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FEMA Removes 9/11 Coloring Book For Children From Website

Posted by samzenpus on from the everbody-dies-jimmy dept.

FEMA has decided to pull a children's coloring book entitled, "A Scary Thing Happened" from their website. The coloring book contained three images of the twin towers on fire for children to color. Rose Olmsted, the coordinator behind the book said, "I stand firm that it was a very well thought-out and useful resource for kids, but it's obviously being misinterpreted by a lot of people." Since people are so upset about the coloring book, I can only assume FEMA's plan for a human remains concentration game will be put on hold.

9 of 324 comments (clear)

  1. You can clearly see! by vjmurphy · · Score: 5, Funny

    In those coloring book images, you can clearly see that the towers were rigged for demolition! See, I just drew in a team of CIA operatives with a TNT plunger! COVER UP! I call COVER UP!

    --
    Vincent J. Murphy
    Spandex Justice
  2. I'll be the karma whore by vrmlguy · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here's a copy of the coloring book: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/graphics/pdf/femacoloringbook.pdf

    --
    Nothing for 6-digit uids?
    1. Re:I'll be the karma whore by BitwiseX · · Score: 5, Insightful

      OK.. so after flipping through it the only thing related to 9/11 is the cover and ONE page. The rest of the coloring book doesn't refer to any specific events, just "disaster". It looks to me like a good effort at educating children about disaster and coping with it.

      Why can't they change the cover, change the image on that page, and MOVE ON!

    2. Re:I'll be the karma whore by mutube · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I agree. I'd never heard of this book before now (I am from the UK) and expected something either frightening/sickly sweet. It's actually good.

      If anything the only problem I can see with the use of the 9/11 image on the front is that it's 'out of date' - in the sense that there have been a number of more recent disasters that it may be better to refer to (given the target age).

      Change the cover and it's good to go, no?

      --
      Python coder | PyQt Applications | Writer
  3. Re:Wrong move by skiflyer · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A decision by a government agency to stop selling a book that upset some people.

    Censorship would be if FEMA removed the book from their website, and then told the publisher to stop publishing it.

    Extreme cases would then involve removing it from book stores, schools and homes... but that wouldn't be necessary. FEMA taking it off its own website though, not censorship. I don't link to slashdot on my home page, am I guilty of censorship against slashdot?

  4. Bruce Perens is a censor! by spun · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I notice YOU haven't published the coloring book on YOUR site either, Mr. Perens. Therefore, by your own logic, you are a censor.

    Except that is not censorship. Nobody is banning anything. FEMA is choosing not to use our tax dollars to publish a coloring book on their own web site. Calling that censorship dilutes the meaning of the word, and it demeans the struggle against real censorship.

    --
    - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
  5. Airplanes! by SnarfQuest · · Score: 5, Funny

    So that's why they flew air force one over New York City. They were making a live action version of this comic book.

    --
    Who would win this election: Andrew Weiner vs Andrew Weiner's weiner.
  6. Re:Wrong decision by phantomfive · · Score: 5, Informative

    You've missed the point of the coloring book. Read through it. The purpose isn't to teach kids about 9/11, like you seem to assume, it's to help kids get through a traumatic experience. These are kids who had their house burned down or something, and even if they don't understand exactly what happened, they are going to feel the emotional impact of it. The book is just a way to help them deal with it.

    --
    Qxe4
  7. Re:Why is it a bad thing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Since it happened 8 years ago, I'm am POSITIVE that your 5-year-old doesn't remember it.