My letter to Scholastic... [View All]

[CoffeeCat]

I realize it might be too late--as Scholastic disseminated the materials yesterday and today, but I wanted to let them know how upset people get when they play partisan politics with our children. It's not a perfect letter, but I voiced my opinion and let them know that they lost dollars because of their actions.

Dear Sir of Madam,

I am the mother of two daughters; a kindergartner and a first grader. We are big fans of
Scholastic books. In fact, I just placed a $20 order on Wednesday. Regrettably, if you
do not pull all involvement with ABC's "Path to 9/11" mini-series--this will be my last
book order with Scholastic.

I could not ignore the fact that Scholastic is--in effect—supporting a movie that contains distortions, factual inaccuracies and fictitious scenes that favor Republicans and put Democrats in a negative light. By disseminating ANY materials on this movie (even if the materials are neutral and designed only to spark discussion), you are encouraging children to view inaccurate, partisan materials that distort American history and leverage one political party over the other.

I would be just as angry if Scholastic crafted materials to accompany Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11."

Did you know that every Democratic United States Senator sent a letter to ABC's Disney--denouncing the movie and threatening legal and legislative action if the series is aired? The lies in this movie are just that serious. President Clinton and several of his cabinet members have stated that events in the movie are fictitious. Why would Scholastic want to be connected--in any way--to this film when the errors and propaganda are so obvious and serious?

By disseminating information about this film--you legitimize lies. You also encourage students to watch a version of 9/11 that is very upsetting to many parents. There are plenty of accurate, well-written accounts of 9/11 that accurately depict this national tragedy, as well as the mistakes made by both the Clinton and Bush Administrations. ABC’s “Path to 9/11” is not one of them.

If Scholastic truly cares about children and their parents--they will not provide ANY materials related to this film.

Again, with deep regret--if you chose to disseminate any materials to students--the last book order I placed with you--will truly be the last.

Thank you for taking the time to read my correspondence and listen to my opinion.

Sincerely,
XXXXX