Scott's Biggest Takeaway

 The biggest takeaway I have from this class is related to my last post, but let me make it explicit.

When we talk about banning books, we leak into talking about what books and stories we choose to tell. For a long time, the Western World has prioritized on white focused heteronormative narratives that support triumphalist, predatory, and patriarchal themes. People ask me if we talk about Fahrenheit 451, and I explain that the reason we do not is because there are other stories that still must be shared (Fahrenheit 451 has had its time in the limelight). The U.S.A. is filled with people with diverse lives that deserve their stories to be acknowledged and seen. What I've learned is that we live in a world that wishes to homogenize and silence diverse stories, where there is beauty and truth that everyone should witness in these stories. I will continuously say that George and Bronx Masquerade is in my ideal curriculum, for everyone. These stories ability to impart empathy and respect should be necessary to live in the world today.

There are banned stories that everyone can learn from that touch upon basic human concepts absent from our general curriculum.

The fact that George and Bronx Masquerade terrifies people angers me. It points to a problem in our world where we can prioritize critical thinking and skepticism over community, to the point where I'm nervous that community may fall out of style.

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