Teacher In Trouble For Ripping Bible In Class

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BURLEY, Idaho -- An Idaho English teacher is in trouble for ripping up a Bible in class.

Burley High's Karen Christenson said she was trying to illustrate a point about censorship, as her sophomore students read Ray Bradbury's novel "Fahrenheit 451," which is set in a future society that commands all literature be burned.

Principal Jeff Harrah said Christenson isn't a Bible hater. He said she tore up the Bible in an effort to get her students to think about how it feels to have something they consider sacred destroyed.

He added the idea behind the controversial lesson was a good one, but with a bad result.

Christenson was disciplined but officials would not say what action was being taken against her.

Harrah called Christenson a "great teacher."

http://www.wftv.com/newsofthestrange/3725407/detail.html

..trying to make.

If so then she should be able to use it in the manner described in ordfer to illustrate her lesson. On the other hand this is insensitive to the religious students. To separate church and state she could have just burned the flag (While she is still free to do so) that could have illustrated the point she was trying to make while leaving religion out of it. On the other hand I suppose that would have been insensitive to the Nazis.

...you don't tear up books, and you don't have teachers in schools ripping up books in front of students. It shows a disdain for knowledge and promotes ignorance.

Bookstores do it all the time with unsold books. It's called stripping.

I think she was trying to wake kids up about censorship, and doing it in a thought-provoking way. Too bad she picked the bible. Something else might have caused less backlash.

I consider myself a bibliophile of the highest order. But books are just things. I promote knowledge over things.

FSC

...and you know it. They tear off the front cover of paperbacks that aren't sold.

They're still ripping up books.

Are you saying it is imoral, unethical, or illegal? Or that it should be? It's not like it was the only copy of the book. Not like she was tearing up someone else's original manuscript. Freedom of expression is freedom to tear up your book if you want to. Your argument seems consistent with the proposed ammendment to make it a crime to burn the flag. Burn 'em if you want to. Burn your Beatles records too if you want to. Burn up you money. No matter to me. Just leave MY BOOKS ALONE.

...in front of class. I don't give a crap what you do in the privacy of your own home.

a lesson to her students? Please explain.

....I'd love to delve into this discussion, but have to go to work. Maybe we can take it up later. Probably being a librarian has something to do with why I feel this way. Librarians protect books, and think society should also -- especially those in the field of education.

And yes I'd love to talk about it more when you have time. By the way, I love to read and I love books. I just love freedom more.

...okay why don't we both think about this today and resume discussion this evening??

Sounds good.

and a very powerful one at that

...in doing this in OUR eyes. Certainly I understand the power of F451. However, it sets precedence for what I consider an abhorant action.

What if another teacher tore up a book to make a point that was valid in SOME people's eyes, but not ours?

It's wrong wrong wrong.

The ends do not justify the means.

But do you really think they would have made a big deal if it was any other book???

...I was speaking as a matter of principle. Teachers don't tear books up in class!

can I move in with someone else? ;)

The last news article out of Idaho to get any amount of national attention was the lovely people who got married in a freaking Wal-Mart. This is such a beautiful state. Why can't we have intelligent people living here?

Idaho is a breathtakingly beautiful state but yes, we do associate it with skinheads and morons! Sorry! And welcome to DU!

that Idaho is associated with skinheads and morons. They like to congregate here. The truth can only hurt if we let it. ;)

to her class. It goes straight to the heart of Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and illustrates the theme of the book beautifully.

She was literally disciplined for teaching her students to think. How DARE she!

...I respectfully disagree with you.

The point she was trying to make is everything in this case. Without the context, the tearing up of any book is, indeed, stupid. But, within the context, it's a completely valid action.

You made your point about promoting ignorance. That's utterly illogical. Her point was to get the kids to THINK! That's a teacher's job. How does promoting critical thought lead to ignorance?
The Professor

The point is, people WILL take this out of context, as is evident from the newspaper article. THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T DO IT.

As a librarian, I maintain that this is simply reprehensible and unnecessary.

Just like burning a flag, dropping a car from a crane to show the damage in a collision, etc.


Flags aren't sacred, and sorry, neither are books.

I don't see how this has done anything but enflamed the religious community.

Yes, I think books, the physical manifestation of free expression, are "sacred" (if that's the word you want to use). They should be protected in a democracy.

Especially the zealots (specifically not using the term "religious community")?

I'm more than willing to bet that it affected someone in that classroom - and got the message the teacher was trying to get across. That's how it worked.

Books are made to provoke thought - and that is definitely what this book in particular did.

Obviously, we will just have to respectfully disagree.
:hi:

the central worldview of that book was a disdain for learning. I don't understand your protestations... If she was tearing up a book to illustrate a point in Huckleberry Finn, or Moby Dick, I'd probably be baffled and angry... but in the case of Fahrenheit 451 it makes perfect sense to me, illustrates the point, and infuses a little drama.

It got a reaction, that's what it was supposed to do.

She's not getting her point across, her actions have played into the hands of the fundamentalist.

and since when do ANY of us take Fundamentalist lunatics into consideration when we do anything. Who gives a rats ass what they think?

"playing in the fundamanetalists hands".

Okay, you're offended. Big deal.

Are you at the school calling for the teacher to lose her job? Are you rallying other librarians across the state to pressure the school to enact a policy where book destruction is a job-losing offense?

The fact that you've apparently unable to see the possible usefulness of this teacher's actions in a classroom setting forces me to ask if you've ever read Fahrenheit 451.

Have you? You do realize the book is about a culture that burns books, by law?

My view - it's wrong to destroy books in this context - within an educational setting. I understand books get thrown away, destroyed by publishers, etc. etc.

Here's my point. If you can justify destroying books in front of children for whatever point you want to make, it also justifies anyone tearing up a book in front of kids to make ANY point they want. Maybe the kids in that classroom got the "lesson" of F451 by their teachers actions. However, this will have a ripple effect that may ultimately counteract any good the teacher intended.

So, we can't complain when a teacher tears up a Judy Blume book in front of a group of kids - cause that too will be "for a good reason".

I don't know what the reaction of librarians will be to this, and either way, I doubt they would launch any kind of campaign. However, I suspect if I was working at that school, I would have a problem with this.

...even if for a "good cause", how can you protest when another (fundy?) teachers tears up a book for a "good cause"??

The ends don't justify the means.

it's not like they are all going to go "Shit... I can destroy a book? Even one that offends me? Quick, call the congregation I have a great idea for Sunday's service!" because of what this teacher did.

I don't agree with your conclusion. What's so hard to understand about that? Sheesh!
The Professor

...I assumed since you posted here you were open to that. So sorry.

What's to discuss? You respectfully disagreed with other posters. Did you expect to have your mind changed? Of course not.

Now, you're hiding behind civility and a willingness to have an open exchange of ideas. You are the one who closed the door to that with your very first post.

Nice try, but that dog won't hunt.
The Professor

woof

In a nightmarish futuristic society where all literature has been banned, and people were punished for owning books, such action would be the norm. I'm not saying that I, personally, would illustrate the point in that manner, but it certainly did not warrant taking disciplinary action on the teacher.

I do not mean this question to be rude or condescending in any way, but have you read Fahrenheit 451? If not, I highly recommend it as excellent social commentary. If you have read it, and still find the teacher's actions worthy of discipline, then you and I will simply have to disagree.

Though the result was predictable. She wanted people to think, all she got was knee-jerk, hateful reaction. Typical. Very sad, but typical.

We need more teachers like her.

....giving the right wing more ammunition. Exactly because the result was predictable is the reason why she shouldn't have done it. It doesn't matter WHY you tear up books, it's WRONG WRONG WRONG.

At least the dialogue is now opened. I personally think we spend too much time appeasing the Right. I, for one, am done with that shit.

I frankly don't think its a teacher's obligation to avoid pissing off the Right Wing.

..I'm a librarian and cannot abide people tearing up books for whatever reason. I don't care what the reason is.

and see you have expressed that eloquently.

take care,

:hi:

I htink you are on target there! We DO spend too much energy appeasing the right and their sensibilities when they don't give a crap about anyone else's. I see it all the time with parents and teachers still trying to force school prayer into our schools.

That There's Idolatry.........

Yes, I attach great importance to the physical book -- as opposed to the ephemeral book, astral book, or whatever-book.

The whole point of F451 is to teach the importance of books and the necessity to protect them from destruction.

is immaterial. I can appreciate the point, but destroying any book is vile in my household.

Do you know where I could get a new copy

If the fundies are going to make a huge fuss over this symbolic act, and I think we can assume that nobody is going to go out and rip up and burn ALL the Bibles, then they are indulging in idolatry, worshipping the thing rather than the idea behind it.

Before announcing that they were going to read F-451, the teacher should have asked the kids to bring in a book that they've read which really affected them personally.

When the day came for them to bring them in, ask the class to come outside and place their books on a pile.

From a box, remove a gas can clearly marked - "Gasoline - flammable".

Pour the contents over all the books, and then stand there with a book of matches.

Ask the students who wanted to be the first to throw a lit match.

After the horrified looks go on their faces, the teacher lights a match and tosses it onto the pile of books. Nothing happens, as the liquid poured onto the books is only water (be careful in some parts of the country - test the water first).

Tell the students to pick up their books and then they will learn the lesson of F-451.

...pitched a book or two in the trash can, dumped stuff on top of them, and acted like that was where she was going to leave them. All kinds of ways of doing this.

Throwing a book away (when I know it would just be retrieved) would not impress me at all in this type of forum. Visually seeing the destruction of a book would move me so much (for the same reasons it offends you) would make me so much more conscious of why books are important.

What's worse? Having a book that sits on a shelf, never read, or a book that delivers such a message as one received as above?

Yes, books are the lifeblood of freedom, but there are also sacrifices made for that freedom, which (to me) is acceptable.

The mindless (or purposeful) destruction of a book to limit freedom is "sacrilege" (for lack of a better term), but this was not the case here.

I do see your point, do you see mine? (asked in a friendly way - not a smart-ass way).

...and on the Internet it's difficult to have a thorough discussion of complex ideas when there are many nuances to consider.

First of all, I don't know how fair it is to kids sitting in the classroom to see their teacher tear up a book (a Bible, no less). That can also be seen as exploitative, regardless of the teacher's intent.

The "message" doesn't end with the descruction of the book, as we can see now that this is in the press. In a limited, hermeneutically sealed classroom, I might well agree that this is an effective way of demonstrating the point of the book -- the students don't live in a sealed-off world and the actions of the teacher will be reinterpreted to them many times over.

What "message" the students end up with, is beyond our capability of knowing. What "message" this sends to other people with axes to grind also is unknown. It might well send a message to fundy teachers that it's okay to tear up books they don't agree with because they will take this out of context. I don't think the actions of educators should give people such excuses to act that way.

We were on the airplane and he had started reading Jurassic park and said it was wonderful. I asked him what page he was up to, and he said 100 or something. I took the book and tore out the first 90 pages and started reading it with him. I thought he was going to have a stroke. We tore the rest of the book the same way so we could enjoy it together. We still have the book, rubber-banded together, not a page missing.

I think it might have been an excellent gut-wrenching and thought-provoking demonstration. I hope the kids were old enough to appreciate it.

Just because some bible worshippers may be upset is beside the point. Hey maybe it was only a Revised Standard Version.

should get an award for creative and compelling instruction. I feel she did NOTHING wrong. It was a lesson about censorship, period. We all should be offended by any group of people that tries to censor our reading material.

In my hometown there is a church that has book burnings. Harry Potter..Huckberry Finn... and yes they even burned bibles. Don't ask me anymore about it.. as I consider these people idiots.

A book is a temporary thing. It only will last for as long as the laws of nature allow. All things of this planet are just temporary... the lesson that these students may have learned will be with them for their entire lives.. and hopefully longer. For the only thing that we take with us is our memories.

I don't know if my opinion about this means anything to anyone...but... we put to much emphasis on material things, when we should be looking at the lessons learned instead, does that make any sense..?

Oh.. well ... that is my humble opinion..

:toast: to all teachers and to those that are not afraid to challenge our thoughts and ideas.