stumbling across "oral sex" in a classroom dictionary, Menifee Union School District officials decided to pull Merriam Webster's 10th edition from all school shelves earlier this week.There's an estimated 450,000 words in the English language. That's an awful lot of words to sacrifice just for one.
Press Enterprise article...
That is so ridiculous and is a clear example of how the Menifee Bible Thumpers are way out of line.
ReplyDeleteWhat does religion have to do with not wanting to teach an elementary age child about oral sex?
ReplyDeleteComputers can have access to porn, should we get rid of those too?
ReplyDeleteget over it parents!! maybe if you were getting more "oral sex" you wouldn't be so uptight!
ReplyDeleteIt's a dictionary and deserves it's place in the library with all the other books.
Absolutely redicilious. I have an idea. Let the mom spend the weekend at the school library and read as many books as she can. Any books she feels does not belong in the library we can get rid off. Better yet she can burn them so no one can ever read them again. It's a dictionary people. Dictionaries have good words and bad. Equaly worst was the schools response. There are alot more worst things in this world then comming across the word "Oral Sex". It's one word. You see the word and move on!!!!!
ReplyDeletethis is so stupid.. yup censor kids about things that you dont want to talk about that sounds like a great idea
ReplyDeleteThis is another typical knee-jerk overreaction because of one hypersensitive individual.
ReplyDeleteGuess what - there are a lot of words in the dictionary with the potential to be more graphic. If the district is going to evaluate the dictionary, how about they start with George Carlin's "7 Words You Can Never Say On Television".
Funny thing about those 7 words - they all appear in the Merriam-Webster's online standard dictionary (as does the term "Oral Sex", but the word overreaction doesn't. You have to check their online unabridged dictionary.
Shocking.....there is a much better chance that children will hear this word on the playground before seeing it in a dictionary. You have to be ready to answer sometimes embarrasing/uncomfortable questions. To remove the dictionary....it's ignorant.
ReplyDeleteHow many parents actually complained, Or was it just a handful ? Amazing how it just happened and we find out about it in a newspaper....
ReplyDeleteAnonymous @ 8:08am, have you seen all the national coverage this story is getting now? What's more amazing that despite all the efforts of the City and the Chamber of Commerce, it's the school district that's putting Menifee on the map.
ReplyDeleteNational coverage??? Great, is this the kind of branding(image) that Menifee wanted? Not all publicity is good publicity, I don't care what anyone says. This is over the line, whether you are Democrat or Repulican, Christian or Athiest this doesn't paint our community in a good light. I am embarrassed.
ReplyDeleteWhy do we have to get publicity like this. Kids are going to be kids. They are curious and if they don't find it in the dictionary they will find it somewhere else. Like many have already said, just turn the T.V. on or the computer and you can get a visual of oral sex.
ReplyDeleteMy mom teaches 4th grade in another state and just told me about some game her kids were playing amongst themselves and the words they were writing on paper included this word and more. It is the parents responsibility to discuss with their children.
Wow, I didnt even know this happened and am finding out now. No one can protect their kid from everything in this world. My second grader heard the f word on the playground (in a Menifee elementary school) and wanted to know what it meant.
ReplyDeleteJust when you think as human beings we are making progress...one action, or over reaction can take us back in time. As I heard this news, I pictured the burning of books that are not correct or of the "norm." It's amazing what is acceptable...the latest craze of our youth readers is Twilight and Harry Potter. Vampires, some sexual content and witchcraft. Are these books next?
ReplyDeleteLets get back to being parents and teaching our children about life.
This makes me sad, and I am outraged. It makes me wonder who is in charge of the school district. Evidently, the people we elected were not even in the loop. This is a call for an investigation not of the dictionary. It belongs back on the shelf. It is a call for an investigation as to how this happened. It is not a simple over reaction. The implications can be staggering.
ReplyDeleteThis is not a question of pornography. It doesn't meet the standard set by the supreme court.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a good example, and there are so many others, of the continuing decline of the U.S. We are doomed; we the U.S. and we the world. Stupidity and ignorance rule!!
ReplyDeleteYour stupid factor is going to spike, Menifeeans. And everybody in the world is going to know it. Good times.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, the world over, Menifee Union School District is known as a group of very stupid people indeed, exactly the sort, in fact, who should not be entrusted with the education of children. It's difficult to choose between pity and contempt, but I think I'll plump for the latter.
ReplyDeleteSome of the national coverage our city is getting now...
ReplyDeleteHuffington Post (political blog) - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jayne-lyn-stahl/ban-merriam-websters-dict_b_434831.html
The Guardian (UK newspaper) - http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jan/25/oral-sex-dictionary-ban-us-schools
San Jose Mercury (newspaper) - http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14256926
KTLA Los Angeles (television) - http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-school-dictionaries,0,5806645.story
NBC San Diego (television) - http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Dictionary-Too-Racy-for-School-82551097.html
Fox 8 Cleveland (television) - http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-school-pulls-dictionaries-txt,0,3133476.story?track=rss
Boston Herald (newspaper) - http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/west/view.bg?articleid=1227906&srvc=rss
CBS 13 Sacramento (television) - http://cbs13.com/local/dictionary.sex.term.2.1445402.html
Ft Wayne Journal (newspaper) - http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20100124/LOCAL04/100129783/-1/LOCAL11
Salon.com (political blog) - http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/feature/2010/01/25/school_dictionary_ban/index.html?source=rss&aim=/mwt/broadsheet/feature
I would like to applaud the child for having enough sense to look up the word in the dictionary to get the true meaning versus the school ground definition. I say "boo" to the parent for not doing their job and having an age appropriate coversation with their child. Also, "boo" to the school district for not meeting first to discuss the situation. Seeing all the press coverage, I think when I go out of town from now on, I will say I am from Sun City!
ReplyDeleteMost of the links say the same thing, probably because they were sent over the AP wire. However, the last one from Salon.com and another one that I came across the other day insinuate it was actually the parent, and not the child, that came across the entry.
ReplyDeleteI would really be interested to know which is true - was it the student, as was originally reported, or was it the parent? In either case, I agree with School Board President Rita Peters on this one - we don't need parents setting policy in the district.
Wow, just wow. I used to live in Los Angeles, but sometimes I regret buying a house in Menifee because my neighbors are rejects from the bible belt and giant hypocrites. This story made my opinion of this city drop down one notch lower. Why are you searching the dictionary for that word? How the hell did you know about it in the first place? Bunch of prudes. And damn the school too. Though, I would have expected the stupid to rise up from Chester Morrison first.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the complaining parents have Bibles in their homes...you know, the book that discusses prostitution, incest, and sex graphically. Oh yeah, and donkey genitals (Ezekiel 23:19).
ReplyDeleteONE parent! Enough said....
ReplyDeleteWhy is wanting to maintain your child's innocence for as long as possible a bad thing?
ReplyDeleteMaintaining a childs innocence is not a bad thing but ignorance is.
ReplyDeleteIf this dictionary is appropriate for all, why is it titled “Collegiate” and not just “Dictionary”?
ReplyDeleteHow does book banning protect your child's innocence? What does it teach them about asking questions openly and honestly with their parents. What does it teach them about the protections given us both by the US Constitution and the California Constitution. What does it teach them about freedom of speech, and due process.
ReplyDeleteShall we ban the newspapers that use the word telling the story? Shall we black out the television stations that reported on the issue? Do we ban the discussions by the school board because they include the word.
ReplyDeleteWhy do we rate video games, TV shows, and movies? Maybe we should remove the rating system on movies and allow parents to explain what is going on if their child has any questions. You could start with Deep Throat, as that seems to be acceptable for 4th graders.
ReplyDeleteTo the person who asks is this dictionary appropriate for all. "why is it titled "'Collegiate'" and not just Dictionary. Well it it said just Dictionary it would have an even broader base. Webster makes numerous dictionaries. Yet the question remains:
ReplyDeleteWhat are people afraid of? Do you think your children have never heard this term. As one parent said congratulations to the child who uses a dictionary. This is the dictionary used for spelling bees. I grew up with a dictionary that had everything in it and was successful and hold graduate degrees. My son also graduated from college with honors using a different edition of this dictionary. So parent I ask you how do you explain the parents that give each other the finger when they are picking their children up from school?
I am truly shocked to find out that a school district with such amazing grades could fail our children in such a disturbing manner. What will be removed next?
ReplyDeleteI believe the parents that are giving the finger, are teaching their children how to do it correctly so they don’t go out and learn it on the playground.
ReplyDeleteI am OUTRAGED that a dictionary would be removed from an elementary school. This is a result of ONE parent complaint, and I am shocked and apalled the school board would let this fly! Working for a public school district myself, I know first hand of the random and often non-sensical complaints to come to administration, and for a dictionary to be removed from a library is over the top. I'm going to go home and watch Footloose and try to remember that stuff like this only happens in the movies, and in Menifee.
ReplyDeleteGo Menifee!!! Really, international humiliation is something to be proud about. Lest we forget that idiots have always ruled this world.
ReplyDeleteSteve,
ReplyDeleteIs there any open forum at the school district that will be discussing this, or is it a closed door discussion? I would love to know the reasoning behind the districts actions. I wonder if they have realized the Pandora's Box that they have opened.
Here's another link to this embarrassing story, this time from foxnews.com.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,584010,00.html
I sincerely hope somebody is being made to feel stupid for this whole ordeal.
"Where are you from?"
"I'm from Menifee."
"Menifee? Aren't you the idiots that banned the dictionary?"
Thanks MUSD.
I believe the committee formed to review the dictionary is a closed forum. You can always attend the regular school board meetings, and address the board, but they won't do anything pending the committee's decision.
ReplyDeleteIt should be known that the reason these dictionaries were in the 4th and 5th grade classrooms in the first place is because the "elementary" versions were too juvenile for their strict rigorous standards and did not contain the words they were required to study in class. I think the parent who complained should be more concerned about how her child knew this word and why he/she was looking it up in the first place. Time to be a parent. There are thousands of words in the English langauge...some appropriate, some not. Time to teach your child right from wrong and not to condemn the hundreds of other kids who are using the dictionary appropriately to further their education. And, shame on the district for allowing this to happen. What century do we live in? I am embarrassed to be a teacher here! What next?
ReplyDeleteAmazing...all this fuss about Oak Medows Elementry school and Menifee...Too bad The City of Menifee got such a bad rap. The school is located in Murrieta, the district goes as far South as Clinton Keith and East to 79! And according to the Californian the 9 y.o. heard it from friends that found it in the dictionary...I suppose the mother should home school her child to isolate him from his friends and dictionaries.
ReplyDeleteWhy are these dictionaries only at Oak Meadows?
ReplyDeleteIn the 1964 Supreme Court case Jacobellis v Ohio, in which predecessor organizations to current Rabid Religious Reich hate cults now operating behind the scenes to oppress civil rights attempted to force definition and censorship of what they broadly defined as "porn", Justice Stewart wrote an opinion as to why it's impossible to so much as define subjective and prejudice driven terms like "pornography" without violating US legal standards.
ReplyDeleteThis case should (but won't) subject complaining parents to child abuse investigations. Delusion and denial based "parenting" is abusive, whereas kids need core skills to emotionally handle exposure to public, visible discussions of law, society, and public policy issues, even if not yet mature enough to understand them yet. In addition, SIECUS and similar professional groups have well documented why anything but reality based sex ed for kids is abusive.
Any kid with access to a good library, as all students need, necessarily has access to Anna Salter's prison policy based sexual predator resources, some with warnings that emotional issues of some sick adults can be triggered by topics or details voters and jurors in our society need to handle maturely, but many adults don't. Every good library also has emergency medicine references, some of which content on medical intake of suspect child molestation patients and forensic documentation could be edited and republished and sold as child pornography. The only difference is context and intent.
Any person lacking that developmental knowledge and perspective is ill prepared to function as an adult in our society, in core duties as voter and juror. Such immature people are not suited to become or function as parents in this society, and should certainly not be accommodated by schools with demands to stunt education and development of kids, their own or others'. Schools exist in part to mitigate the limits of those who hatch babies prior to developing the practical and life skills to be responsible parents.
I am going to take parenting advice from a judge? We all know how sane they are.
ReplyDeleteI thaught 3rd grade and many of our words that were required were not even in the "elementary" dictionary...I can't imagine how the upper graders handled that. They are now required to know the correct spelling, part of speech, pronunciation, definition, word origins, and other word forms...to list a few skills required. I think it's great that Oak Meadows brought a more appropriate dictionary into their classrooms and gave kids access to more advanced words which met the state standards.
ReplyDeleteCount on your stupid new town of bigots and well-taught children, to become another symbol of a place to be avoided. Menifee where?
ReplyDeleteJust because a parent and child that lives in Murrieta and goes to a school located in Murrieta (Oak Medows) But happens to be in a school district called Menifee. The City shouln't take the hit.....
ReplyDeleteI won't let one idiot parent, and a half-cocked response from the school district ruin my love for this town that I have lived in for 25 years. Menifee isn't "new" Gerald. It's incorporation is.
ReplyDeleteThe District temporarily removed a book from one school at the complaint of a parent. They reviewed the book and put it back. Why is this a story?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous @2:28:
ReplyDeleteFirst - the district did not just remove one book from one classroom. They removed ALL COPIES of that book from ALL 4th and 5th grade classrooms in ALL of the elementary schools in the district.
Second - they didn't just review the book and put it back. They reached a compromise after several days of bad publicity. A compromise which requires parents to authorize their 4th and 5th grade students to have access to the book. My opinion - this isn't quite the same as just putting the book back on the shelves.
Third - as far as I know, this was an unprecedented reaction on the part of the school district as a result of one parent's complaint. It was a reaction that had the very real possibility of being challenged by First Amendment advocates. It was a reaction that angered a lot of parents. It was a reaction that could be detrimental to the education of the students in the district.
And you ask why this is a story?
Incidentally, here is a link to the press release from the school district about the compromise.
So whats change, other than having two dictionaries...a child can still look up words from one dictionary and ask another child for the definition from the other....now they have two dictionaries and I'm sure the other one has some words a parent would be unhappy about...Knee jerk that one parent has the ear of the school board and it took bad international publicity for them to look for another solution...The solution may end up to be twice as bad......
ReplyDeleteTodd,
ReplyDeleteAccording to the District, this dictionary is only in the 4th and 5th grade at Oak Meadows. So please tell me where you get your info that it was in every school.
I hope you never have a concern with a school. Because if a bunch of others don't have the same concern, then according to you, you should be ignored.
Also, I would guess many parents were angered because they don't know all of the facts, like yourself.
Great we've become the joke of everybody, new article posted on North County Times/Californian......
ReplyDeleteKABBANY: Lessons learned in dictionary fiasco
Look up "brouhaha" in the dictionary and it tells you the word means "noise, uproar, confusion and turmoil."
That is exactly what occurred last week when word spread that the Menifee school district had pulled college-level dictionaries off the shelves of an elementary school after a parent complained the reference book defined a few four-letter words.
Edited by Steve: please see full article on NCTimes...
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/columnists/kabbany/article_471e4d99-2746-5d9e-833f-f91bbbb99c2d.html
Why is "oral sex" in the Websters Dictionary anyway?
ReplyDeleteCurious what the teaching staff will say to the child posed question of "What is oral sex?". Is the teaching staff and district prepared for the response?
ReplyDeleteI looked In a copy of a 65 year old Websters Dictionary that I have and guess what, It's In there too along with other words having to do with sex. I guess President Clinton didn't Invent It. I'm 66 years old and I remember as a kid we always tried to look up taboo words In the dictionary. I don't think It hurt most of us. The School Board here Is a group of nincompoops anyway. My 12 year old daughter, who goes to Menifee Valley Middle School, came home one day with a release for us to sign so she could watch the 50 year old movie "Westside Story". I thought "why" I saw It when I was a teenager, great musical. A few weeks later she comes home and tells me that the class was watching an animated story of Romeo and Juliet and In It was a male running around with his penis exposed. She said that some of the class snickered and the teacher responded by saying "It's a cartoon". I wonder If the School Board went to Tijuana to get the "cartoon"? That's our School Board and teachers.....
ReplyDeleteYeah, why worry about one little definition out of 450,000?
ReplyDeleteThat's like worrying about just one kid getting raped or beaten when so many weren't yet.
Dose anyone know when the District plans to cut bussing and subcontract to Hemet?
ReplyDelete