“Teach the controversy.” A battle cry that rallied hundreds of people against the teaching of evolution in public schools, a societal taboo.
The clashing opinions over this issue raised heated debate in the year 2002.
Eight years later. The tension is still there.
For what reason do these people quarrel and bicker? What sustains their hostility among each other for so long? How is it even possible to disagree that long?
On a molecular level aren’t we genetically predisposed to be different from one another? Wouldn’t it make sense if our opinions differed from one another as well?
Why can’t we all just get along?
It’s really hard for me to believe that people could argue for years. I find it difficult to stay angry with someone for longer than a day. But again, this is just my opinion.
In reality, life is filled with controversy. Many of us choose to take a neutral stance, like me, but others fight strongly for what they believe in. It’s not uncommon for people to impose their beliefs on others; I mean it happens all the time in history. So what happens when people intentionally direct attention to certain issues, like what should be taught in school?
One writer, Adam Rapp, decides to do exactly that. Not only does he explicitly address the problem of censorship in schools, but he also simulates the consequences associated with these controversial decisions. Adam Rapp was the only “artist” that we studied that left a very clear voice resonating within my head. He was not only a writer but a social critic that used literature as his medium to raise awareness.
Censorship of taboo material in schools is actually quite common. As we see in “The Metal Children” written by Adam Rapp, some people take it to the extremes. The result of their behavior is what most people are afraid of. We have the conservatives and the radicals, and it is very uncommon for them to compromise.
In the novel we examine the disastrous effects one book can have on a community. It is unimaginable to think that little girls would react in such a way all because of a book ban. The string of events that occurred was so nonsensical that I don’t think it could happen ever, not even in a million years.
Vera was definitely not a visionary. She had to be on crack or something.
The reason Adam Rapp really connected with me was because of the issue he was presenting and the way he presented it. The story wasn’t pretty but it got the job done. By exaggerating the consequences of book censorship, I kind of got the feeling that adults really shouldn’t meddle with what their kids read. I mean they’re going to learn about these issues sooner or later. Why stop them and risk revolution?
Adam Rapp. Social Critic. Writer. One hell of an imagination ♥
