Because History Has Shown That Banning Books Works So Well

An Arkansas legislator has submitted a bill to ban books and works written by Howard Zinn from the public schools. The Zinn Education Project has responded.

The Science Of Fear

I almost forgot to get back to this. I highly recommend it. (And if you want to borrow it, my copy is available.) Once you're familiar with the different rules involved, it's a snap to recognize the behaviors in people, even yourself.

Here's a quote from the book I'm partial to:

In reality, the fact that a politician may have something to gain by promoting a threat does not mean he or she does not believe the threat is real. This goes for the pharmaceutical industry, security companies, and all the others who promote and profit from fear. In fact, I'm quite sure that in most cases those promoting fear and sincere, for the simple reason that humans are compulsive rationalizers. People like to see themselves as being basically good, and so admitting that they are promoting fear in others in order to advance their interests set up a nasty form of cognitive dissonance: I know I'm basically a nice person; what I'm doing is awful and wrong.

There's no end to the examples I could bring up.

The Last Report OnThe Miracles At Little No Horse

A wonderfully complex story. I especially appreciated the character Nanapush; his wit, wisdom, and a remarkably and unusually humorous story of his death. The switching between Agnes and Father Damien was confusing, but I guess that would be expected of a woman in a man's role. Her spiritual life is a mixture of religion, secrets, sex, deception and humor. Nanapush's use of Father Damien's secret just to win a chess game speaks volumes about his character.
And then what better revenge (and insurance?) for an Ojibwe as that of Fleur Pillager patiently working her way into the life of the man responsible for exploiting the people of the reservation, becoming his wife, leaving him after getting pregnant, and forcing his child to be born and raised on the reservation.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

A story full of sadness and tragedy well inter weaved with historical facts. There's still a happy ending but you wish for so much more.