From "The Misfits"

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.

Anybody who believes that has never been called a name.

This is what I think about names. I think that names are a very small way of looking at a person...

Another thing I think about names is that they do hurt. They hurt because we believe them. We think they are telling us something true about ourselves, something other people can see even if we don't.

Lardo fluff fatso fairy dweeb mutant freak ree-tard loser greaser know-it-all beanpole geek dork...

Is that me? we think. Is that who I am?

If you haven't been called any of those names, think about the ones you have been called. Is that who you are?" p.250-1

Imagine how many young people can find comfort in these few words. Add characters that you can relate to and a great plot and you have one wonderful tale.

BUT, there are some folks who refuse to allow any young people to read this book. I doubt they've even read the book themselves. Some preacher or other leader tells them the book is naughty, so therefore No Name-Calling Week is, heaven forbid, a work of the devil and has to be a tool of the nefarious homosexual agenda. These leaders incite a riot or anything to guarantee that school board members (who have so little time to do the work to help all our kids) are unable to do anything else but placate folks who have no idea what they are protesting against to begin with.

So don't let your kids read the book if that is what you want. Turn the channel. But, I'll be damned if you are going to get away with keeping "The Misfits" out of my kids' hands or any other person who wants to read it.