The Tangle of Tango

We don't want to upset kids. We don't want them to lose their innocence by reading about sex or murder or how bad slavery must have felt to those enslaved. But why not? Banning or challenging books like Tango Makes Three or I know Why the Caged Bird Sings are actions that waste time and inhibit productive learning.

Getting upset is part of life. So are slavery, homophobia, and humans making bad choices part of life. When children read books about these issues in schools and with parents, this is a good place for them to get informed. A teacher or a parent can explain things, simple definitions and the idea that people are different. It may be upsetting for a child to learn that the US supported slavery and racism, it upsets me. However, if the book is part of a curriculum, then teachers can provide a context and critical thinking tools to apply to lesson. Kids can become educated and get past being upset to being informed and capable of thinking about issues and taking actions--like reading more, voting, telling a school friend not to say "that's so gay."

Telling lies to children or keeping information from them does not protect them. It keeps them ignorant. Ignorance leads to not knowing or understanding people, which leads to stereotyping and saying and doing hurtful things. It perpetuates the uglies of racism, heterosexism, and sexism.

There are many excuses that people use to ban and challenge books and curriculums. People don't trust schools, they don't trust teachers, and they don't trust their children to be thinking and critical beings. Tango is real folks, and Angelou was raped as a child. These things happened in the world. Kids can find out about them on their own, from the internet or TV, or they can be in a school setting that has extreme oversight and a mission to uphold the First Amendment rights of students--to educate all students. Instead of calling for a banning of books, I think parents need to reassess these excuses and understand more perspectives than their own fears. Parents can learn to build trust for schools, teachers, and their own children. They can also be learners in this process.

If we ban, we don't learn. Learning about something does not mean that we throw away our beliefs and values. It means we better understand our beliefs and values, and they become more meaningful to us.