I was looking over my 11 year old son's poetry packet today for his 6th grade English class. Among the poems, copied from very old, 12th generation handouts, were some poems and song lyrics. My favorites were the lyrics from Ghostface Killah's joint, Black Eyed Peas rant, and the lyrics to some other song talking about shit and poppin' caps was very enlightening as well.
I also appreciated the exposure to gang vernacular and the seedy side of life in poverty, glorified, as it so often is in rap, to the confusion of children who don't yet understand the subtleties of life in a racist country.
I suppose I should thank my son's teacher for keeping it real, but I feel more like she is polluting their young minds as opposed to exposing them to controversial, yet aesthetically important works. I am not sure the Black Eyed Peas and Ghostface Killahs are works that deserve study, at least not in 6th grade.
Now, is it just the protective father in me, or are these types of offerings from an English Teacher to her 6th grade charges just waaaayyy out of line?