Basic HTML Version
Garner Ted Armstrong
smut stavs
in Classrooms.
SChOOI
Board Rules
I
N
A
world of s hocking ,
se nsational, mind-boggling
events, global conferences on
food and population, EEC Summit
talks, President Ford's trip to the
Soviet Union and the subsequent
Arms Limitations Agreement, bomb
blasts in England, staggering econo–
mies, soaring infiation, and rising
unemployment, it is more than
probable a seemingly unimportant
protest over clúldren's textbooks in
Kanawha County, West Virginia
will be ignored.
Yet, in tlús controversy can be
found one of the
basic causes
for
many of the gigantic problems fac–
ing all of mankind today, as well as
the American Congress and the
American people. This cause is the
mora ls erosion - the "character
drain. "
In a full-page ad in the
Charleston
Gazette,
Thursday, November 14,
1974, the Business and Professional
People's Alliance for Better Text–
books boldly printed exact excerpts
f r om textbooks produced by
Webster/McGraw-Hill, McDougal ,
Littell
&
Company, and Scott
Foresman Company, which, on No–
vember 8, 1974, had been returned
to the schools by the Kanawha
County Board of Education.
PLAIN TRUTH
January
1975
The excerpts of children's text–
books included dozens of "damns"
and "hells" and an incredibly liberal
sprinkling of direct blasphemy of
the names of God and Jesus Christ.
There were many racist statements
(sample: "Biack as a nigger," "You
son of a
," and "he and the
fat wop went out . .."). The
Gazette
ad said about a book titled
Per–
spective
(publisbed by Scott Fores–
man
&
Company): "The overall
theme of this book is viol.ence, ha–
tred of different races, murder,
dope, drinking, disrespect for par–
ents and older people."
For tiny tots, there were jump
rope jingles and other useful rhymes
such as:
Fudge, fudge
Fudge, fudge,
Call the Judge,
Mama's got a newborn baby!
It's not a girl,
and it's not a boy,
lt's just a newborn baby!
Wrap it up in tissue paper,
put it on the eleva tor.
One, two, three,
and
out goes he!
The ad alleges and da res to place
within quotes ample proof to back
up its claim that blatant racism, vio–
lence, lewd and lascivious conduct,
anti-Christian attitudes, blasphemy
of God's name, and even mockery
SPIAKS
OUT!
of Ch rist' s l ife and dea th a re
sprinkled throughout the textbooks
named.
But the controversy is far from
simple outrage against profanity or
racism. It is argued by the educators
that textbook content must be "mul–
ticultural," and with this principie
the protesters say they agree. It is
also argued that the profanity and
unacceptable language was "taken
out of context" by the alliance for
better textbooks, and, of course, in–
dividua l acts of violence by the pro–
testers did nothing to help their
cause.
As an administrator of educa–
tional institutions for nearly 20
years , from elementary grades
through college leve!, I am of the
firmest possible conviction that
washroom graffiti does not belong in
children's textbooks.
Slop served on fine china doesn't
make an appetizing dish; and at–
tending X-rated films in a tuxedo
doesn't make
it
fashionable.
It seems that many educators and
textbook publishers have an easily
discernible calloused disregard for
the laws ofGod, the HoJy Bible, and
a ll Christian teaching! The Supreme
Court ruled aga inst prayers in
schools years ago. Based upon tbe
most stringent principie of separa–
tion of churcb and state, it is diffi–
c ult to argue that decision.
However, when one sees a blatant
attempt to deliberately place blas–
phemy
against
religion into school
textbooks and when we see the con–
certed effort to urge youngsters to
use crass, crude, or even filthy and
blasphemous language or to subtly
imply drugs, drunkenness, illicit re–
lations, or the wrapping of a new–
born baby in paper to be placed in
an elevator as a perfectly normal,
(Continued on page 32)
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