Children's Book banned for Gay Content. Right or Wrong?

I don't think books should ever be banned, particularly in a case like this, where it's obvious that the issue is more about what a small group of people think than what is best for the child.

i don't believe in book banning and I don't believe in intolerance.This book sounds lovely and not dangerous to kids.Opressed adults should at least want more love, honesty and empathy for their children's hearts and minds.

Oh, please. They're PENGUINS. What can they DO? Of course I wouldn't mind reading that book to my children. It's LOVE. There are so many different types of love out there, and children are young anyway, they wouldn't really understand. I think banning books is just stupid.

If they had to make an issue out of it then something is definitely wrong with the book. Why couldn't the author keep that theme out? If you had to ask then you are not sure and I must say that exposing children to that type of stuff at an early age will make them grow up thinking that it is normal. Homosexuality is not normal. Society today is making it seem as if nothing is wrong with it. The devil really is powerful. He has sneaked into the world and is taking souls at an alarming rate. To conclude I think it is wrong and that the book should rightfully be banned.

Sounds very odd to me. I think its important that children learn that there is more than one form of love, and as long as there are no 'unsuitable graphic details' the broad concept of same gender love is actually an important idea to introduce children to. Its not the same as promoting it, just making sure they understand that it exists so that later on its easier to explain or answer any questions they may have as they grow up.

I think banning books is one of the worst things society does these days. The book actually sounds adorable, and I would love to read it. I'm going to look it up! I wouldn't mind reading this to my kids (if I had any) at all. I'd rather teach them to care and be aware than to "shelter" them and teach them to be prejudiced and hateful.

I think it was probably right. At the ages up to 12, no kid can really decide the nature they have. After the age of 12 they are able to have all this feelings and they are able to understand more and more the sayings of this book.

No I would not as it is part of Life now and Children need to know about it To me that again is discrimination but I guess that is the world now

I feel the parents should be the ones that discuss gays and gar rights to their children not schools. Thing is they have taken God and pray and the flag salutes out of schools to so hey we that believed in those things have rights as well. They can put the book in the school library and if a kid wants to check it out on their own free will then so be it. Just like prayer and flag salutes and so on should be allowed and well if you don't want to do them don't. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander.

It is wrong for the school to ban a book just because of the lov ein it is same swex love. The kids should be allowed to form their own opinions about things and should be learned that not all are the same..

I read that and just couldn't believe it. It's a true story! It's about *penguins*! I've flipped through the book and it's very cute and very sweet and very innocent. It's just a cute little story that sends the message that all families are different. It focues more on the baby being an orphan than on the fact that two male penguins raise it. I really don't see what the big deal is. Actually, I do. The more well known it is that gay behavior occurs in nature, the weaker the argument 'it's not natural' is. And people don't want to lose the one non-religious argument they have against homosexuality.

We have to remember that some parents either don't want the schools to teach their kids about this kind of stuff or they don't want it taught at certain times in their lives. Parents should have the right to control that kind of information but it would be hard to do it if not on a person to person basis which is inefficient.

Could I play devil's advocate here. Now, know for a fact that I have gay friends and family. But, we've got extremists on both sides of all issues and it makes it hard for most of us who are in the middle to be comfortable. Just as much as people have the right to be gay, and to not be persecuted for it, people also have the right to not accept that lifestyle. Argue against me if you want, but all your doing is saying that people who have a believe different than your own are not entitled to that belief. People who believe in conservatism, tradition, most major religious orthodoxies, do not want their children to be taught about homosexual behaviours, because it's their belief that it is wrong. Schools that banned those books, most likely did so under pressure from school boards who were pressured by politicians or voters. this is just the way the world works. Maybe homosexuality is okay, maybe it isn't. Point is, we have to respect all points of view, or we become just as fascist as those we are pointing our fingers at. Personally, I don't want, if I ever have any children, to have them be taught in the public school system. I would prefer to teach children on my own, what I feel is a good ethical system, knowing that I"m not perfect, and that my children will certainly, as is natural, rebel against my teachings. But, a parent who tries their best to raise their children with Love and self-discipline will do a better job instilling ethics than a society/Public school system more concerned with political correctness, than actual good values.

What a complete crock. If I had kids I would approve of this being read to them in school.

I wouldn't mind. There is nothing wrong with two males loving each other. To a child, they would not see is any different that one person loving another. Also, I am sure the book says they love each other, not that they are IN love with each other. In nature there are male penguins that are essentally gay. They have a loving relationship with each other and raise the baby. The mother is a surrogate for forming the egg and she hands it over to the male couple when she passes the egg. Parents need to calm down and allow there children to be exposed to different ideas.

Oh come on That isnt a gay content A father and a son's love is them being gay? This is totally ridiculous I reckon the critics got nothing to do so they are just banning such books!

If you put your child in the public school system you have to know that the values of the society will be taught in that school. If you don't want your child to learn the values of this society then you have the option to send them to private schools or to home school them. You also have the right to remove your child from lessons that offend or go against that which you are teaching in the home. Depending on the age/maturity of the child you might decide to not enroll them in a school that teaches things contrary to your beliefs. Perhaps home school them until they are able to make decisions about books of this nature (or dealing with other things one might find contrary to their beliefs). Also how do we know that the story is true? How much time was spent with the penguins, is this one person's account or is their proof to back up the book?

If I wrote a book about living with my mother and we love each other, would they ban that too? Unless it details them MAKING love, I don't see a problem. What, we shouldn't teach our children to love more than their families and them selves? I love my friend Lorra, yet I am a married woman, does that mean I'm bi? Good grief too many people with too many hang ups getting to make to many rules and standards. If we don't get these idiots out of power, we are NEVER going to get anywhere.

well if it has strong gay content then yea i wouldnt want my kids to learn about it that way. im not sure. but id like to teach em in my own way about homosexuality.

Are you sure that it talks about hte penguins being IN love, or is it saying that they CARE about eachother. A school district shouldn't ban books. What a student reads is up to the partents while he is in elementary school. After that, a student should read what interests him, whther the parents approve or not, as long as the material isn't something that is illegal for the student to read before they are 18 or 21.