Community Patriots Manatee

What is Literary Value?

Watch the slight of hand as they change the meaning of this right before your eyes!!

Students understand that the notion of literary value is being reworked by globalization, digitalization and the shaping influences of media.    

Remember when reading was fun! We read about mystical lands, knights in shining armor, princess fairy tales, and stories of wonder that was left to the imagination. 

Now it’s about “Social Justice” and being in “Someone’s else’s shoes,” to feel the oppression.

Today children can’t even read at a third grade level. Reports show reading has declined since Covid. Florida stats improved compared to the country as a whole. Thank You Desantis!!

What child wants to read about: Rape, Incest, Sex toys, Sexual Abuse, Bestiality, Sadism, Penetration…yes that is what I said!! This is what writers and publishers are pushing NOW to children in the books that have slipped into the schools!! AS we have seen right here in Manatee County schools.

 

The term “literary value” refers to whether a book has merit; in other words, a book has literary value/merit when readers gain something of value from it (such as deeper knowledge or new ideas). If a book carries a lot of literary values, it carries an impact on the reader and society as a whole.

Is the ultimate goal of these books that are entering the schools to shape society?  What shape are they looking for? 

Do these books have value, greatness, excellence??

These are some things to consider and question about the work as a Whole. 

  • What aspects of the text do I not understand?
  • What parts of the narrative or writing struck me most?
  • What patterns did I notice?
  • What did the author accomplish really well?
  • What did I find lacking?
  • Did I notice any contradictions or anything that felt out of place?  
  • What was the purpose of the minor characters?
  • What tone did the author choose, and why? 


I don’t see anything that would apply as a “Whole” to be learning about pornography, sexual abuse experiences, child trafficking, or the ways in which to have sexual encounters.

Why is all of this sexualization being targeted at children?

Why is it being pushed by the federal government and our local schools, including manatee county school district?

What is the result they are looking for?

What is the reason that they feel it’s their job?

The House of Representatives recently passed the Equality Act, which would amend Title IV of the Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected characteristics. This curriculum could be required if the Equality Act were to become law. 

The Department of Education under the Obama administration pressured schools to implement transgender policies that pose risks to children’s privacy and safety. 

Efforts to expose children to age-inappropriate content and make parental notification and opt-out difficult or impossible undermine parents’ constitutional right to control their children’s education on sensitive topics such as human sexuality. Public schools should not become a place where children are exposed to radical sexual ideology.

This has been going on for years within the National Education Association: AKA Teachers Union!!

In Oct 2019,  A drag queen event was staged at an NEA representative assembly. But teachers for the most part are not in agreement with this.

“And this is how they entertained teachers,” one teacher said, “but what they are really doing is trying to indoctrinate teachers,” telling them this is normal behavior and you should push this.

“So teachers are bullied on every level, and we are horrified at the instruction we are being told to teach to your children,”

Because the unions determined long ago that teachers would never agree to teach these sorts of things, “so they’ve written into the laws that if teachers are unqualified, then the experts will come in and teach it, and Planned Parenthood will abuse your children.”

“The unions have taken over the librarians association, they have taken over the school boards association, they have taken over every angle of our schools.

The root of this is not wanting to educate the children about sex, empathy, or self-empowerment, it’s about capturing the minds of impressionable children. Unfortunately, this creates environments where actual predators can thrive. When young children are isolated from their parents, encouraged to adopt different beliefs, and keep secrets from their parents, they are made easy targets for abusers.

 The State Dept of Education is now working on making policy for the schools districts media center personel. They will be trained on the purchases of books and the content of what books will be allowed in the schools. 

Now before you get too excited on thinking that these pornographic and inappropriate books will be gone forever….let me explain  further. 

These books will be vetted on the ” Seriousness of their Literary Value and the “Whole” of the book. 

If the Literary Value is being “Reworked” by globalisation and social justice and the work of the “Whole” (the message –activism, climate, oppression) we’ve got a big job ahead of us! It’s not about what’s in the schools any longer….it’s about what’s coming NEXT INTO the schools!

But don’t fear! We know the game plan!!

Now we have to get one step ahead of them. It’s time to take action. 

Florida Law is very clear on Pornography and Harmful to Minors:

Florida Statue 847.001

(caution: very graphic)

“Minor” means any person under the age of 18 years.

“Child pornography” means any image depicting a minor engaged in sexual conduct.

“Deviate sexual intercourse” means sexual conduct between persons not married to each other consisting of contact between the penis and the anus, the mouth and the penis, or the mouth and the vulva.

“Harmful to minors” means any reproduction, imitation, characterization, description, exhibition, presentation, or representation, of whatever kind or form, depicting nudity, sexual conduct, or sexual excitement when it:

(a) Predominantly appeals to a prurient, shameful, or morbid interest;
(b) Is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable material or conduct for minors;
(c) Taken as a whole, is without serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.
 
“Masochism” means sexual gratification achieved by a person through, or the association of sexual activity with, submission or subjection to physical pain, suffering, humiliation, torture, or death.
 
“Nudity” means the showing of the human male or female genitals, pubic area, or buttocks with less than a fully opaque covering; or the showing of the female breast with less than a fully opaque covering of any portion thereof below the top of the nipple; or the depiction of covered male genitals in a discernibly turgid state. A mother’s breastfeeding of her baby does not under any circumstance constitute “nudity,” irrespective of whether or not the nipple is covered during or incidental to feeding.

“Obscene” means the status of material which:

(a) The average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest;
(b) Depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct as specifically defined herein; and
(c) Taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.
 
“Sadism” means sexual gratification achieved through, or the association of sexual activity with, the infliction of physical pain, suffering, humiliation, torture, or death upon another person or an animal.
 
“Sexual battery” means oral, anal, or vaginal penetration by, or union with, the sexual organ of another or the anal or vaginal penetration of another by any other object; however, “sexual battery” does not include an act done for a bona fide medical purpose.
 
“Sexual bestiality” means any sexual act, actual or simulated, between a person and an animal involving the sex organ of the one and the mouth, anus, or vagina of the other.
 
“Sexual conduct” means actual or simulated sexual intercourse, deviate sexual intercourse, sexual bestiality, masturbation, or sadomasochistic abuse; actual lewd exhibition of the genitals; actual physical contact with a person’s clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or, if such person is a female, breast with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of either party; or any act or conduct which constitutes sexual battery or simulates that sexual battery is being or will be committed. A mother’s breastfeeding of her baby does not under any circumstance constitute “sexual conduct.”
 
“Sexual excitement” means the condition of the human male or female genitals when in a state of sexual stimulation or arousal.
 
“Sexually oriented material” means any book, article, magazine, publication, or written matter of any kind or any drawing, etching, painting, photograph, motion picture film, or sound recording that depicts sexual activity, actual or simulated, involving human beings or human beings and animals, that exhibits uncovered human genitals or the pubic region in a lewd or lascivious manner, or that exhibits human male genitals in a discernibly turgid state, even if completely and opaquely covered.
 
“Simulated” means the explicit depiction of conduct described in subsection which creates the appearance of such conduct and which exhibits any uncovered portion of the breasts, genitals, or buttocks. (SEX TOYS!!)

“Specific sexual activities” includes the following sexual activities and the exhibition of the following anatomical areas:

(a) Human genitals in the state of sexual stimulation or arousal.
(b) Acts of human masturbation, sexual intercourse, sodomy, cunnilingus, fellatio, or any excretory function, or representation thereof.
(c) The fondling or erotic touching of human genitals, the pubic region, the buttocks, or the female breasts.

(d) Less than completely and opaquely covered:

1. Human genitals or the pubic region.
2. Buttocks.
3. Female breasts below the top of the areola.
4. Human male genitals in a discernibly turgid state, even if completely and opaquely covered.
 
Florida Statue 847.012
A person’s ignorance of a minor’s age, a minor’s misrepresentation of his or her age, a bona fide belief of a minor’s age, or a minor’s consent may not be raised as a defense in a prosecution for a violation of this section.

A person may not knowingly sell, rent, or loan for monetary consideration to a minor:

(a) Any picture, photograph, drawing, sculpture, motion picture film, videocassette, or similar visual representation or image of a person or portion of the human body which depicts nudity or sexual conduct, sexual excitement, sexual battery, bestiality, or sadomasochistic abuse and which is harmful to minors; or
 
(b) Any book, pamphlet, magazine, printed matter however reproduced, or sound recording that contains any matter defined in s. 847.001, explicit and detailed verbal descriptions or narrative accounts of sexual excitement, or sexual conduct and that is harmful to minors.
 
(4) A person may not knowingly use a minor in the production of any material described in subsection (3), regardless of whether the material is intended for distribution to minors or is actually distributed to minors.
 
(5) An adult may not knowingly distribute to a minor on school property, or post on school property, any material described in subsection (3). As used in this subsection, the term “school property” means the grounds or facility of any kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, junior high school, or secondary school, whether public or nonpublic. This subsection does not apply to the distribution or posting of school-approved instructional materials that by design serve as a major tool for assisting in the instruction of a subject or course by school officers, instructional personnel, administrative personnel, school volunteers, educational support employees, or managers as those terms are defined in s. 1012.01.
 
(6) Any person violating any provision of this section commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
 
(7) Every act, thing, or transaction forbidden by this section constitutes a separate offense and is punishable as such.

State DOE Media Deptartment is making policies and training for library specialists across the state.

This is a recording from a committee meeting on Oct 25, 2022, and slide presentations that were included to show the inappropriateness of the books, the breaking of  Fl law, and some solutions.  

We have to engage and be a part of the process. Instructing the State on what WE want and HOW we think this process should be going forward.

We have put together a letter with our ideas of what this training and vetting of books should look like. You need to also have a say in this process for your children or grandchildren. Please attach your comments to this letter and email to the State Department of Education. 

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