A Johnston mother stood up in front of the district’s school board on Oct. 25 and read from a book called “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie. The book has a big stamp on the cover that reads national book award winner.
She said the book is used in language arts curriculum by at least six teachers for 10th graders at Johnston for the past four years.
“I spend hours in the bathroom with a magazine that has 1,000 pictures of naked movie stars: Naked woman + right hand = happy, happy, joy, joy.
“Yep, that’s right, I admit that I masturbate. I’m proud of it. I’m good at it. I’m ambidextrous. If there were a Professional Masturbators League, I’d get drafted number one and make millions of dollars.
“And maybe you’re thinking, ‘well, you really shouldn’t be talking about masturbation in public.’ Well, tough, I’m going to talk about it because EVERYBODY does it. And EVERYBODY likes it.
“And if God hadn’t wanted us to masturbate, then God wouldn’t have given us thumbs. So I thank God for my thumbs.”
And here is another excerpt from the book:
“Hey, Chief,” Roger said. “You want to hear a joke?”
“Sure,” I said.
“Did you know that Indians are living proof that ni**ers f*ck buffalo?”
She went on to read from another part of the book:
“Now doesn’t that give you a boner?”
“I am rock hard,” I said.
Gordy blushed.
“Well, I don’t mean boner in the sexual sense,” Gordy said. “I don’t think you should run through life with a real erect penis. But you should approach each book–you should approach life–with the real possibility that you might get a metaphorical boner at any point.”
The mother said it calls biracial kids “charcoal babies.” It mentions how a racist dad would prefer a 14-year-old white boy to put his hands down his daughter’s panties. It says all American Indians are aggressive drunks who like to talk dirty.
“And again mentions erections, but this time it’s when his hot teacher’s hugging him and he’s proud because he thinks she can feel it,” she said.
The book also uses homosexual slurs multiple times while calling Christians judgemental, hateful people.
“Side note, this author’s been accused and admits to sexually harassing 10 women in his workplace,” she said.
“There used to be a time when parents could send their kids to school and wouldn’t suspect the school would be using obscene, racist, vulgar reading material. This book is being used as a way to address diversity, inclusion and belonging. The only thing this book does to address the strategic plan is that it inclusively offends American Indians, blacks, whites, girls, boys, homosexuals and Christians. And for those who think, ‘what’s the big deal? Teenagers are exposed to these crude words every day.’ Teenagers are also exposed to drugs and porn, but never would I approve of educators to be the ones handing it out to them. Parents, pay attention to what your kids are being asked to read. Education is rapidly changing. There no longer seems to be a common goal and ethical standards.
“November 2nd is school board election. If you want a board with members that won’t scoff when you offer to volunteer when teachers quarantine, accepts diverse thought instead of referring to you as an unempathetic voice, one that’s willing to survey on major educational and health decisions for your children, that understands that laws in the state that are designed to prohibit educators giving obscene material to children and understand that teaching history — not nonfictional stories about divisive concepts — then vote Nov. 2 for candidates that will listen. Ethical leadership begins at the top.”
