Posted by Nattie Hattie at 7:58 AM

"I'm not convinced there is an ultimate slippery slope," he said. "Just because we're not sure where this could end doesn't mean we should do nothing. We're never going to stop drug use or end violence, but that doesn't stop us from trying."

This impassioned quote comes from one Joel Ready, a 17-year old junior from Maryland. Taken out of context, this quote sounds like Ready is talking about an issue that has as much urgency and complexity as stopping drug abuse or ending violence.

But no. Ready is not vexed by such matters. His ire is focused on a much more pertinent issue: butts. Namely, books about butts, body issues and other challenges to teen self-esteem.

You see, Joel is on the Orwellian-named "reconsideration committee" at his high school that reviews challenged books. Two challenged books, The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler and Born Too Short: The Confessions of an Eighth-Grade Basket Case by Dan Elish, were considered OK by the majority of the committee. Joel thought otherwise and wrote letters to the superintendent of his school, arguing that the books were "immoral" and "against the values of Carroll County." The superintendent, no doubt impressed that a 17-year old kid was so knowledgeable about the values of the whole county, took the books off the high school library shelf. Though the books were eventually returned, he threatened to keep them out of the middle school library.

Since I have a degree in Library and Information Science, this story immediately interested me. However, what is even more interesting is that it was a student, not a concerned parent or a conservative school board that ultimately led to the books being withdrawn.

Many of the books that I checked out from my high school library contained the same "profanity" and "vulgarity" that raised Ready's objections. Truth be told, that's why I checked them out in the first place! But the thing is, while reading some of those books (Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo, Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, Catcher in the Rye) the illicit thrill of reading dirty words was overshadowed by the discovery of the larger, more revelatory themes that the books conveyed. I was lucky to have school librarians who trusted that I could read these controversial books, make up my own mind about them and get something valuable from the experience. I was also fortunate to have excellent teachers who discussed these books with us without condenscension, but with true interest and enthusiasm.

It would be too easy to dismiss Ready and his complaints. He sounds quite intelligent. And considering his embrace of community values and the ability to toady to his superiors, I dare say that he would have a bright future as an Attorney General in a Republican administration.

At the same time, I feel very sad for Joel. He truly feels that he is somehow helping his peers. But how is removing everything you find objectionable off library shelves helping anyone? Does Joel think that he is representing the values of his community--or is he trying to enforce what HE thinks those values should be?

What saddens me is that Joel is not willing or ready to have the same experience I had growing up, reading "banned books" that changed my life. He won't experience the intense conversations with friends and teachers about these books, even ones that some of us didn't particularly like or agree with.

But maybe there's hope. I have copies of those books I read in high school; I'm thinking about sending them to his high school's reconsideration committee. Maybe, if he read them, he would reconsider, too.Posted by Nattie Hattie at 8:52 PM

Welcome to Exit Five: your one-stop destination for discussion of all things Northern Kentucky, Cincinnati--and beyond.

I'm Nattie Hattie. Maybe you've read my posts on the Drinking Liberally in Cincinnati or Wine, Wenches, Books and Biznatches blogs... then again, maybe not. But it's not too late to get to know me.

I live right off the aforementioned Exit Five in Newport, KY. Originally hailing from Central KY. (Richmond, to be precise), I am fascinated by the cultural differences not only between Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, but also between Northern and Central KY. In the seven years I have lived in this area, I still feel somewhat of an outsider to Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati. Still, being an outsider does have its advantages in that you can take an open, unprejudiced view of your surroundings.

Sometimes it seems that there's more than a river separating Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati. And, as someone who appreciates things about both sides, I started this blog as a way to try to bridge the cultural gap between the two.

In addition to discussing news and topics pertaining to Northern KY/Cinti, I'm bound to gab about my other interests, both personal (politics, pop culture, feminism) and professional (quality assurance, usability, accessibility). If any of these interest you, too, by all means join in the conversation.

Please keep in mind that this exit is still somewhat under construction, and may undergo some changes over the next few weeks. I welcome your feedback on the look and functionality of the site.

Finally, I want to give mad props to Michael Wilson, who pimped the Exit Five template (and purchased the domain name for me as an Xmas gift); Julie Hucke (a.k.a. J. Star, who took the photo of the Exit 5 sign on 471 N. (in a speeding car, no less); the unknown individual responsible for the spray-painted heart on the Exit 5 sign; and last but not least, to y'all.Posted by Nattie Hattie at 1:07 PM