I always tell people that Loudoun County gave me an excellent public education. I hope that children in the system today will be able to say that as well. Loudoun County was disgraced by its history of resisting desegregation. Let's learn from our past mistakes and make decisions that respect all of our friends and neighbors and allow for progress toward greater humanity.

Posted by jessieandary (anonymous) on February 18, 2008 at 12:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Cool. We should be teaching gun safety classes at the elementary level, too. That will reap tangible benefits in the future for the children and the community.

Posted by whiskeyagogo (anonymous) on February 19, 2008 at 9:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Maybe we should also ban all books that depict a single father raising a child, because, he is supposed to be at work bringing home the bacon, and maybe we should do the same for a single mother that has to raise a child and support them by working two jobs, when she should be at home making meatloaf and apple pie. When are we going to open our eyes to the real issue, love is not a monopoly, no one group, religion, state, or society is solely responsible for showing love and affection for a one another. And all that any child needs to be well raised is constant love and affection, that is the solution and recipe for a wholesome family, no matter what you call it, what it looks like. Wake up people it is 2008, not 1950!

Posted by beckel322 (anonymous) on February 21, 2008 at 9:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The book "And Tango Makes Three" is not about propaganda, as Barbara Curtis suggests. It is simply a true story of love and nurture from the animal kingdom. Too many would like to censor the truth that not all families are the same. Too many believe they have a right to dictate oppressive nonsense concerning the "right" way a family should be. I say this as a minister - a family that loves and nurtures its children needs to be supported, not publicly scorned. If that family has one dad, two dads, or a grandma and uncle, the test is not if that family fits some bogus "proper form," but the quality of its love and nurture.

Barbara Curtis believes it is okay to dehumanize homosexuals by censoring all the evidence that shows homosexuality as one organic expression of human (or penguin) interaction and intimacy. She wishes to sterilize her environment to fit a narrow theological view, and have that abusive definition of humanity enforced by the power of the state. This is the seed of Fascism and should be resisted at all costs.

I remind Ms. Curtis (and her sympathizers) that the first three laws passed by Adolph Hitler were 1) to ban flag-burning; 2) to ban abortions, and 3) to ban books. Barbara Curtis may think her desires to impose any of the 3 things above does not align her with Nazis, but she would be wrong. The sin of pride clearly operates in the thinking of those who believe they should keep a true story of Penguin parental Love from our children "for their own good." As a minister, I warn you to be wary of anyone telling you they are doing something for your own good! Our Republic stands not only for the will of the majority but for the protection of the minority from mob rule, error and tyranny.

I understand some folks have their minds and souls abused by pundits and theologies that incite them to hatred - and as much as I wish that did not happen, our Republic allows such prattle to preached. However, Jefferson claimed "only error needs Government support," and sadly the Government is too often in the pockets of those same purveyors of hatred and theological abuse. I ask my fellow Loudouners to remember our duty to help the least among us and practice tolerance while expanding our love, promoting the worth and dignity even of those with whom we disagree. But those who seek to limit the human rights of entire classes of people should never be allowed to dictate public policy or brainwash the next generation.

Barbara Curtis and those who agree with her are free to preach what they desire in their homes and churches; they should NOT be allowed to establish public policy that denigrates entire classes of people. That is the very definition of Fascism, what my grandfather and others from that "Greatest Generation" laid their lives on the line to conquer.

Posted by revsparky (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 8:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)

How embarrassing that censorship is rearing its ugly head in Loudoun libraries again--even school libraries. Didn't we go through a similar struggle with the Board of Trustees of the public libraries in the late 1990s, when Loudoun became the laughingstock of the country? Discussing books and how appropriate they are for various ages is fine, but it's not okay for one person to decide what everyone reads. It's completely irrational to condemn a true story about animals. Supervise your own children!

Posted by judyecoughlin (anonymous) on March 5, 2008 at 1:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

So I suppose that the school system is rolling in funding, class sizes are small, test scores are high, and all the children are above average. There are no issues that the board or the principals need to address anymore.

That's the only conclusion I can draw with a principal and the superintendent becoming involved with this issue.

I think Superintendent Hattrick's new rule should be "let the librarians and media specialists do their jobs". With the school budget possibly 23 million dollars short, he's got other issues. The librarians can handle books about true stories of animals.

The teacher's aide with the problem should have taken it up with the librarian. The Principal should have just referred the aide to the librarian.

Posted by malcolm (anonymous) on March 6, 2008 at 8:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)