Tainting Minds

I had to sit in on one of my contemporary’s class. It’s for an evaluation, one for the strong points one for the weak points of her teaching techniques. Her class is small, most have dropped, but she did a really good job in helping her students come to ideas about their final research paper.

There was one girl in the class, however, a shy girl, and her topic, the topic she wants to research, is why Harry Potter books should be banned. The problem, she says, is that the books promote witchcraft and cause young minds to consort with the devils. She thinks that books like the Potter books should not even be allowed in the library. I, being the devil’s advocate, asked her what about those parents who do not want their children’s reading list picked by other parents. She says it’s up to the Christian community to take a stand and protect those children whose parents are not going to step up to the plate.

Okay, I know there are people like that in this world, especially in Arkansas, but she is not even 20. How can a 20 year-old have such a narrow vision?

One of the other students said that if a boy can buy a condom why can’t he read a book? Her point, while liking a sophisticated argument, was clear. It didn’t take the class but a few minutes to split into two opposing sides, one for banning, and one for not banning.

The students were passionate in their stances. The teacher became the moderator and it was so hard for me to not give my opinion but I was quiet. The student left unswayed by her opposition and is going to write the paper. I am happy my contemporary will be grading it and not me; although, I think I could do so without being tainted by my own opinions. At least none of her students chose the abortion issue.