Do you know what your children are reading in school?

A group of parents are voicing their opposition to the  inclusion of Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye" in Northville High School's English curriculum. The complaints are centered around the book's graphic depictions of rape and pedophilia, as well as the district's transparency over how books in the curriculum are  vetted.

This should spur a healthy debate about what's appropriate reading material for students. After all, shouldn't parents be aware of what their children are reading?  Is it not a parent's right to have control over the material to which minor children are exposed? 

This, however, won't be a healthy debate; they never are. In today's politically charged environment, this will turn into an ugly exchange of insults and hyperbole. These parents will be treated terribly by  some district employees. They will be mocked by other parents. They will get beat up in the media. Their kids, afraid of being ridiculed by their peers, may beg them to stop rocking the boat.

I, for one, hope they stand their ground.

I've written about several book challenges over the years. In 2012, It was another Toni Morrison book, "Beloved," being challenged in Plymouth. n Northville in 2013, a parent challenged the unedited version of Anne Frank's "Diary Of A Young Girl." In both cases, the concerned parents were viscously attacked by both local and national media outlets, as well as members of their own communities. The board meetings devolved into circuses.

The message being sent to parents is clear: Keep your mouth shut when it comes to public school curriculum. The state is better equipped to raise your children than you are. This should frighten every parent, regardless of your opinion about the content of any one book.

The outcry about censorship and book banning has begun, like always. Let's be honest, removing a book from a school's curriculum isn't "banning" anything. Toni Morrison's books will undoubtedly still be available at every public library and bookstore in the country, as well they should be.

We are, however, selling America's literary history short when we claim that any piece of literature can't be replaced by another relevant work. The work suggested as an alternative to "The Bluest Eye," is Jane Austen's "Pride And Prejudice."

Surely there are books that the community could agree on.......if we could ever have a civil discussion.    

 When writing this, I resisted the urge to cut and paste from those old articles, even though all of my arguments still apply. I also considered actually posting some of the most offensive passages from the book being challenged. This, however, would be missing the larger point.

The state is so concerned with the feelings of kids, that they want safe speech zones and gender free bathrooms; and yet when kids object to required reading that likens obscene sexual positions to "Jesus hanging on the cross," the tolerance and sensitivity is nowhere to be found.

It's tough not to see the double standard.

As a father, I'm sure glad there are parents out there scrutinizing every bit of information being taught to school children. Whether you agree with their opinions or not, this is an issue parents should  be involved in, and the debate should be open and honest.

It is neither.