Stupid Legislation Alert

I usually stay out of the political arena on my blog but this article in the paper today made my blood boil. It's available online if you want to read it all but here are is an excerpt and some summaries.

Senate Bill 1331, introduced by Sen. Thayer Verschoor, R-Gilbert, would allow students from universities and community colleges to reject assignments they find objectionable to their religious, moral or sexual beliefs without financial or academic penalty.

Apparently, a student at one of the community colleges didn't want to read The Ice Storm because he found its sexual content to be morally offensive. The student filed a grievance when the teacher wouldn't give him a different assignment and the school backed the teacher but offered to put the student in another class.

That wasn't good enough so he took it to Senator Verschoor. Oh, did I mention the class syllabus said some of the subject matter may be offensive and the students had an option of dropping the class?

First, I just have to say, WTF? Isn't college about learning, stretching your boundaries, discussing differing views? Where will this PC crap end? I can see it now...

Taking WWII history but not reading Mein Kampf because of its racism. Studying History of Literature but refusing to read Lady Chatterley's Lover, Madame Bovary, et al because they involve infidelity. I'm sure you call can think of more examples.

As a former bookseller and huge supporter of our teachers, I can only be completely appalled by this legislation.

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