California Community Wants To Ban Maya Angelou Book

Huntington Beach is known for its lush scenery, as well as, the laid back demeanor of its residents, but in one fell swoop, that entire image has been ruined. At least for fans of one of America's most celebrated public figures.

Several members of a Huntington Beach activist group is lobbying to remove  one of Maya Angelou's most famous literary works, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” after having deemed it as being  inappropriate for elementary and middle school aged children.

In an effort to convey the method behind their madness, several members of the group descended upon a city council meeting for the city, choosing to read some of the title's more grizzly portions to all in attendance.

“I'm not happy to read this, I'm not proud to read this,” said Judy Ahren, a resident of Huntington Beach, to local media. “It's very uncomfortable to read it, but for the sake of our kids we have to do things that aren't comfortable for the sake of our kids.”

According to the superintendent of Ocean View School District, the book has been submitted for review.

It has only been checked out five times in the past two years.

I know it is the job of parents to be concerned for the safety and well being of their children, but seriously, is this really what their collective “anger” should be used on? With rampant violence, drug/alcohol abuse, and a myriad of social problems plaguing America's public education system, is this REALLY what they should be worried about? I bet their children have seen more “interesting” images during an early evening HBO session. Porn is a multi-billion dollar industry that, whether these concerned parents want to admit or not, more than likely has their children proverbially gripped by their tiny throats by now. Yet, they choose to focus on a book that was meant to inspire by offering a tale of perseverance???

Lunacy. . .