N.C. Parents Angered by Gay Prince Book

Johnny Stew · #1 03-19-2004, 09:57 PM

(If the Hartsell's refuse to return the book, I'm going to buy a replacement copy and send it to the Freeman Elementary School. The book isn't about sex... which I agree a first-grader is too young to be exposed to... it's about love, which comes in many forms, whether people like the Hartsell's "agree" with it or not.)

N.C. Parents Angered by Gay Prince Book

WILMINGTON, N.C. - The parents of a first-grader are fuming over the book their daughter brought home from the school library: a children's story about a prince whose true love turns out to be another prince.

Michael Hartsell said he and his wife, Tonya, couldn't believe it when Prince Bertie, the leading character in "King & King," waves off a bevy of eligible princes before falling for Prince Lee.

The book ends with the princes marrying and sharing a kiss.

"I was flabbergasted," Hartsell said. "My child is not old enough to understand something like that, especially when it is not in our beliefs."

The 32-page book by Linda De Haan and Stern Nijland was published in March 2002 by Tricycle Press, the children's division of Ten Speed Press of Berkeley, Calif. A follow-up, "King & King & Family," was recently published.

The publisher's Web site lists the books as intended for readers age 6 and up.

"This book was reviewed by the most reputable children's book reviewers in the country," publisher Nicole Geiger said. "Not one of them said it was inappropriate for children or should not have been published."

"There are many kinds of families in this country, and the children in these families and their friends deserve to see their situations in a positive light."

Barbara Hawley, librarian and media coordinator at Freeman Elementary School, said the book has been on the library's shelves since early last year.

"What might be inappropriate for one family, in another family is a totally acceptable thing," said Elizabeth Miars, Freeman's principal.

Hawley said she couldn't comment on the book because she hadn't seen it. She declined to say whether she knowingly selected a book on gay marriage.

The Hartsells said they are keeping the book until they get assurances it won't be circulated. But Hawley said all county schools have a committee that reviews books after their appropriateness is questioned, and the Hartsells must make a written complaint and return the book for review.

The Hartsells said they intend to file such a complaint and are considering transferring their daughter.

Mari · #2 03-20-2004, 05:24 AM

hey, that's a Dutch children's book

DrummerDeanna · #3 03-20-2004, 10:59 AM

and the cycle of intolerance is perpetuated in that kids home....seriously...you'd think parents would have bigger things to worry about than a book like this...

Johnny Stew · #4 03-20-2004, 02:46 PM

That's the saddest thing of all, Deanna. These parents have a wonderful opportunity to instill in their daughter an openness, understanding, and acceptance for other walks of life.

Instead, they'd rather perpetuate their own narrow-mindedness and misguided "values."

They're also blowing their chance to teach their daughter that it's Ok to be yourself, whether other people "agree" with it or not.

darklinensuit · #5 03-20-2004, 03:06 PM

What time is the book burning in their backyard?

Guess intolerance never goes out of style.

- Jake

Rob67 · #6 03-20-2004, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Johnny Stew
That's the saddest thing of all, Deanna. These parents have a wonderful opportunity to instill in their daughter an openness, understanding, and acceptance for other walks of life.

Instead, they'd rather perpetuate their own narrow-mindedness and misguided "values."

They're also blowing their chance to teach their daughter that it's Ok to be yourself, whether other people "agree" with it or not.

I agree with you, but at the same time, if they think it's morally wrong then that's their opinion. Many religions condem homosexuality. I am not saying I agree with religion, but it is what it is..... It is true that there isn't enough love in the world...why worry about a stupid book?

Rob

Johnny Stew · #7 03-20-2004, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rob67
I agree with you, but at the same time, if they think it's morally wrong then that's their opinion. Many religions condem homosexuality. I am not saying I agree with religion, but it is what it is..... It is true that there isn't enough love in the world...why worry about a stupid book?

Prejudice is prejudice, no matter how one justifies it.
Again, I point to the Ku Klux Klan, who also use religion to justify their hateful actions.
Far too many people use religion as an excuse, in my opinion, and we need to rise above that.

But, you know, if the Hartsell's think it's morally wrong... so be it. But it's not up to them to decide that NO child in that school disctrict should have the opportunity to read that book.

Alison · #8 03-20-2004, 05:20 PM

Hmmm, I have to careful of how I word this, or many people on this board will be hatefull with me.
I personally would not want my very young children reading that book. I would rather sit down and read it with her. Not every one has the same views. Just becasue some one dosn't agree with a life style choice don't call it hate. I personally don't agree with that life style, does that mean I hate gay people? No it doesn't.
God has called me to love and not to judge. God is the final judge in the end. We all will have to stand before him and give acount of what we say and do and what our motives were.
But I will probably get hatefull responds back for what I have said.
Actually I find the ledge very hatefull at times of others opinions. Mainly towards religion and Christians in general.

Merf · #9 03-20-2004, 05:58 PM

I live about 200 miles from Wilmington so this article was in my local paper. I just rolled my eyes when I read it. I guess I just don't understand how people can be so hateful towards other human beings and then claim it's because of their "Christian beliefs."

Intolerance in it's biggest, brightest, Judeo-Christian form. Unfortunately, I live in the Bible belt and stuff like this happens all the time. It's enough to make my skin crawl.

Alison · #10 03-20-2004, 06:39 PM

Merf... are you throwing all Christians in the same bag?
Your throwing hate towards Christians, in the same way you claim Christians are all intolerent to others, you are intolerent towards Christians.
I personally don't know any Christians who hate gays.
How would you feel if I said, gee, I live 200 miles from the gay community, and they are shoving their perverse life style down my throat. That sounds hateful doesn't it.

Merf · #11 03-20-2004, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Alison
Merf... are you throwing all Christians in the same bag?
Your throwing hate towards Christians, in the same way you claim Christians are all intolerent to others, you are intolerent towards Christians.
I personally don't know any Christians who hate gays.
How would you feel if I said, gee, I live 200 miles from the gay community, and they are shoving their perverse life style down my throat. That sounds hateful doesn't it.

I know a LOT of Christians who hate gays. I don't know if you live anywhere near the south, but it's reality here, more than anywhere else in the country. And it's a sad reality.

Mari · #12 03-20-2004, 07:03 PM

Umm... since when is falling in love with someone a "life-style"?

Sugar · #13 03-20-2004, 07:10 PM

So Merf doesn't agree with a certain "Christian lifestyle" just as some Christian's don't agree with a "gay lifestyle". And she can voice her opinion just as a Christian can voice his/hers. It's too much to expect everyone to just agree with each other blissfully. The key, IMO, is action vs. inaction.

I've talked about things like this with some of my black friends, and many of them have said they can deal with the fact knowing white racists exist, they basically don't want to have to feel the effect of it. And that's what this reminds me of.

No one is telling these people what to believe in or not, but the minute they decided not to return the book they started stepping on the rights of others. They could have just sat down with their daughter and talked with her about the book. Maybe it could have been a nice little story about friendship. The first grader probably didn't put very much importance on the book at all until mom and dad started making a big deal out of it.

Imagine if there is a child in that school being raised by two men. This is a pretty awful thing to do to him/her, isn't it?

Mari · #14 03-20-2004, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sugar

Imagine if there is a child in that school being raised by two men. This is a pretty awful thing to do to him/her, isn't it?

Nope, if the child's parents love him/her, there's nothing wrong with that. What Ã*s wrong to do, is for other people pointing fingers at it.
Just like pointing fingers at single parents, or mixed-race couples.

Btw, it's not that awful at all to be raised by two mothers or two fathers in my country.

Sugar · #15 03-20-2004, 07:24 PM

You and I are in agreement. The awful thing to do to a kid being raised by two men in this community is to have this other family hold up a similar lifestyle and say, "This is wrong, and I don't want my child reading this smut and I will remove my child from this school if this is considered acceptable!"

But your point is a good one, because I was actually waiting for someone to say something about a kid being raised by gay parents being an awful thing to do to the kid. My grandmother recently said that about a friend's bi-racial kids. I just shook my head at her.