Censoring Of Mice and Men

Stupidity doesn't wait for Banned Books Week to make a spectacle of itself: a woman wants Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men to be removed from an English course's reading list, because of overt use of the word 'nigger'. The less attention we pay to that naïve woman, the better — however, the school spokesman does an excellent job of explaining just why banning books like Steinbeck's works (Grapes of Wrath is often equally contested):

"It's not a pleasant part of our history," David Smith, a spokesman for the school district, told KMBC-TV. "But kids these days need opportunities to learn about it, understand it, not in a sanitized 21st-century way, because that's how we move forward in society."

via - For video of the woman announcing her dislike of the book (including a "I'm not trying to ban it") comment, KMBC has more.