Thursday, March 29, 2012

NYC Dept. of Ed Ban on Words: A Response

Apparently, the New York City Board of Education wants to ban words. These words, they feel, might upset students who see them on standardized tests. Hogwash. Banning words can only have one result. Banning words will dumb down our language in the classroom, and therefore dumb down our students' education. The list of words includes "poverty" and "loss of employment." I guarantee that banning a student's ability to connect his/her life in the classroom to his/her life outside the classroom will leave him/her feeling much worse than seeing the actual words themselves. Therefore, I've decided to "define" all the banned words here. I feel so criminal! Granted, this is just my take on the words - I'm no Webster - but I thought that my definitions might help folks see why these words are up on the chopping block. They aren't offensive to kids or people who actually want to solve problems, but the resulting discussions when such words are brought up might cause the suits to sweat. Here's my definition poem (the chorus is quite jazzy!):

(words/phrases in bold are the words on the list, except for the title of the poem; words/phrases in italics are not said aloud in the poem)


Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have

Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have


Abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological) is what some kids on the playground will do

You call them bullies when they try to take things from you

Parents can abuse and sometimes so can your date

The worst abuse involves beatings, torture and rape


Alcohol (beer and liquor), tobacco, and drugs have been placed

All over neighborhoods so that we may disgrace

Communities of color which once were alive

Active in movements where civil rights would thrive


Birthday celebrations (and birthdays) are important to all

They counteract our troubles and let us have a ball

Celebrating life involves food, family and friends

Dancing ‘til the dawn when the party will end


Bodily functions cause lots of giggles and laughs

But it is no joke when you look at stats and graphs

Eat more vegetables to avoid colon cancer

Healthy diet regulates, that is the answer


Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have

Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have


Cancer (and other diseases) devastates all communities

We’d live healthier lives if we looked to the trees

Move slowly, a little sun, be active outside

Strive for a long life that fills you with pride


Catastrophes/disasters (tsunamis and hurricanes) will always exist

Facing them is something you cannot resist

If you cultivate your bravery

Then you can face your fears with your community


Celebrities are given way too much attention

Creating such leaders should be done with apprehension

Ask yourself what the values of the person are

If the person is actually great, then make him/her a star


Children dealing with serious issues are all over the world

So many struggles affect every boy and girl

Childhood is rarely innocent or ideal

I think kids would prefer that we treat them like they’re real


Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have

Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have


Cigarettes (and other smoking paraphernalia) cause death

It’s fun when you’re young, but as you age you lose your breath

We have to keep telling young people this is true

We don’t want their lungs turning black, purple and blue


Computers in the home (acceptable in a school or library setting) are your right

Sharing few computers at school will only cause a fight

Access to information is a necessary survival tool

We already know we cannot trust our government to put access in school


Crime prevails today with harm done to Kenneth and Trayvon

In the name of helping, the vilest acts were done

The criminals are free, the right are buried and dead

I wish to God for a change in the headlines I’ve read


Death and disease are challenging and sad

But we learn many things from them, not all of it is bad

Caring for an ill friend is something that makes us grow

Losing a loved one does the same thing, I know


Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have

Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have


Divorce is promoted as being everywhere

But there is true love all over, don’t be scared

Find good people and keep them in your life

Be honest, fun and devoted, if you’re a husband or a wife


Evolution isn’t a concept that only relates to the past

You evolve in your life, it’s just that it isn’t necessarily so fast

We change and adapt to our surroundings every day

It is not a strange idea, no matter what they say


Expensive gifts, vacations, and prizes are given on TV

Game shows like you to imagine anyone can win, him, you or me

No one ever gives anything away for free

So stop wishing for it and the happier you’ll be


Gambling involving money is a waste of your time

Spend your money on books, food or wine

Money should go to things you can see or use

Games with money attached only invite abuse


Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have

Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have


Halloween is often touted as a pagan holiday

Perhaps it started out as that but it changed along the way

Día de los Muertos celebrates the dead

Days that explore our dark side are made to free our heads


Homelessness is a woman, struggling on the street

It is children who have no food or shoes on their feet

We cannot ignore this issue simply by banning the word

The voices are there, the faces are there, we can’t pretend we haven’t heard


Homes with swimming pools perhaps seem unfair

But when the pools are drained, skaters take their share

We can’t keep people from creating fun spaces

But we can let them know we also should have access to these places


Hunting for food is what we used to do

But hunting deer in enclosed fences is done by those who

Want to feel manly or powerful, with a 12-point buck

And guns proliferate our streets, all I can say is “duck!”


Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have

Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have


Junk food is found in mostly in poor neighborhoods

The nutrient content in this food isn’t very good

People who eat it often struggle with being fat

It will not give you a good life, and that’s where it’s at


In-depth discussions of sports that require prior knowledge

Are full of information that you can often use in college

You will learn statistics, you will learn physics and geometry

Such discussions are good for you, as far as I can see


Loss of employment is rampant due to computerization

It will be our job, now, to re-envision modernization

How do we create jobs that require human hands?

One way is to value artists: painters, writers, bands


Nuclear weapons are completely unnecessary

Anyone claiming the value of them should make you wary

Nagasaki, Hiroshima, look up those words, too

Know the history, my children, so it doesn’t happen to you


Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have

Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have


Occult topics (i.e. fortune-telling) are most often used for fun

Horoscopes, lighting candles, are usually decorative, at most, for everyone

But they also allow us to think about the universe, connections between you and me

These topics lead to discussions about ethnic religions such as Santeria, or about philosophy


Parapsychology covers our psychic connection

Many people believe this is a crazy person’s invention

But sometimes our parents, friends or children understand us well

Without a word, they know what we’re thinking, a silent show and tell


Politics is how power is applied

Most people believe all politicians have lied

We influence politicians, too, people sometimes forget

Our numbers are pure power, and they notice, you can bet


Pornography takes advantage of natural sexuality

You’re going to look, chalk it to vitality

The real perversion is when poor girls or boys are forced to do it

Sexual slavery isn’t a turn on, so you should definitely eschew it


Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have

Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have


Poverty is not natural, it is created

I know that idea has been widely debated

We have enough housing and food for everybody

Yet we still have shanty towns and projects that are shoddy


Rap Music began as a community celebration

Caribbean Blacks and Latinos/as created groups like the Zulu Nation

They rapped about civil rights, equality and culture

Corporations stole the idea and made it about bling; corporations are culture vultures


Religion allows people to gather and share their beliefs

Unfortunately, some people want to impose their ideas which causes much grief

I like ideas from lots of religions, I gather them in a mix

These ideas help me deal with problems when I’m in a fix


Religious holidays and festivals (including but not limited to Christmas, Yom Kippur, and Ramadan)

Are some of the best parties on the planet—oh, boy can they be fun!

Let’s all share our religious holidays and celebrate with each other

Let’s take our religion’s best ideas and treat each other like sisters and brothers


Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have

Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have


Rock-and-Roll music was started by poor Southern folks

They played blues and country on old guitars, drank whiskey and told jokes

Chuck Berry, one of the inventors, saw them say rock wasn’t Black

But now the Afro-Punk movement has worked to take the credit back


Running away is something that maybe everyone has wished for

To leave our problems behind, run off and close that door

If your parents are abusing you, perhaps do it, but find a safe place

If not, then look at the problem for solutions—there’s nothing you can’t face!


Sex is crazy and it drives everyone crazy, you can’t avoid it

Your parents will be completely engulfed in paranoia

But, if you try, you can learn to have really good, safe, fun nookie

The idea is to be with worthwhile, interesting people, don’t worry about being a rookie


Slavery still exists in the form of our prison system

Prisoners work for slave wages, we barely have to pay them

Lots of men and women in jail are doing time for non-violent offenses

Many of them wouldn’t be there if they had good lawyers present for their defenses


Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have

Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have


Terrorism is a word that is used for unclear crimes

I wish someone would explain to me what it defines

In Arizona, someone could be detained because of how they look

They also believe that to save our country they must resort to banning books


Television and video games (excessive use) create a state of hypnosis

No one has created terms for this addiction diagnosis

Humans learn by copying—it’s how we learn to speak

So if we copy TV and games, I can’t imagine the havoc it will wreak


Traumatic material (including material that may be particularly upsetting such as animal shelters)

Or how we process chickens or deaths caused in the borderland desert swelter

Are not subjects I think need to be kept from our young minds

It is worse to keep the youth ignorant and mentally behind


Vermin (rats and roaches) are found in poor areas because our cities don’t pick up the trash

If we talk about these issues, are folks afraid of a backlash?

We all pay city taxes, so our money should pay for clean streets

But the cleanest roads are in the rich areas, yet another issue on the list of defeats


Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have

Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have


Violence is waged on people who are considered weak

Women, children, the elderly, and communities which don’t have a voice to speak

Negotiation is always better and some leaders have suggested this

Others disagree; perhaps they have never been hugged or kissed


War and bloodshed, what is it good for, absolutely nothin’

Say it again, war, what is it good for absolutely nothin’

Our soldiers come back home mentally and physically destroyed

They aren’t guaranteed work or even healthcare, yet they are continually deployed


Weapons (guns, knives, etc.) were once used against beasts

We would hunt a boar and cook it for a special, happy feast

Today, automatic weapons are found in neighborhoods or schools

I wish we could change the current intent behind the tools


Witchcraft, sorcery, etc. is a myth that few know of

Witches were community healers and their sorcery was love

They would mix up herbs into a wonderful stew

That would heal many diseases, rendering the ill, new


Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have

Banning is bad

Banning is bad

The more you ban

The less information you have