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School censors Iraq play
Filed under: Media, Day Care & Education
A school in Connecticut has canceled a planned play focusing on the Iraq war amidst worries about political "balance".
"Voices in Conflict" was assembled by Wilton High School's senior theatre arts class and was centred around a compilation of Iraqi veterans' interviews and letters. The high school principal had originally given the go-ahead on the play, but had second thoughts after he was approached by a student whose brother is serving in Iraq. Other school administrators had fears about insulting families who had lost loved ones in the war.
The students attempted to re-write the play to be less controversial and graphic, but ultimately it was nixed due to "a terminal lack of political balance."
The article made me recall a conversation I had with a Turkish cab driver when I was in New York last week. New to the United States, he complained that everything on the news was "so one-sided", with very little International and dissenting perspective. I wouldn't know any better, Canada's news feeds are primarily American, with the occasional BBC story thrown in for good measure. To me, high school should be a place of uncensored voice -- pretty much every opinion we express can "hurt feelings." My view is that the play should have been allowed to happen. Those that might have been hurt by its views wouldn't be forced to attend, and it doesn't appear there was any hate-mongering happening.
What do you think?
"Voices in Conflict" was assembled by Wilton High School's senior theatre arts class and was centred around a compilation of Iraqi veterans' interviews and letters. The high school principal had originally given the go-ahead on the play, but had second thoughts after he was approached by a student whose brother is serving in Iraq. Other school administrators had fears about insulting families who had lost loved ones in the war.
The students attempted to re-write the play to be less controversial and graphic, but ultimately it was nixed due to "a terminal lack of political balance."
The article made me recall a conversation I had with a Turkish cab driver when I was in New York last week. New to the United States, he complained that everything on the news was "so one-sided", with very little International and dissenting perspective. I wouldn't know any better, Canada's news feeds are primarily American, with the occasional BBC story thrown in for good measure. To me, high school should be a place of uncensored voice -- pretty much every opinion we express can "hurt feelings." My view is that the play should have been allowed to happen. Those that might have been hurt by its views wouldn't be forced to attend, and it doesn't appear there was any hate-mongering happening.
What do you think?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
3-29-2007 @ 6:17PM
cce said...Wouldn't it be nice if our schools would encourage political discourse and support this nation's children in their curiosity for something other than Brittney Spears and Angelina Jolie. I think this school system has made a grave, grave mistake.
~cce @ http://www.madmarriage.com
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3-30-2007 @ 1:48PM
Holmes said...These stories always irk me, and they always seem to come back to one or two administrators who are worried about negative public response. Censoring these students solves absolutely nothing. If people are offended, I say it creates an opportunity for dialogue. As it stands, they've shut down a much needed creative outlet, stifling any such opportunity.
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