So, wait...Dr. Seuss childrens books are racist?

[mjr]

‘Racist propaganda’: Librarian rejects Melania Trump’s gift of Dr. Seuss books

Were they "racist" when Michelle Obama read them to children?

I had no idea "Oh, the places you'll Go!" was racist. Or "Green Eggs and Ham".

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.4b6ef421faed

Twitter has caught on: https://www.aol.com/article/news/201...dren/23227918/

Here's the list of books:

Seuss-isms!;
Because a Little Bug Went KaChoo;
What Pet Should I Get?;
The Cat in the Hat;
I Can Read with My Eyes Shut!;
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish;
The Foot Book;
Wacky Wednesday;
Green Eggs and Ham;
Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

The lady's quote, in part, in her letter to Trump:

“Open one of his books (‘If I Ran a Zoo’ or ‘And to Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street,’ for example), and you’ll see the racist mockery in his art,” Soeiro wrote in an open letter to Trump, adding that the books were filled with “racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes.”

I guess if you're looking for racism, you can find it...

More: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.s...brarian_d.html

And an opinion piece:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...=.edc5b5f53bbb

[MadMike]

Anyone who knows me knows that I have absolutely no love for the Trump family. However, this librarian is a fucking idiot! I used to read Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and several other of those books to my son when he was little. And the whole time I was reading him "racist propaganda?" Give me a break!

[jackfaire]

I am on the side of this librarian.

Here's her letter

This isn't a knee jerk reaction. This is a long held belief that the books foster systemic racism not overt racism. Nor is this a new line of thinking she actually cites books that have discussed this exact topic.

Most of the letter isn't even so much about the books as it is about the fact Melania chose instead of a school that needs help buying books one that is well funded and critizing Devos. Agree or disagree that Seuss is racist there is much more to the letter than just that.

[Tanasi]

Here high upon Rocky Top a locally born lady funds a program that gives a book to EVERY kid every month from birth until they turn 5. She doesn't select the books but rest assured she gets a ration of crap from a lot of critics because of what is sent. I say if you don't like the books opt out or through them away.
The saying "No good deed goes unpunished" is most assuredly true.
In this nation the is a lack of gratitude and an attitude of "being owed."

[jackfaire]

In this nation the is a lack of gratitude and an attitude of "being owed."

Except that's not what happened here. She in fact pointed out they not only aren't owed these books that being given these books is utterly unnecessary as their school could buy these books themselves 20 times over.

Instead she advocated for Melania sending books to schools that actually need them that have school libraries that can't even afford to stay open. To focus on helping fund schools that aren't in rich pre-dominantly white neighborhoods. Most of her letter was about the fact Melania chose a school not in need of the help to help.

That would be like if Michele Obama's fitness and nutrition programs had been targeted at future Olympians who spend all day training instead of the kids in need of programs like that.

The whole "racist" conversation was a footnote. I agree in the situation you describe if people complain and say "you should send us X books" sure.

But with this librarian's situation it was more "Send books to schools that need it save the schools that need it....but if you refuse to do that then please send us books we'll actually stock on the shelves" the whole Seuss part is again a footnote.

The news story should be about the fact she called out the First Lady on "non-charity" Charity. I honestly don't know if their is a term for that but I see it a lot someone well off gives something to kids that are well off and then we are supposed to think they are so amazing that they helped privileged kids be even more so.

Like when a singer does a "charity" concert for a bunch of kids who can afford the cost of a concert out of their pocket money.

[Cia]

My DH says that the library could've just donated the unwanted books to a school that needed them. Well yeah, what I replied is that Melania needs to know that she screwed up, that she and her staff need to actually go out and look for the inner city, rural and reservation schools that truly need books and ask them what they need, not just give the books to a school that does not need them.

The librarian should've left off the racism bit in her letter.

[Tanasi]

I still say no good deed goes unpunished and a lack of gratitude.
I tried the link for the letter but it didn't work. Why try to publicly embarrass FLOTUS? Why not be grateful for what was donated and then pass those books along to libraries that need them and then suggest to FLOTUS's people to help the other librarys? IMO because of her husband the letter was written to embarrass her. Seems like a good way to make an enemy.
As to the racist element argument I've seen a picture of a person dressed as the Cat in the Hat for Halloween that was billed as the person that lodged the racist complaint. Seems to be hypocritical to me if true.

[Daskinor]

I still say no good deed goes unpunished and a lack of gratitude.
I tried the link for the letter but it didn't work. Why try to publicly embarrass FLOTUS? Why not be grateful for what was donated and then pass those books along to libraries that need them and then suggest to FLOTUS's people to help the other librarys? IMO because of her husband the letter was written to embarrass her. Seems like a good way to make an enemy.
As to the racist element argument I've seen a picture of a person dressed as the Cat in the Hat for Halloween that was billed as the person that lodged the racist complaint. Seems to be hypocritical to me if true.

Here you go one bag of groceries.

What you can buy your own, take these groceries. Just be thankful.

Your allergic to half this stuff, just take some time to find someone who needs and wants these groceries then. Something I could not be bothered to do. Just be thankful.

Why are you in a huff, I just wanted to give you groceries. Don't need to tell me you don't want the groceries, and why. Just be thankful!