Do you think that the following letter to the editor of the Ankeny Press-Citizen plagiarized the Walden's Wits blog? The Ankeny couple who wrote the letter claim that the children's book "And Tango Makes Three" promotes homosexuality, as does the blog. Read the excerpts below and decide for yourself. Key similarities between the two texts have been italicized.
Cindy and James Dacus' letter to the editor
To the editor:
A challenge to the book "And Tango Makes Three," that promotes homosexual lifestyle and same sex unions as normal, goes before the Ankeny school board on Nov. 3.
My husband and I are writing as concerned parents to inform others of a book that is in open circulation in the elementary school libraries (kindergarten through fifth grade) in the Ankeny school district. The book is titled "And Tango Makes Three," written by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson.
It claims to be a children's fiction book for 4- to 8-year-olds. The book is based on the true story of Roy and Silo, two male chinstrap penguins in New York's Central Park Zoo who become a couple, adopt an egg and become a family.
My kindergartener pulled this book out of open circulation in the East Elementary Library last February and brought it home to read. That night, as I began reading the book, it appeared like any other children's book with colorful cute illustrations of penguins. About midway through I was blindsided by the propaganda stashed inside and halted the story abruptly when I realized this book made us angry because it forced the controversial mature subject of homosexuality on my child and tried to pass it off as normal and acceptable behavior. This book exposes children to a complex issue they are not able to understand at elementary age level. The book attempts to normalize something clearly abnormal. Penguins, like other creatures, mate primarily for procreation.
The fact that the keeper had to steal an egg from a normal female and male couple to make a so called "family" shows that two males or two females by themselves do not have what nature requires for them to create and bear children.
"And Tango Makes Three" tops the list two years in a row (2006 and 2007) on the American Library Association's 10 Most Challenged Book List. This book has been insidiously placed in libraries across American in attempts to indoctrinate and desensitize our most vulnerable citizens (our young children) to accept diverse lifestyles as valid or normal, whether they have two mommies, two daddies, three daddies or three mommies and two daddies.
The authors' intent is clear as the review on the back of the book by John Lithgow stating, "Tango will delight young readers and open their minds." I am disgusted that the author's think elementary-age children are ready for such a mature subject and use such a backhanded method to pump their agenda.
This book pushes the debate of a diverse, destructive and risky lifestyle to children as young as kindergarteners trying to pass it off as warm, fuzzy and normal through cute little penguins.
My husband and I have challenged this book with the Ankeny school district on the claim that it is inappropriate for elementary children (kindergarten-5th). We are fighting to have it removed or restricted (checked out only with parent's request). We don't believe that a school library is the same as a public library. School libraries have to adhere to board policy. Our reasons that this book does not belong in the elementary school libraries are the following:
1. Most children in elementary school will not be able to understand the content and intent of the author's mature theme. The material in this book is not age appropriate and suited for the maturity levels of the pupils served K-5th as stated in board policy #603.51 part A.
2. Ankeny elementary curriculum does not include a course of study about homosexual lifestyle. Therefore, this book does not enrich and support the elementary curriculum for K-5th as stated in school board policy #602.10
3. This book is in open circulation for any child to pick up without guidance. This book's content is selfish propaganda about a controversial issue and does not adhere to the school board policy #603.7 which states, "to present opposing sides of controversial issues so that young citizens may develop under guidance the practice of critical analysis of all sides of controversial issues."
4. This book is classified as fiction, but all events in this story are true.
Our challenge goes before the Ankeny board of education at the school board meeting on Nov. 3. As parents and citizens in the Ankeny school district, if you too are concerned about the materials that our tax dollars are supporting in our elementary schools, we encourage you to attend this school board meeting.
Cindy and James Dacus,
Ankeny
Post from the Walden's Wits blog
This book made me angry because it forced a questionable sexual practice on my children, passing it off as something as legitimate as their own family. It attempts to normalize something clearly abnormal. Penguins, like all other creatures, mate primarily for procreation. The fact that the keeper had to steal an egg from another couple to make a “family” shows that same-sex couples by themselves do not have what nature requires for them to conceive and bear children. Ironically, it was just announced that Silo has broken up with Roy and shacked up with Scrappy, a new penguin from the San Diego Zoo. Don’t you just love those bi-coastal relationships? And the real shocker is that Scrappy is—gasp!—a female penguin. Silo has been proclaimed as the nation’s first ex-gay penguin. Little doubt exists that they will need no intervention to produce a child.
Regardless, this book has been insidiously and deceitfully placed in libraries across America to re-educate young children to accept all families as valid, whether they have two mommies, two daddies, three daddies or three mommies and two daddies. It is deceptively normal and intentionally aimed at children whose primary concern should be Legos and dolls. They push the debate on homosexuality into the kindergarten when the only debate children that age should be forced to decide is crust or no crust on their sandwiches. I am appalled that Simon and Schuster thinks my children are ready for sex. And I am angry that they chose such a backhanded method to pump someone’s agenda. They will be hearing from my articulate 9 year-old in the coming days, and my library will be hearing from me.
