Ban on Dictionary with Oral Sex Lifted

(CBS/ AP)  A Riverside County school district that pulled a dictionary from classrooms because it defined oral sex will allow it back on the shelves.

A committee of parents, teachers and administrators decided on Tuesday to permit fourth- and fifth-graders at Oak Meadows Elementary School to use Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.

However, parents can opt to have their kids use an alternative dictionary.

The district, which has 9,000 students, pulled the reference book last week after a parent complained about a child stumbling across the oral sex definition. That led to cries of censorship.

The definition listed on Merriam-Webster's Web site is "oral stimulation of the genitals."

District policy called for setting up a committee to determine if the book was age-appropriate.

Menifee is about 80 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

[cbs_tom]

Third and fourth grade students don't need to be reading aboout oral sex along with many other things. Perhaps, age appropriate dictionaries or books in general should be used and we should let the kids be kids. They will learn about sex soon enough. Our society will continue to degregate and the family nucleus will cease because of the selfishness and irresponsibility of todays citizens.

[ToolMangler1]

by jimmyc1955 January 27, 2010 11:59 AM EST
"oral sex isn't a word - it is a phrase and as such probably doesn't belong in a dictionary."



I agree. It belongs in an "Encyclopedia".

[Scimajor]

Ok, so the parents are not ok with any naughty words having to do with ..... shhhhh ...... sex but they're fine will all the words that have to do with violence (e.g. Murder).

What a starnge society we live in where violence is just fine but sex is evil. This is particularly odd since all those people are alive today due to .... shhhhhh ..... sex.

I once saw Scareface on network television. I found it bizzare that most of the violence wasn't edited out but the only and only scene with nudity was wiped out of existance .... well except the the bit right after where the main character violently killed a whole bunch of people and then was violently killed himself. That part was apparently acceptable.

So let me get this straight ..... people being slaughtered = ok but a nude body = bad.

Sigh.

[jimmyc1955]

scimajor - this gross over simplification glosses over so much and goes on to assume so much more.

Assumptions - you assume that those who object to this have no problem with murder, rape, incest and other words found in the dictionary. Tht is probably incorrect. But to make a point - oral sex isn't a word - it is a phrase and as such probably doesn't belong in a dictionary.

Another assumption - that kids who encounter sex daily are better for it. That also would be wrong. I live in a middle class school discrict that is propulated with many average families. About twice a year a girl is suspended from school for giving oral sex to some boy in the school, on the bus, at athletic events. Why - because we had a president who told us it wasn't sex.

In addition teen pregnancy rates are rising again. So it would seem all the sex they are barraged with isn't making them deal with it in an adult manner but they are dealing with it like typical teenagers - mindlessly without any understand of the consequences of their actions.

Folks like you will not recognize that a 14 year old is a walking hormone already. We need to work hard to keep them from reproducing like rabbits. You seem to think if you show them movies, hand them condoms everything will be ok. In other words your solution to a fire is to throw gasoline on it.

[displeased]

jimmyc, telling kids not to have sex will work about as well as telling them not to drink.