{"id":84399092,"date":"2022-11-30T13:31:04","date_gmt":"2022-11-30T13:31:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lazyandentitled.org\/?p=84399092"},"modified":"2022-11-30T13:31:04","modified_gmt":"2022-11-30T13:31:04","slug":"a-concerned-parent-helps-steve-bannon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lazyandentitled.org\/?p=84399092","title":{"rendered":"A Concerned Parent Helps Steve Bannon"},"content":{"rendered":"

“And I do think it’s true that men stole \/ the magical instruments of women \/\/ & we were too busy \/ with ordinary life \/ to worry about this” – Hoa Nguyen, “You Say The Land” from ‘HECATE LOCHIA’<\/h2>

The latest book I can recite eyes closed by heart is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom<\/em>. It\u2019s an irritatingly almost<\/em>-metered alphabet book that\u2019s got my kid really knowing his letters, so I\u2019m a big fan, regardless of how I feel about it personally. The four-year-old is memorizing books and seems genuinely excited about reading. What more could I ask? <\/p>

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One night, we were reading Chicka Chicka Boom Boom<\/em>, and the child insisted he say each letter as I read the text. Like how the Beastie Boys ACCENT certain WORDS in their BARS. Except, instead of saying the letters, he leaned into my face and made a loud buzzing sound. Days later, his preschool teacher would tell Mal and I that \u201che is his own best audience\u201d because he cracks himself up so much. This was an accurate assessment. He was laughing so hard at every buzz that I started laughing so hard I was crying. Tears the size of the reversed Chicago River, running down my face like so many barges. Being at least half a comedy writer<\/a>, I like to think I know funny. What my kid was doing was, objectively, not funny. Yet we were both laughing so hard that it was a toss-up who would have a pee accident, the 34-year-old or the four-year-old. <\/p>

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This is because parenting is not rational. Parenting is temporary insanity. <\/p>

Remember that poor bastard who got outed as a crybaby when his mom made a literal federal case out his school assigning <\/a>Beloved<\/a><\/em>?<\/a> Imagine learning your mom\u2019s a fascist because she told the national news you had nightmares over a book. Nightmares! Over a book! I mean, Blake Murphy must be fine with it, he went on to become a lawyer for the National Republican Congressional Committee. Bed-wetting bitchass. Anyway, listen: men crying is good, people reading Toni Morrison is good, wrestling with the fact that the country you were born into only exists thanks to chattel slavery is good. Your mom siccing a bunch of fascists on the school board because she was worried your feelings got hurt is not good. It\u2019s bitchassness. <\/p>

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Steve Bannon has identified school boards<\/a> as the next fertile ground for fomenting fascism. Much like he was able to play on the insecurities of emasculated gamers<\/a> to propel Trump to the Presidency, he now wants hysterical parents to go harass beleaguered principals and underpaid teachers until the only books they teach are Ayn Rand. It\u2019s a scary proposition, because \u201cconcerned parents\u201d are easy to sympathize with. Who doesn\u2019t want the best for their kids? Problem is, parents don\u2019t always know what\u2019s best for their kids. But don\u2019t tell them that. <\/p>

(As a writer, I\u2019m probably supposed to talk some about how banning books only inspires readers. Say something uplifting about punk rock spirit. How education flourishes when it\u2019s Against The Man. Not here. My revolutionary hero is Cassian Andor, not Katniss Everdeen. Banned books bad. Always.)<\/p>

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Never trust \u201cas a parent, I\u2026\u201d This person is paving the road to hell, and they are speaking from a place of temporary insanity. Parents are not experts, and that scares the hell out of them. The miracle of birth has happened 83 billion times<\/a>, and we still think ours is the most special. Parents are not rational actors, we are people with opinions on Daniel Tiger vs. Peppa Pig. <\/p>

Empower writers, and more importantly, empower young readers. Bob and I were just talking<\/a> about Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop\u2019s concept of mirror\/window books<\/a>, the former being a book where kids see themselves, the latter being a book where kids are let in to the experience of people not like them. I think this concept\u2014fiction as a means of understanding other people. Let\u2019s continue letting education and books be part of the machine that kills fascists.<\/a><\/p>

Sorry you got an email, <\/p>

Chris<\/p>

Thank you for reading shipwrecked sailor. This post is public so feel free to share it.<\/p><\/div>

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