Students at Perry High School will be using the book “The Hate U Give” in the first unit of English II this fall. According to the teacher, the unit deals with “social justice.”
“Throughout this unit, we delve deeper into what it means to be a part of society and the role of the individual when problems arise,” the teacher wrote. “Students will be asked to identify the social injustice being represented in the genre and then explain how it is a problem in society as well as the role of the individual represented.”
The book is described as being inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and addresses issues of racism and police violence with “intelligence, heart and unflinching honesty.”
According to a description of the book online, a 16-year-old living in a poor neighborhood, but attending a fancy prep school in a suburb, witnesses a fatal shooting of her best friend “at the hands of a police officer.” Her friend was “unarmed.”
Reviewers have criticized the book, with one individual saying the book is “completely biased and 100 percent anti-police.”
Another reviewer called it “easily the worst book that I have ever read.”
“The topic of this book is so important and it’s a huge disservice to the black community to be represented in this way,” they wrote. “Not only is this book racist towards every group of people, its popularity is based off of its topic rather than its literary value, which is very low.”
Yet another reviewer wrote the book at best should just be ignored. At worst they wrote it is “dangerous and furthers a broken mindset where police are the enemy.”
“The central character is a hero at the end for throwing tear gas at the police,” they wrote. “The police that are in her neighborhood are trying to stop rioters from burning down businesses. Nothing in this book makes sense.”
Some other reviewers wrote:
“Every page is filled with profanity and anti-white bigotry.”
“Too much profanity. Not appropriate for teens at all.”
“I read this book hoping to be taught what it’s like to be hated by police for my race! But all I learned is pity me, poor me! No blame at all for her own culture. And the profanity is horrible. The only people reading this book and thinking it’s great are the uneducated ‘woke’ Disney degenerates who continue to spread their hate!”
The further this push from The Left into degeneracy the easier it will be for future law-makers and the governor to act in gutting and completely revamping the entirety of the Iowa public education sector.
Given the latest report that our nation, as a whole, is now 2+ years behind in education of our children, now is not the time to further the social agenda of The Left in our classrooms. Academics, raw academics needs to be the only topic of teaching as we attempt to recuperate from the demise of the Covid debacle of 2020-21.
In the meantime, parents of all districts need to be involved in their kids’ education. Now more than ever. Participate, represent, file lawsuits if you have must.
I have not read the book. Did the author of this article read it? It would be interesting to read it first, and then give a review/opinion. As for profanity, my own teens were/are already exposed to more than I like to admit, since they are listening to rap music. (LOL.)