Children's book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" banned from Texas curriculum

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

What do the authors of the children's book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and a 2008 book called Ethical Marxism: The Categorical Imperative of Liberation have in common?

Both are named Bill Martin and, for now, neither is being added to Texas schoolbooks.

In its haste to sort out the state's social studies curriculum standards this month, the State Board of Education tossed children's author Martin, who died in 2004, from a proposal for the third-grade section. Board member Pat Hardy, R-Weatherford, who made the motion, cited books he had written for adults that contain "very strong critiques of capitalism and the American system."

Trouble is, the Bill Martin Jr. who wrote the Brown Bear series never wrote anything political, unless you count a book that taught kids how to say the Pledge of Allegiance, his friends said. The book on Marxism was written by Bill Martin, a philosophy professor at DePaul University in Chicago.

...

Hardy said she was trusting the research of another board member, Terri Leo, R-Spring, when she made her motion and comments about Martin's writing. Leo had sent her an e-mail alerting her to Bill Martin Jr.'s listing on the Borders .com Web site as the author of Ethical Marxism. Leo's note also said she hadn't read the book.

"She said that that was what he wrote, and I said: ' ... It's a good enough reason for me to get rid of someone,' " said Hardy, who has complained vehemently about the volume of names being added to the curriculum standards.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...n1.4ba2046.html

[Peikko 1,575]

Nice people. The particular book in question is really neither here nor there, but the standards by which such people put books on 'ban' lists is grotesque. All books by Bill Martin are banned, no matter what the content of the books is. Priceless.

[natty bumppo 297]

why do you hate brown bears?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

What about a story of two brown bears starting up a fishing business?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Nice people. The particular book in question is really neither here nor there, but the standards by which such people put books on 'ban' lists is grotesque. All books by Bill Martin are banned, no matter what the content of the books is. Priceless.

Based on a title alone! Absolutely disgusting.

[Amby 490]

so they banned it just because they don't agree with another book he wrote or are these two different people?

Edited January 26, 2010 by Amby

[one...two...tree 2,762]

so they banned it just because they don't agree with another book he wrote?

Maybe they thought the two brown bears were about to engage in gay sex?

[Amby 490]

Maybe they thought the two brown bears were about to engage in gay sex?

I think it's two people with the same name

[Peikko 1,575]

so they banned it just because they don't agree with another book he wrote or are these two different people?

No, they banned it because they don't like the title of another book he didn't write, but that another Bill Martin did. Someone got all excited on an email and no one bothered to check out if the book was as bad as the title made it sound, or if the writer was the same writer as the writer of the children's book.

[natty bumppo 297]

Based on a title alone! Absolutely disgusting.

judging a book by it's cover ... humm interesting duality there

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

so they banned it just because they don't agree with another book he wrote or are these two different people?

Two different people.

But what's even more interesting is that they didn't even read the book they had a problem with.. they just didn't like the title!

[Amby 490]

Two different people.

But what's even more interesting is that they didn't even read the book they had a problem with.. they just didn't like the title!

Idiots!

[Peikko 1,575]

Two different people.

But what's even more interesting is that they didn't even read the book they had a problem with.. they just didn't like the title!

Must have been an ugly democrat. One of the hot Republicans wouldn't make a mistake like that

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Must have been an ugly democrat. One of the hot Republicans wouldn't make a mistake like that

Republicans are only hot on the outside. More often than not, they're ugly as fuсk on the inside.

[Amby 490]

hmmm...here's the description from amazon

What role does ethics play in Marxism? Can ethical imperatives displace political economy at Marxism's core? In an age of rampant capitalism, can the vision of a free global society be kept alive? Bill Martin contends that these questions can't be answered within the cold confines of theoretical debate, but must be examined within a conversation of what is right and good. In arguing that the effects of capitalism cannot be judged solely by political and economic implications, Martin uses examples from science fiction as well as the real-world example of animal rights.