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Hi Amanda and others, According to Diane Ravitch's recent comments on the NPR program "Fresh Air," this is self-imposed censorship caused primarily by state-wide adoption of textbooks in Texas (conservative) and California (liberal), and the result of 80% of the textbook market being dominated by 4 publishers (only one of which is a US owned company). The right doesn't want witches and evolution; the left won't accept depictions of women in traditional roles or minorities treated in any fashion that might be construed as stereotypical, etc. I have little reason to believe Ravitch has a traditional political agenda in her research since she worked under both George B the first and Clinton. One humorous moment on the show came after Ravitch suggested dullness and unreadability in textbooks was a result of these "word police" actions that got rolling in the 80's and 90's to which Terry Gross, the show's host, replied that she went to school in the 60's and textbook were dull then. All this made me think of just how good library collections with items of high interest, different points of view, and engaging writing styles are the true antidotes to dumbed-down, plain vanilla, and incomplete textbooks. Pity the child without access to good libraries. Ketchup must have been banned by the left since the Republicans under Regan made it officially a vegetable! I think it is also Minnesota's state condiment! All the best, Doug ************ Doug Johnson Director of Media and Technology I.S.D. 77, Mankato Public Schools Box 8713, Mankato MN 56002-8713 Voice: 507-387-7698, Fax: 507-387-2496 E-mail: dougj@doug-johnson.com Web: www.doug-johnson.com "The fates guide those who go willingly; those who do not, they drag." Seneca The News Report at: http://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/05/04/wpc 04.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/05/04/ixworld.html discusses "Banned from US textbooks: owls, ketchup, dinosaurs and old ladies with cats ...." It would be really great if someone could confirm that this is just media hype, and not fact ... =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=- All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL 3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation. LM_NET Help & Information: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/ Archive: http://askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/LM_NET.shtml LM_NET Select/EL-Announce: http://www.cuenet.com/archive/el-announce/ LM_NET Supporters: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/ven.html =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-