Friday, August 12, 2011

Sherlock Holmes' First Adventure Removed From School Sixth-Grade Reading List

Sherlock Holmes' First Adventure Removed From School Sixth-Grade Reading List: "Sherlock Holmes' first adventure has been removed from sixth-grade reading lists in a central Virginia county.

Brette Stevenson, a parent of a Henley Middle School student, had complained that 'A Study in Scarlet' is derogatory toward Mormons."

Hat tip to George Kelley.

4 comments:

Cap'n Bob said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Small minds and short vision.

George said...

You might recall when Patrick was in Sixth Grade, the Reading Coordinator wanted to drop CALL OF THE WILD by Jack London and replace it with something more "relevant." I had to go to some meetings and fight for the classic. I'm sure Jack London (like Sherlock) is no longer part of the Sixth Grade curriculum. Everything is dumbed-down now.

Brent McKee said...

The problem is that Doyle was reflecting the attitudes of his times - and such attitudes remain in Britain today. In Doyle's time there was a widespread belief that Mormon missionaries in Britain were abducting lower class and simple minded girls from Britain to participate in their polygamous harems. These days the Mormon practice of "retroactive marriage" and the resulting collection of genealogical records by Mormons have made it very difficult for anyone to get access to Anglican (and other) Church records in Britain.