One Less Voice

March 31st, 2011 / Categories: Moose Nuggets / 8 Comments »

Taking a step away from Richard and Angela for a bit. This week’s 100 Word Challenge by VV is “Voice”. Today’s piece is about a woman in Texas whose voice has been taken away from her. Shelly is a storyteller in local schools.

Do you have a word to say? Share it with us.
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She lost her voice. She wasn’t sick. Her voice was simply taken. She had told a tale.

And she lost her voice.

The schools said “No more! No more will you come to tell your stories to our precious babies! They are only 12 years old.”

She reasoned, “Twelve is old enough to discern right from wrong; old enough to know when stories are told to teach a point, right?”

“Well, yes,” they reluctantly agreed. “But!”

The debate continues. My friend told a ghost story to fourth graders. People who did not even hear it complained. They took her voice.
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Personally – I don’t know a 12 year old who does NOT like scarey ghost stories. My own grands would have loved Shelly’s tale – it is posted on her blog, btw. I’m sorry her voice is being taken. I hope justice prevails.

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8 responses

  1. Tara R. says:
    March 31, 2011 at 3:06 pm

    When I was in fourth grade our teacher read us Tell Tale Heart… we loved it! (that would have made us – age 9?) I think we coddle our children a little too much these days.

  2. Susan says:
    March 31, 2011 at 10:02 pm

    I have to agree with Tara’s comment. We were being read (and learning to read) Edgar Allan Poe in grade school! And ghost stories where always a part of summer camp and sleep overs. What in the world?! Today’s media is scarier than any ghost story I’ve ever heard. I’m sorry for your friend.

  3. clew says:
    April 1, 2011 at 7:11 am

    I also agree. What’s so terrible with encouraging our children to broaden their minds, consider other lives, other consequences – think off the beaten path?

  4. Carrie says:
    April 2, 2011 at 9:41 am

    It seems like parents are always trying to protect their children needlessly. Didn’t we all hear these stories, aren’t we functioning adults?

    It’s sad

    Visiting from 100 word challenge

  5. Teresa says:
    April 2, 2011 at 2:32 pm

    Thanks for sharing….I hadn’t heard about this. It’s a sad thing. I agree that children are being coddled too much these days.

  6. Sharon says:
    April 2, 2011 at 5:55 pm

    I fear for the antiseptic life that so many try to wrap their children in under the guise of protecting them. All it does is make them weak, or worse yet, bland.

  7. AuroraLee says:
    April 3, 2011 at 11:13 am

    And the bubble gets strengthened a little more. It just means it will hurt all the more when it inevitably bursts…

    Great work

  8. Velvet Verbosity says:
    April 5, 2011 at 9:59 pm

    Schools are so uptight, but in age of frivolous law-suits they can’t afford not to be I suppose. Too bad.

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