Dade schools defend banning of book on Cuba

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Miami Herald

Posted on Thu, Jun. 07, 2007
Dade schools defend banning of book on Cuba
The Miami-Dade School Board defended its ban on 'Vamos a Cuba' before an appellate court as two of the three judges in the panel questioned the ACLU's reasoning in the case.
BY TANIA deLUZURIAGA
[e-mail]

The children's book Vamos a Cuba doesn't contain any profanity or obscene images, but it also doesn't contain any information about Fidel Castro or the harsh realities of life under a communist dictatorship.

That's why the Miami-Dade school district asked a federal appeals court Wednesday to back local officials' decision to ban the controversial kids' book about life in Cuba.

''The School Board is saying these books are rife with factual omissions that render it unsuitable,'' School Board attorney Richard Ovelmen told a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The case has attracted national attention, as the outcome could affect how the First Amendment is applied in school libraries across the country.

''There are dangers in this,'' said Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. ``I'm worried that this could result in the creation of a road map on how to engage in censorship.''



Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/460/story/131347.html

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Book in question, Vamos a Cuba

(available at Amazon)

[ret5hd]

1. If "factual ommissions" render a book unsuitable...

won't we have to scrap EVERY history book being used in our school systems today?

[Up2Late]

8. Exactly.

:banghead: :grr:

[youngdem]

2. Typical of the Miami Looney Bin.....Always showing Castro what REAL fascism and abuse of power is

:crazy:

[DumpDavisHogg]

3. "...Cuba's lack of civil liberties, the political indoctrination of public-school children..."

The article says: "In its complaint filed with the appellate court, the board states that the book should be removed because it does not mention Cuba's lack of civil liberties, the political indoctrination of public-school children or food rationing, among other issues."

Well, does that mean we should also ban books about the United States that fail to mention the United States' lack of civil liberties and the indoctrination of public school children?

[1932]

6. Pot meet kettle.

Book banning and trying to prevent students from reading anything that doesn't promote the party line on Cuba.

Hmm.

[sutz12]

4. There are 'factual omissions' in the Bible...maybe we should ban that. nt

[reprobate]

5. I'd vote for that. It'd result in a lot fewer crazies.

[deadparrot]

7. .

"We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people."

-John F. Kennedy

:cry: