Parental Responsibility and not Censorship a Jolly Good Combo

I think I have made my views on censorship pretty clear on the Edge! I am 100% for freedom of speech and freedom of expression and ergo free thinking! Have been since I could talk according to my mother.

Want to know another secret about Susan? I am 100% for parental responsibility. You had them, You raise them - but you do so in the legal frame work of the country you live in and you do so without encroaching on my liberty or my right to do the same.

So I am handing out a huge Kudos to Dublin City School. They were asked to remove the book And Tango Makes Three from a school library. The book is award winning and deals with gay themes - Tango has 2 dads - Tango is also a penguin. The school board affirmed the superintendent's recommendation to keep the book on first amendment grounds. As they well should. The law is clear and the first amendment is clear also. Thank you for having some backbone! (the news story is here.)

I will also say that while I do not share the parent in questions viewpoints on the matter - I will say good show for at least standing up for what you believe in - misguided though it maybe. Better the parents be tuned in that not plugged in at all.

Why do I disagree with his assertion that the book deals with issues better left to another forum. Well what is the right forum - pray tell. Where does it end? We live in a diverse and multi-cultural society. Spanish is fast becoming the official language of the service industry - at least the blue collar service industry. Hinduism is religion of many gods and goddesses, and it is going to be part of the conversation our kids are having with their peers very soon. Walking through the mall and children see a vastly different landscape than I saw growing up in small town Ohio.

As parents it is OUR job to teach our children the values we want them to have and ultimately it will one day be their job to decide for themselves what to accept and what to reject. The best way to accomplish this is by having books and conversation starters available.

If parents really want to explain their views on nontraditional families - here is a golden opportunity. Take ownership of the situation and actually speak to your children about the topics YOU think matter. That is the responsible thing to do. Seeking to deny or limit my children's right to experience and read about the world around them- is the wrong thing to do.