Tennessee school bans 'Maus', graphic novel involving holocaust history, from school for "language and nudity"

When we discuss adult themes such as a government committing mass murder of its population, authors need to be wary not to say “God Damn” or have an unclothed character if they wish to reach a high school audience. These two items were front and center for the unanimous decision of a McMinn County school board as it barred the Pultzer winning graphic novel of Maus from its district curriculum. Maus is a graphic novel utilizing animal allegory to give a historical account of the holocaust.

The TN Holler has a full article of each of the board’s words on the removal of the book from the school. Many on social media are concerned that this is part of a trend of washing away the sins of authority by those that hold it. Though, given humanity’s inability to resist taking a bite of what is deemed as forbidden knowledge, banning the book within the classroom may rile the interest of rebellious teens to learn more about this banned literature outside the classroom.

Given the content of the book, those who would recommend it point out that it should be for a high school audience. In the end, American education institutions are at the whims of the parents of the students. Some parents sometimes fear their children growing up with knowledge they forbid for one reason or another.

For those parents in that district who disagree with their board’s decision, getting together and acquiring the book for your own home to teach your young adult the messages on your own terms may be for the better. Especially to help stem the tide of the ignorance of their peers who had not acquired the knowledge therein simply because their school removed it from the curriculum. For if state education is lacking, the successful will learn in spite of their intrusions.