I was very hopeful when I read the title of this article because I really hope that all sides of the book banning versus book retention issue can work together to find a workable solution - and do it quickly and productively. I did not expect to read a litany of how each side is wrong. Nor did I expect to be told as facts what I see as Mr. Kenney’s opinions.
My basic opinion is that before we the people of Spotsy start donating books to school libraries, I want to know what happened to the banned books and then see if there is any appropriate action that can be taken if they were disposed of contrary to written policies. By appropriate action I mean requiring the offender(s) to reimburse the SCSD for the cost of replacing the books.
As for Mr. Kenney’s opinions, perhaps he Is not totally aware of the fact that those of us on the “left“ were totally ignored and belittled by the school board majority of four for the last two years. For example, every challenged book was reviewed by a committee which included private citizens as well as educators. Every single book that was recommended for retention was removed at Mr. Taylor’s instruction. Perhaps he is also not totally aware that Mr. Taylor improperly included school library books in his definition of “instructional materials” so he could remove them and then tried to incorporate that definition into a newly drafted SCPS policy which was presented to the school board by the young, inexperenced man who now sits in Mr. Russell’s office.
I hope to see the refreshed School Board be more transparent, more open to communication, more courteous, more appreciative of school employees, and much more respectful of each other and everyone who contacts them by phone or email or at public meetings.
Now turn that two years into twenty. That is how the left has treated the right in Spotsylvania, and all that happened was that the left was paid back in their own coin.
If this is not clearly seen and there is to be a return to "nonpartisan" school boards? Then the critique is right -- the leadership will have learned and forgotten nothing.
Let's hope there is a return to process, transparency, communication and courtesy. I am not entirely convinced that certain partisans want any of that (but I am hopeful). But it is what the people voted for and expect.
I am optimistic, too! As for a comparison, though, I believe my daughter had a better education when she spent 12 years in Spotsy schools (1990 - 2002) than my grandchildren have had ever since Twigg,Taylor, et al arrived.
"the Left"? By that do you mean everyone who is not hard-right? Because for the 20 years I've lived in Spotsylvania, those on the left have been in the minority by far.
I don't think you can bemoan the existence of those "...who still view the world in the false dichotomy of us and them, left and right, friends and enemies who must be destroyed and run down at all costs," while spinning tales of 20 years of mistreatment by the minority 'left' and minimizing the mistakes of the past two years as mere payback.
Yes — the political left who treated SCPS as their own private fief.
So when the opposition behaved as the left behaved these last 20 years, what were the words used to describe their behavior? Fascism, was it? Yet all that changed were the people in control of the system…
Poor little Shaun. Would someone give him his participation trophy already? Geez.
Seems like every other week, he's searching for praise because he is not either participating nor endorsing this particular affront to decency from members of his party. Well done, SK. well done.
For the record, I too am against book burning, and other forms of suppression of free thought. More so than many liberals. Not just safe things like Dr. Seuss, but likewise Macauliffe's arbitrary insistence of removing the Confederate flag from SCV's license plates - or Stoney's destruction of Confederate monuments. Who are they to interpret art for others?
I see the benefit of a more nuanced ground. Just watched comedy specials from Trevor Noah and Ricky Gervais the other day - and found value in both of them. Along with plenty to criticize.
I liked Trevor's take on how German's handle the history of Nazism as compared to America "conservatives" head in the sand approach.
But I found his casual racism toward the French, and white people in general a little tedious. Not enough to quit watching, but it was predictable. A bit mailed in.
And wondered what other demographic could be mocked in such a way without the left condemning them. Plus, from an art standpoint, for me, he's really not all that funny. A good chuckle, but few horse laughs at an original idea. Then again, I don't care much for Will Farell's humor, so to each, his own.
Still, I'd pass on censorship. Humor, like other forms of art, are in the eye of the beholder.
And the idea he applied toward German history, is the one I wished Stoney would have applied toward Lee's statue. Context, not destruction. Leave the statue, leave the graffiti. It too had become part of the story. That what is valued by one generation, is sometimes despised by the next. And that both those building statues and those destroying them should use caution. That would have been truly valuable.
Funny though, that upon seeing us, I suspect he would have seen myself and Mr Kenney as two sides of the same coin, rather than two individuals with our own perspective. So yes, certainly, the left is equally capable of racism, hypocrisy, etc. As are black people, young people, people with birthdays, etc. I suspect it is a human condition. Can we move on, or do we all get trophies?
Then again, RG did evoke laughs.
Generally because his ideas were so outrageous and shocking. That is more to my taste. As was Richard Pryor, back in the day - though looking at his work now seems a bit more dated than a Marx Brothers or Abbot and Costello routine.
When Gervais did his bit about those who would destroy a statue because it was of someone later found to be a pedophile, or slave holder (or in TJ's case, both!), instead add context, I agreed.
And he noted the irony of those woke folk who would tear down the statue, but keep the stuff they value. IE, UVA fans happily wanting Lee destroyed, but certainly not the school that Jefferson built.
Again, it's nuanced. I too would not want UVA, except by VT in football on the last weekend in November, destroyed. But I don't feel anyone owes me a trophy for feeling that way.
Still, as much as we are in solid agreement regarding the need to avoid censorship, that the "conservative" Puritans destruction or loss of those valuable books are worth investigating - with the chips falling where they may, I do remain astonished at the equivocation that always seems to be part of Shaun's columns. Again, he may state how much he hate's Trump's ways, yet he sure does imitate him.
No, there is no equivalency between a spontaneous outburst of emotion from common citizens at systemic injustices that lead to their continual deaths, and someone who is entrusted (though Shaun, myself, and the majority of Americans agreed he shouldn't have been) with the most sacred and important position in the land - using scheme of lies and violence to hold onto power.
It devalues those who have honored that trust to so lightly ignore Trump's failure to do so. No Shaun, 140 cops did not get beat half to death and the Insurrection Act invocation of martial law to impede a lawful election get considered because someone merely forgot to lock the doors on the Capitol that day. No matter how much you try to trivialize or normalize it.
And when Shaun complains of those who disagree with him as saying that he is "an enemy to be destroyed." How many times has he whined when criticized, plaintively responding to challenges to his falsehoods and subjectivities by asking Why do you hate (us/me) so much?
Denigrating any challenges to his statements by casting them as emotional rather than based upon his actions and statements. That's not a defense, that's a dodge.
Again, like Trump.
So again, congratulations on not being okay with burning books. Way to go?!?
Please advise us if you are also expecting praise for not reverting to cannibalism, restarting the Inquisition, or pasteurizing milk.
Cause until you can manage to take a position without always feeling the need to minimize the wrong doing by those you otherwise choose to support, or to pretend that everyone does it, it's just a bit hard to take it too seriously.
Thank you for providing me an opportunity to remember how powerful the human imagination is.
In that I can choose to read your vacuous, repetitious, and self-pitying dismissals and picture a middle aged man, bereft of ideas, yet full of sound and fury, curled up in a figurative ball; writing it over and over when challenged - like a modern day chakra, meant to protect him from all evil thoughts.
Whilst I wonder, maybe we were wrong as parents to give kids participation trophies in the '80s, as we well meaningly coached our soccer, or baseball, or softball teams.
I admit, I too was guilty, of looking during the end of season banquets to find a positive something to say about each kid. If it was wrong, please know it was done with the best of intentions. We truly believed that praise and positive reinforcement for effort spent, was a good thing.
Still, science and clinical observation may prove that we may have gotten it wrong, just as the recent article regarding Representative Spanberger joining her Republican colleagues in changing school policy regarding whole milk usage in schools was based upon objective review of the results.
Or maybe we will later learn that it was not our well meaning praise 40 years ago that has produced citizens so thin-skinned, ill-prepared, yet so incapable of having their thoughts challenged or reviewed.
Perhaps a side effect of so much micro-plastic in the food chain? Forever chemicals? Maybe we passed through a cosmic storm during your time of conception? Or maybe such folk have always been with us, as many claim for the LBGQT community. I do not know.
I truly don't.
Still, with a mere flick of the imagination, when confronted with such insincere and unflattering whining from what is put forth to us as the modern day Republican Standard, the apex of modern conservatism - I found it quite easy yesterday to substitute for that most unpleasant picture; another.
That of a remembered late 20-something Linda Rondstadt alluringly looking at a camera from around 1980, as she insincerely sings the lyrics of "Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me" while every heterosexual male on the planet is hoping that he can be the one to ease her suffering.
Same idea, much more pleasant picture for the mind's eye to purview.
Therefore, please know that your comment wasn't a complete waste of space or time.
Once again mistaking bemusement, confusion, and contempt for hatred.
How important you must feel.
I've explained before. I'll patiently do so, yet again.
It's not hatred.
Again, as we are in complete agreement - from what I've seen, you're about the best in the bunch. In that you do make an effort to explain today's Republicanism.
However weakly, vaguely, illogically. Notwithstanding how quickly your claims wilt under scrutiny, and how consistently unable you are to defend them.
The lady on the other thread asked you to provide one clear example of your claim of 20 years of similar abuse by the Spotsy Dems that were equivalent to those we all joined in despising from the current board.
Not unexpectedly, it didn't happen. Never seems to, does it?
Personally, I was looking forward to learning something new. Someone else was asking. Politely. Concisely. Openly. I had hope. That maybe this person could coax a logical response from you to back your grand and continual claims of conspiracy, injury, and grievance.
I wasn't here 3 years ago. And was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe there was some justification. I'd be open to hearing about it. Isn't that the way discourse is supposed to work?
Yet, once again, as you have with so many others over the last few months; instead, you choose to mock her and dismiss her questions as being unworthy of meaningful response.
If there's any emotion involved, please know that it's more pity and whatever that feeling is when you feel embarrassed for someone else when you realize, apparently, this really is their best.
That sometimes, there really is nothing more coming. This is all there is.
A duck is a duck, a cigar is nothing more than a cigar.
Anyway, as I said, not a total waste. Got to enjoy the Rondstadt memory, and learned a new term from the Nelsons.
Think I'll go watch some football now. Enjoy your weekend. Can't wait to read the next batch of rationalizations, you goofy scamp...
Like I said, apparently - you are the best of the bunch, a true epitome of today's conservatism.
The Republican Standard.
Shame it's not as much a reason for celebration as some seem to think.
I think we are looking at a reaction called DARVO, where a person being called to account tries to turn things around by attacking the criticizer. They then become the victim. Look it up.
Or -- and hear me out here -- we really do have a condition where Democrats can behave like Democrats so long as Republicans do not behave like Democrats.
Not surprised to learn there is a term for it. I just call it modern day Republicanism.
I can think of few that have done it better than the current leader of the Republican party. It used to be shocking to see either the leader or the followers of one of the main political parties in our country have such contempt for their country or it's citizens when they dare to question their actions, policies, or statements.
Anymore, it's merely the status quo.
Just hard to take such people's arguments seriously, though the damage they have created on every level since devolving to such tactics has been very serious.
I was very hopeful when I read the title of this article because I really hope that all sides of the book banning versus book retention issue can work together to find a workable solution - and do it quickly and productively. I did not expect to read a litany of how each side is wrong. Nor did I expect to be told as facts what I see as Mr. Kenney’s opinions.
My basic opinion is that before we the people of Spotsy start donating books to school libraries, I want to know what happened to the banned books and then see if there is any appropriate action that can be taken if they were disposed of contrary to written policies. By appropriate action I mean requiring the offender(s) to reimburse the SCSD for the cost of replacing the books.
As for Mr. Kenney’s opinions, perhaps he Is not totally aware of the fact that those of us on the “left“ were totally ignored and belittled by the school board majority of four for the last two years. For example, every challenged book was reviewed by a committee which included private citizens as well as educators. Every single book that was recommended for retention was removed at Mr. Taylor’s instruction. Perhaps he is also not totally aware that Mr. Taylor improperly included school library books in his definition of “instructional materials” so he could remove them and then tried to incorporate that definition into a newly drafted SCPS policy which was presented to the school board by the young, inexperenced man who now sits in Mr. Russell’s office.
I hope to see the refreshed School Board be more transparent, more open to communication, more courteous, more appreciative of school employees, and much more respectful of each other and everyone who contacts them by phone or email or at public meetings.
Now turn that two years into twenty. That is how the left has treated the right in Spotsylvania, and all that happened was that the left was paid back in their own coin.
If this is not clearly seen and there is to be a return to "nonpartisan" school boards? Then the critique is right -- the leadership will have learned and forgotten nothing.
Let's hope there is a return to process, transparency, communication and courtesy. I am not entirely convinced that certain partisans want any of that (but I am hopeful). But it is what the people voted for and expect.
I am optimistic, too! As for a comparison, though, I believe my daughter had a better education when she spent 12 years in Spotsy schools (1990 - 2002) than my grandchildren have had ever since Twigg,Taylor, et al arrived.
The good news is that we are ALL rooting for this new board!! Here’s hoping for a lot of 7-0 votes.
"the Left"? By that do you mean everyone who is not hard-right? Because for the 20 years I've lived in Spotsylvania, those on the left have been in the minority by far.
I don't think you can bemoan the existence of those "...who still view the world in the false dichotomy of us and them, left and right, friends and enemies who must be destroyed and run down at all costs," while spinning tales of 20 years of mistreatment by the minority 'left' and minimizing the mistakes of the past two years as mere payback.
Yes — the political left who treated SCPS as their own private fief.
So when the opposition behaved as the left behaved these last 20 years, what were the words used to describe their behavior? Fascism, was it? Yet all that changed were the people in control of the system…
That should give people pause. Just for a moment.
Could you give me some examples of how the political left treated the schools as their fief?
Sigh.
Poor little Shaun. Would someone give him his participation trophy already? Geez.
Seems like every other week, he's searching for praise because he is not either participating nor endorsing this particular affront to decency from members of his party. Well done, SK. well done.
For the record, I too am against book burning, and other forms of suppression of free thought. More so than many liberals. Not just safe things like Dr. Seuss, but likewise Macauliffe's arbitrary insistence of removing the Confederate flag from SCV's license plates - or Stoney's destruction of Confederate monuments. Who are they to interpret art for others?
I see the benefit of a more nuanced ground. Just watched comedy specials from Trevor Noah and Ricky Gervais the other day - and found value in both of them. Along with plenty to criticize.
I liked Trevor's take on how German's handle the history of Nazism as compared to America "conservatives" head in the sand approach.
But I found his casual racism toward the French, and white people in general a little tedious. Not enough to quit watching, but it was predictable. A bit mailed in.
And wondered what other demographic could be mocked in such a way without the left condemning them. Plus, from an art standpoint, for me, he's really not all that funny. A good chuckle, but few horse laughs at an original idea. Then again, I don't care much for Will Farell's humor, so to each, his own.
Still, I'd pass on censorship. Humor, like other forms of art, are in the eye of the beholder.
And the idea he applied toward German history, is the one I wished Stoney would have applied toward Lee's statue. Context, not destruction. Leave the statue, leave the graffiti. It too had become part of the story. That what is valued by one generation, is sometimes despised by the next. And that both those building statues and those destroying them should use caution. That would have been truly valuable.
Funny though, that upon seeing us, I suspect he would have seen myself and Mr Kenney as two sides of the same coin, rather than two individuals with our own perspective. So yes, certainly, the left is equally capable of racism, hypocrisy, etc. As are black people, young people, people with birthdays, etc. I suspect it is a human condition. Can we move on, or do we all get trophies?
Then again, RG did evoke laughs.
Generally because his ideas were so outrageous and shocking. That is more to my taste. As was Richard Pryor, back in the day - though looking at his work now seems a bit more dated than a Marx Brothers or Abbot and Costello routine.
When Gervais did his bit about those who would destroy a statue because it was of someone later found to be a pedophile, or slave holder (or in TJ's case, both!), instead add context, I agreed.
And he noted the irony of those woke folk who would tear down the statue, but keep the stuff they value. IE, UVA fans happily wanting Lee destroyed, but certainly not the school that Jefferson built.
Again, it's nuanced. I too would not want UVA, except by VT in football on the last weekend in November, destroyed. But I don't feel anyone owes me a trophy for feeling that way.
Still, as much as we are in solid agreement regarding the need to avoid censorship, that the "conservative" Puritans destruction or loss of those valuable books are worth investigating - with the chips falling where they may, I do remain astonished at the equivocation that always seems to be part of Shaun's columns. Again, he may state how much he hate's Trump's ways, yet he sure does imitate him.
No, there is no equivalency between a spontaneous outburst of emotion from common citizens at systemic injustices that lead to their continual deaths, and someone who is entrusted (though Shaun, myself, and the majority of Americans agreed he shouldn't have been) with the most sacred and important position in the land - using scheme of lies and violence to hold onto power.
It devalues those who have honored that trust to so lightly ignore Trump's failure to do so. No Shaun, 140 cops did not get beat half to death and the Insurrection Act invocation of martial law to impede a lawful election get considered because someone merely forgot to lock the doors on the Capitol that day. No matter how much you try to trivialize or normalize it.
And when Shaun complains of those who disagree with him as saying that he is "an enemy to be destroyed." How many times has he whined when criticized, plaintively responding to challenges to his falsehoods and subjectivities by asking Why do you hate (us/me) so much?
Denigrating any challenges to his statements by casting them as emotional rather than based upon his actions and statements. That's not a defense, that's a dodge.
Again, like Trump.
So again, congratulations on not being okay with burning books. Way to go?!?
Please advise us if you are also expecting praise for not reverting to cannibalism, restarting the Inquisition, or pasteurizing milk.
Cause until you can manage to take a position without always feeling the need to minimize the wrong doing by those you otherwise choose to support, or to pretend that everyone does it, it's just a bit hard to take it too seriously.
Still, keep your chins up. Maybe next year.
Yep -- they really do hate us.
Thank you for providing me an opportunity to remember how powerful the human imagination is.
In that I can choose to read your vacuous, repetitious, and self-pitying dismissals and picture a middle aged man, bereft of ideas, yet full of sound and fury, curled up in a figurative ball; writing it over and over when challenged - like a modern day chakra, meant to protect him from all evil thoughts.
Whilst I wonder, maybe we were wrong as parents to give kids participation trophies in the '80s, as we well meaningly coached our soccer, or baseball, or softball teams.
I admit, I too was guilty, of looking during the end of season banquets to find a positive something to say about each kid. If it was wrong, please know it was done with the best of intentions. We truly believed that praise and positive reinforcement for effort spent, was a good thing.
Still, science and clinical observation may prove that we may have gotten it wrong, just as the recent article regarding Representative Spanberger joining her Republican colleagues in changing school policy regarding whole milk usage in schools was based upon objective review of the results.
Or maybe we will later learn that it was not our well meaning praise 40 years ago that has produced citizens so thin-skinned, ill-prepared, yet so incapable of having their thoughts challenged or reviewed.
Perhaps a side effect of so much micro-plastic in the food chain? Forever chemicals? Maybe we passed through a cosmic storm during your time of conception? Or maybe such folk have always been with us, as many claim for the LBGQT community. I do not know.
I truly don't.
Still, with a mere flick of the imagination, when confronted with such insincere and unflattering whining from what is put forth to us as the modern day Republican Standard, the apex of modern conservatism - I found it quite easy yesterday to substitute for that most unpleasant picture; another.
That of a remembered late 20-something Linda Rondstadt alluringly looking at a camera from around 1980, as she insincerely sings the lyrics of "Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me" while every heterosexual male on the planet is hoping that he can be the one to ease her suffering.
Same idea, much more pleasant picture for the mind's eye to purview.
Therefore, please know that your comment wasn't a complete waste of space or time.
So again, thanks. : )
...and here it is, going out of your way to demonstrate how deep your hatred is for all things to your right?
You're proving my point, Leo.
You poor gentle dear.
Once again mistaking bemusement, confusion, and contempt for hatred.
How important you must feel.
I've explained before. I'll patiently do so, yet again.
It's not hatred.
Again, as we are in complete agreement - from what I've seen, you're about the best in the bunch. In that you do make an effort to explain today's Republicanism.
However weakly, vaguely, illogically. Notwithstanding how quickly your claims wilt under scrutiny, and how consistently unable you are to defend them.
The lady on the other thread asked you to provide one clear example of your claim of 20 years of similar abuse by the Spotsy Dems that were equivalent to those we all joined in despising from the current board.
Not unexpectedly, it didn't happen. Never seems to, does it?
Personally, I was looking forward to learning something new. Someone else was asking. Politely. Concisely. Openly. I had hope. That maybe this person could coax a logical response from you to back your grand and continual claims of conspiracy, injury, and grievance.
I wasn't here 3 years ago. And was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe there was some justification. I'd be open to hearing about it. Isn't that the way discourse is supposed to work?
Yet, once again, as you have with so many others over the last few months; instead, you choose to mock her and dismiss her questions as being unworthy of meaningful response.
If there's any emotion involved, please know that it's more pity and whatever that feeling is when you feel embarrassed for someone else when you realize, apparently, this really is their best.
That sometimes, there really is nothing more coming. This is all there is.
A duck is a duck, a cigar is nothing more than a cigar.
Anyway, as I said, not a total waste. Got to enjoy the Rondstadt memory, and learned a new term from the Nelsons.
Think I'll go watch some football now. Enjoy your weekend. Can't wait to read the next batch of rationalizations, you goofy scamp...
Like I said, apparently - you are the best of the bunch, a true epitome of today's conservatism.
The Republican Standard.
Shame it's not as much a reason for celebration as some seem to think.
Anyway, 'til then...
I think we are looking at a reaction called DARVO, where a person being called to account tries to turn things around by attacking the criticizer. They then become the victim. Look it up.
Or -- and hear me out here -- we really do have a condition where Democrats can behave like Democrats so long as Republicans do not behave like Democrats.
You guys keep demonstrating the proof in spades.
Not surprised to learn there is a term for it. I just call it modern day Republicanism.
I can think of few that have done it better than the current leader of the Republican party. It used to be shocking to see either the leader or the followers of one of the main political parties in our country have such contempt for their country or it's citizens when they dare to question their actions, policies, or statements.
Anymore, it's merely the status quo.
Just hard to take such people's arguments seriously, though the damage they have created on every level since devolving to such tactics has been very serious.
Pity.
For all of us.
...and yet here you are, engaging in the very tactics you claim to deplore.
Weird.
Unfortunately, the problem remains that the political left in this country -- and in most cases -- absolutely hates the political right.
Tough to have a conversation with those who hold their opposition in total contempt.
...and there we have it.