The Catcher in the Dictionary

Maybe it's all too fitting that a California school district tried to ban the dictionary for its explicit comments just days before the famed JD Salinger died. Salinger of course was the author of The Catcher in the Rye, one of the most banned books in American schools. And because of his death, his famous novel from1951 about adolescence and growing up is back on the top 20 over at Amazon. It's interesting, I know all about the book but have never read it. Maybe I'll have to pick it up. Regardless, someone down in southern California made a complaint that the famous Mirriam-Webster's dictionary was too explicit and not age appropriate for younger children. One of the offending entries was for "oral sex" which was defined as oral stimulation of the genitals. Now you see, I can't really get outraged with this one, because it's just too stupid. Words aren't offensive, it how they are put together and what their intent is that can cause damage. I daresay that words like "penis", "masturbation" and "orgasm" have been in the dictionary for quite a few years. It doesn't make the dictionary or encyclopedia dirty or unworthy. I'm sure there is a portion of the population that disagree, but they're not on the internet and definitely not reading my blog. Fox News (Jan 27, 2010) - California School District Reverses Dictionary Ban After 'Oral Sex' Flap Embarrass. -verb 1. To cause confusion and shame; disconcert; abash. As in: A California school district was EMBARRASSED after it tried to ban America's classic dictionary from 4th- and 5th-grade classrooms because it worried the book contained "age-inappropriate" words. After conducting an investigation of the very wordy book, Menifee Union School District has reversed its decision and invited Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary back into bookcases at Oak Meadows Elementary School. ... Read the full story here... Bil An Outraged Dad