Alton Berm #fundie

Alton Berm #fundie hcnonline.com

"The book [Farenheight 451] had a bunch of very bad language in it," Diana Verm said. "It shouldn't be in there because it's offending people. ... If they can't find a book that uses clean words, they shouldn't have a book at all."

Alton Verm filed a "Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials" Thursday with the district regarding "Fahrenheit 451," written by Ray Bradbury and published in 1953. He wants the district to remove the book from the curriculum.

"It's just all kinds of filth," said Alton Verm, adding that he had not read "Fahrenheit 451." "The words don't need to be brought out in class. I want to get the book taken out of the class."

He looked through the book and found the following things wrong with the book: discussion of being drunk, smoking cigarettes, violence, "dirty talk," references to the Bible and using God's name in vain. He said the book's material goes against their religions beliefs. The Verms go to Grand Parkway Church in Porter.

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old comment by Papabear

"The book [Farenheight 451] had a bunch of very bad language in it," Diana Verm said. "It shouldn't be in there because it's offending people. ..."
I find much of the Bible offensive, but, apparently, the Verms think rape, murder, genocide, drunken incest and spreading dung on people's faces aren't as ofensive as saying "damn." "If they can't find a book that uses clean words, they shouldn't have a book at all." Right, get rid of anything that might offend anyone, the students will be better off twiddling their thumbs than reading vile classics of American literature. "Alton Verm filed a "Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials" Thursday with the district regarding "Fahrenheit 451," written by Ray Bradbury and published in 1953." An excellent book, one of my favorites. "He wants the district to remove the book from the curriculum." Waah! "'It's just all kinds of filth,' said Alton Verm, adding that he had not read 'Fahrenheit 451.'" Yeah, who's surprised. Fundies totally against some book, even stating specific complaints, but never actually having looked in, much less read, the target of their outrage. "The words don't need to be brought out in class. I want to get the book taken out of the class." No more "Of Mice and Men," "Grapes of Wrath," "MacBeth." I can't think of any books worth reading that wouldn't offend someone somewhere. A few years back some Fundies tried to get "The Wizard of Oz" remove from school libraries because the solution to the character's problems came from within themselves, not from God. "He looked through the book and found the following things wrong with the book: discussion of being drunk, smoking cigarettes, violence, "dirty talk," references to the Bible and using God's name in vain. He said the book's material goes against their religions beliefs. The Verms go to Grand Parkway Church in Porter." No, most of those items ARE their religious beliefs. The Bible is packed with violence, drunkenness and "dirty talk." F451 contains no uses of the God's name in vain. God's name is Jehovah or some varient spelling thereof. God is a title.

old comment by xplicit_UK

I agree with TDR... most ironic post ever.
Of all the books on all the shelves in all the world he had to choose Fahrenheit 451 to make his case. "If they can't find a book that uses clean words, they shouldn't have a book at all." That's just... words fail me. Dear Mr and Mrs Verm, seeing that you haven't read the book, here's a gem for you to ponder upon: "With school turning out more runners, jumpers, racers, tinkerers, grabbers, snatchers, fliers, and swimmers instead of examiners, critics, knowers, and imaginative creators, the word intellectual,' of course, became the swear word it deserved to be. You always dread the unfamiliar."

old comment by The Watcher (Formerly Amigone201)

"It shouldn't be in there because it's offending people. ... If they can't find a book that uses clean words, they shouldn't have a book at all."

You see, this is one of my all-time biggest gripes about fundie logic. See a dirty word, KNEE-JERK! "Ban it!" Never mind why the word is there, or what the point is the author is trying to make. "Ban it! It's a dirty word! Ban it!" Forget context, forget subtlety, forget analysis, we're too busy knee-jerk reacting.

"The words don't need to be brought out in class.

Well, you don't technically "need" anything other than food, shelter, and sleep, so you might as well toss out your computer, your sports equipment, your TV, your books...

old comment by Maronan

Alton Berm is offended by and thus wants to ban a book about the dangers of banning books because they offend people during Banned Books Week, despite the fact he's never even read it.
The irony of this is just sickening. Why do you want to ban Fahrenheit 451, again? Oh, right. @Alton Berm

It's just all kinds of filth," said Alton Verm.

Ah, all kinds of filth. Like tbis?

18So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister. 19Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt. 20For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.

old comment by David D.G.

Though the "Death by Irony Overdose" Award winner for October was quite deserving of it, I still think this post should have gotten an irony-related award as well -- maybe something like the "Smoldering Crater Where My Irony Meter Used To Be" Award.
It's just so jaw-droppingly galling to compare the story to biblical values and claim that it falls short (when the story actually involves trying to SAVE portions of the Bible and has nowhere near the vulgar and violent atrocities committed in the Bible) without having even read the book -- a book about a society in which books are banned and people do not read them -- and, on top of all that, to do it during Banned Books Week! That's just frellin' priceless layers of irony, stacked like a Dagwood sandwich! ~David D.G.

Alton Berm #fundie hcnonline.com

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