Shindlers list for freshmen?

[Guest bd of ed watcher]

I am a regular attender of the BOE meetings and I was appalled by the fact that shindler's list was shown as a "treat" in KHS by a special ed language arts teacher. The mother of the student gave a wonderful presentation to the BOE about how her parental rights were violated by the teacher and the state deciding what her freshman child could watch. I myself have seen the movie and although it was a brillant movie the sexual content is not acceptable in the lower classes of the school system. She said she went up the "chain of command" where she hit nothing but brick walls and got a lecture from her child's case manager that shindlers list was acceptable for viewing in the school system. I seem to recall she said the case manager compared shindlers list to bambi and the lion king. This mananger at the very least lacks common sense and both the teacher and the case manager should be reprimanded. The parent also challanged the BOE to watch the movie just the first few minutes of it anyway at the meeting that night to prove her point of how embarrasing it was to her daughter to sit in a class and watch people having sex and the board declined. The boe had stated that it is a part of the high school curriculum but I have to ask what is the state and the school systems comming to? The parent asked what movie was going to be next Passion of the Christ. This parent had complained several months ago that her daughter couldn't read or spell and she graduated with honors from her 8th grade school. My heart goes out to this parent because she is working very hard to get the education all of our children are entitled to and it is apparent she is getting nowhere with the BOE. We need more parents to come to these meetings and get involved with their child's education. Mr. Martello had passed a comment to her that there are worse programs on TV and saw nothing wrong with shindlers list. He stated that his son watches shows worse then this on regular TV and his son is 14 years old. I have to ask what kind of parent is he? This women takes a interest in her childs education and makes sure her child doesn't get into trouble. If more parents got involed with what their children do maybe these kids wouldn't be as bad as they are today. She seems to be a very concerned parent and is unable to get anywhere with the BOE and the high school. What good is the superintended of the school when he has no idea what is being taught in our schools? We need more people like this parent to stand up and "police" our schools because it just shows that their are parents out there that do believe in their morals and values and teach their children this. Her daughter when asked questions was well spoken and got her point across without hesitation and the daughter stood up for what she believed in. I admire that child because just like the mother she doesn't feel that these movies belong in our school system. We have all learned about the holocaust it is a terrible part of our history but the graphics of it should not be shown to 14 and 15 year olds. When this movie was in the theaters you had to be 17 to get in to see it but the schools feel it's ok to overide the rating system and show it to minors. What's next porn movies in our sex education classes? If parents are stripped of their rights in our schools what's left? I would love some imput from the KOTW board and I would like to see how many people agree or disagree with me. I wish this parent alot of luck in her pursuit and I hope that this will get other parents motivated to get the laws of the school system changed. This is outragous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JoeW]

That is one hell of a long paragraph.

I was there and the parent was absolutely right. She should have had the option of whether her child watched this movie or not.

Personally, As parents, we are fairly liberal when it comes to what our kids can and can't watch, but that is always our decision.

JW

[Senshi]

To tell you the truth I feel that teenagers at that age have probably watched things equal to or worse than that movie. However most of them aren't mature enought to do so.

Yet you are right, parents should have a voice on what movies are watched in the school system.

PS. The movie rating system (PG, PG-13, R, ect.) is just a guideline, not a law. And in my opinion showing the graphicness of the Holocaust is essential in showing the true tragic horrors that occurred.

[Guest Miss Crabtree'38]

True --the first 15 minutes of "List"

are inappropriate for most minors--The rest of the movie unfortunatly in my opinion is not. It is a well done pretty factual movie of the events that it portrays. The movie "Glory" about the civil war is also. That shouldn't be shown to minors because he "N" word is used about 100 times in the film? "Hope and Glory" is an accurate first hand fact based movie on the home front in Britain during the second world war--that shouldn't be shown because of the language and the sexual situations--all of them between minors?? A little artistict liberty makes these movies interesting to the general masses. They wouldn't sell as well without that--and that is the bottom line--sales. How many people would have went to see "Titanic" without the add ins? Or "The Great Escape" or "Zulu" back in their day?

I know sex is upsetting to many people these days. But state sanctioned genocide , racism , war and death should be too. People have to be able to see thru the fictional parts into the real story. I think at 15 and 16 they can.

Being legally they are still minors that is still your decision to make.

A real interesting subject.

Thanks for bringing it up.

[Guest Guest]

As I recall, when the movie was first released, Spielberg would rent out whole theaters throughout the country and pay to bus whole high schools to see it for free. I don't remember anyone objecting then.

Anyway, the truth of the matter is that some people just feel the need to huff and puff every now and then. Maybe it's because their mother's didn't tuck them in at night, I don't know.

So, it's a free country, let them huff and puff; but people, please, be reasonable, no one was ever irreparably damaged by watching Schindler's List, it's a great documentary.

Furthermore, I think it's unfortunate that many parents still prefer that their kids think there's no such thing as sex, or that knowing about sex and God forbid even seeing a little sex will scar them. Grow up people.

It's hard to believe that this comes from parents - people that have had sex, maybe even before they were 35. I guess in a sense it may help to prove their arguement, because obviously they did not turn out okay after experiencing the trauma of sex.

[Guest M.D.]

I am a regular attender of the BOE meetings and I was appalled by the fact that shindler's list was shown as a "treat" in KHS by a special ed language arts teacher. The mother of the student gave a wonderful presentation to the BOE about how her parental rights were violated by the teacher and the state deciding what her freshman child could watch. I myself have seen the movie and although it was a brillant movie the sexual content is not acceptable in the lower classes of the school system. She said she went up the "chain of command" where she hit nothing but brick walls and got a lecture from her child's case manager that shindlers list was acceptable for viewing in the school system. I seem to recall she said the case manager compared shindlers list to bambi and the lion king. This mananger at the very least lacks common sense and both the teacher and the case manager should be reprimanded. The parent also challanged the BOE to watch the movie just the first few minutes of it anyway at the meeting that night to prove her point of how embarrasing it was to her daughter to sit in a class and watch people having sex and the board declined. The boe had stated that it is a part of the high school curriculum but I have to ask what is the state and the school systems comming to? The parent asked what movie was going to be next Passion of the Christ. This parent had complained several months ago that her daughter couldn't read or spell and she graduated with honors from her 8th grade school. My heart goes out to this parent because she is working very hard to get the education all of our children are entitled to and it is apparent she is getting nowhere with the BOE. We need more parents to come to these meetings and get involved with their child's education. Mr. Martello had passed a comment to her that there are worse programs on TV and saw nothing wrong with shindlers list. He stated that his son watches shows worse then this on regular TV and his son is 14 years old. I have to ask what kind of parent is he? This women takes a interest in her childs education and makes sure her child doesn't get into trouble. If more parents got involed with what their children do maybe these kids wouldn't be as bad as they are today. She seems to be a very concerned parent and is unable to get anywhere with the BOE and the high school. What good is the superintended of the school when he has no idea what is being taught in our schools? We need more people like this parent to stand up and "police" our schools because it just shows that their are parents out there that do believe in their morals and values and teach their children this. Her daughter when asked questions was well spoken and got her point across without hesitation and the daughter stood up for what she believed in. I admire that child because just like the mother she doesn't feel that these movies belong in our school system. We have all learned about the holocaust it is a terrible part of our history but the graphics of it should not be shown to 14 and 15 year olds. When this movie was in the theaters you had to be 17 to get in to see it but the schools feel it's ok to overide the rating system and show it to minors. What's next porn movies in our sex education classes? If parents are stripped of their rights in our schools what's left? I would love some imput from the KOTW board and I would like to see how many people agree or disagree with me. I wish this parent alot of luck in her pursuit and I hope that this will get other parents motivated to get the laws of the school system changed. This is outragous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am trouble by what the school has shown our kids. what is next x-rated movies

[judyj63]

wow, i didn't think anybody was listening at the boe meeting. thank you bd watcher for posting this on kotw, i do think it's something parents need to be aware of and until my daughter turns 18 i will decide what she can and can't watch. I bought the movie when my daughter told me that they showed it in the class and for as much as i agree with the postings that it is a excellent movie certain scenes should have been edited. everybody is entitled to their opinion on how to raise their kids and i do the best i can to raise mine. i'm not saying ppl have to agree with my feelings but maybe if more parents took a interest in what their kids are doing maybe half these kids wouldn't be as bad as they are today. my parents brought me up with morals and values and taught me right from wrong and i teach my kids the same things. if there were ppl there saying i was huffing and puffing i have that right. the boe had no idea what was going on until they were told and they are putting a opt out into place so if us parents don't want our kids to see certain movies we have that right. I closely watch what my kids watch and i don't have hbo or any other movie channel in my house. i am happy to see the replies on this issue and whether you agree or disagree with my feelings at least now parents have a choice where they didn't before. I thank you bd watcher for the nice long paragraph and explaining this to others. See ya next month.