"Occult" Concerns Gets SC Summer Reading Program Cancelled

This is a pretty good example of the fine line teachers and librarians must walk these days if they want to encourage kids to read for pleasure. A public library in South Carolina created a voluntary summer reading program with six weekly sessions. One of the sessions included astrology. But that got some parents upset. They created an uproar and got the whole program cancelled.

Sadly, we at AS IF! get reports of this kind of thing happening again and again, all over the country.

Here's one writer's take:

The Pickens library planned a reading program in Easley for grades 5 and up called “You Never Know at Your Library.”

There were six weekly sessions planned — featuring the theme of mystery and suspense — plus a pizza party at the end.

Then some parents began screaming bloody murder.
Seems like one session focused on — egads! — the occult.

The June 14 meeting called “What’s Your Sign?” included this description: “Get to know your inner cosmic being through astrology, palmistry, numberology (they probably mean ‘numerology’). Partner up to practice palm-reading, or try your hand at tarot cards.”

That peeved some parents.

Marguerite Keenan, Pickens County library system director, was quoted by Greenville News writer Ginny Johnson as saying she got phone calls from parents who said the session was “promoting witchcraft and teaching other religions.”

Yikes! Hide the kids, Martha!

I could understand parents complaining about the lack of educational content in a session discussing such phony-baloney stuff as tarot cards.

But it’s extreme to say the library was promoting witchcraft and other religions.
Let’s assume the protesting parents were well-intentioned. But I think it’s fair to say most people believe astrology and fortune-telling are superstitions — not genuine religion.
Elevating palm-reading and astrology to the level of religion gives such superstitious stuff a respect and dignity they don’t deserve.

In addition, it's improper for a few protesting parents to dictate what is appropriate for ALL children in the community.

After all, no child was REQUIRED to attend this completely volunteer reading program.
Any parent who was offended by a session could have kept junior at home that day and have him watch "Married With Children" reruns on TV.

Library officials said they chose the content of the sessions based on similar programs nationwide and by popular demand.

Fair enough. But instead of sticking to their guns, library officials decided, based on a couple of dozen complaints, to get rid of the June 14 session.

But wait! They didn’t stop there: They killed the ENTIRE reading program.

But wait again! They kept the pizza party at the end.

Get it? Here's a summer reading program that requires no reading but offers a pizza party originally designed to reward those who dutifully read books throughout the program.

Shall we laugh at this or cry?

How ironic that the name of the program was “You Never Know at Your Library.”

Indeed.

Library officials said they kept the pizza party because that probably was the only thing that wouldn’t offend local sensibilities.