Careful How You Judge A Statute (Or Book)
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Dear Editor,
I write to you today in response to a letter published April 20, 2023 regarding a parent questioning the choice of a novel assigned to 11th grade students. The writer took issue with the assignment of “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky to Juniors in Water Valley and declared the novel to be in violation of MS Code (2018) § 97-5-27, which prohibits the distribution of sexually oriented material to minors.
Had the previous letter writer included the full text of the subsection he cites, he would see that its definition of “sexually oriented” is broad. For example, the definition prohibits discussion of “execretory functions” – by this logic the humor of most of our second graders would be a misdemeanor. The same subsection classifies “physical contact with a person’s…buttocks” as sexually-oriented, meaning that Mississippi schools’ continued ability to spank children is, definitionally, perverse.
This is an important literary lesson: we can’t judge a state statute by a single line (In the same way that we can’t judge a novel by its first line, for instance). In fact, a deeper dive into Mississippi Code will reveal that schools aren’t only allowed to teach about sexual relationships and similar matters, they’re required to (see §§ 37-13-171 — 37-13-185). Since schools are tasked with this instruction, we can all agree that we need them to do a good job of it.
I share the previous writer’s concern for representing diversity, addressing dysphoria and representation, and preventing acts of violence. We know that our kids thrive when they see themselves represented in the art they consume and see healthy relationships on display. To that end, I agree that we should consider eliminating this novel and replacing it with one that depicts healthy and thriving same-sex relationships among adolescents. GLSEN, GLAAD, and many other organizations offer numerous suggestions.
As to the previous writer’s critique of the literary value of the novel itself: no argument here.
With warm regards,
Izzy Thornton, PhD
Water Valley, MS
