Welcome to the ten Minute Storyteller. That's me Bill Simpson, your host, narrator and author. We here at the ten Minute Storyteller endeavor to entertain you with tall tales or rendered swiftly and with the utmost empathy. We pledge to pack as much entertainment, emotion, and exploration into the human condition as ten minutes will permit. Mini novels on steroids. This week we meet Sam, a decent fellow without hard opinions. Sam thinks he might just run for school board, you know, help out do his civic duty. He meets with some concerned parents. He listens to their concerns about critical race theory, sex education, books that need burning fear and loathing in America. Word run around a couple weeks ago they wanted someone to run for the open school board seat. At first, it was unclear who exactly had put that word out, you know, just some parents looking to get one of their own on the board. A neighbor told Sam Sam, well, he's definitely one of them. Three kids in the district fourth grader at the grammar school, sixth grader at the middle school, and a freshman at the high school. For the most part, He and his wife loved the school system, a pleasant, safe environment with first class teachers and a reputation for academic excellence. He discussed the idea about running for the board with his wife. She wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of him running or serving, but she said, if you want to commit, I will support you. So he told his neighbor, who made a couple of calls, and within a day or two he was invited to meet with a group of concerned parents. He assumed the meeting would be a friendly exchange, lots of talk about their kids, and of course questions and answers about serving on the school board. But nope, these are some very serious and distraught parents. They get down to business with barely and hello, or how's the wife? Want to talk straight away about critical race theory and sex education and filthy books that would be better banned from the curriculum. They are passionate and yes, convincing in their views. Sam listens and often feels himself nodding in agreement. Listen proclaims the leader of the meeting, we don't need our kids hearing about what awful monsters white people are. How we enslaved the Blacks and annihilated the Aboriginals. Water over the dam. Far better for our kids to hear about the declaration of Independence in the Gettysburg address. Now, Sam's not entirely sure about all this, but he nevertheless gives a brief nod. And teaching sixth and seventh graders about sex, seriously, isn't that our job, a parent's job? What's up with teachers assuring our kids that perverse sexual behavior is perfectly acceptable? Well, huh, are you kidding me? It's tough enough out there for our kids without them being told it's okay to be homosexual or lesbian, or queer or transgender. What the hell is transgender? Anyway? Good God, just let them grow up normal like we did. Now. Sam considers himself a fairly open minded guy, but he has to admit he was a bit startled when as eleven year old, came home one day after school talking about a girl in his class who wanted to be a boy, and and some of these books they're subjecting our children to, The leader exclaims, my god, it's disturbing. The Bluest Eye, for instance, by Tony Morrison, being read as we speak at the high school contains a detailed description of a young girl being raped raped. Are childer need to read this garbage? Seriously? Didn't didn't Tony Morrison? Sam wants to ask, but doesn't when the Nobel Prize for literature and doesn't Amnon rape his sister Tamar in the Book of Samuel right there in the Bible? And didn't he read recently that a woman gets raped somewhere in America every two minutes. Every two minutes. The same article claimed one quarter to one third of all women in America will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime, or continues the leader Out of Darkness depicts in detail a Mexican girl and a black boy having sex. Disgusting ghostboy about a black kid murdered by police. Do we need our children subject to this nonsense? Do we? I don't think so. Ground zero gender queer. We are the ants about a homo with explicit descriptions of masturbation and genitalia, or or what girls are made of? Talks all about abortion for the love of God, abortion. I could go on and on, but I believe you see my point. Sam thinks his teenage daughter read that one what girls are made of Yes, He's sure that was the title. His wife and daughter discussed the book at great length, a good positive discussion about teen pregnancy, premarital sex, and girls taking pride in their bodies. Still, most parents present at the meeting cheer and applaud and assure the leader they one hundred percent absolutely see his point. We need The leader proclaims these books banned, We need another gentleman in the audience shouts these books burned. Now. This idea really fires up the meeting. They decide to stage a book burning in the parking lot of the high school and put it right out on Facebook live for everyone to see. It's time. The leader declares to take back our schools, protect our kids, and make America decent again. These declarations receive enthusiastic approvals. Sam sits there and listens and tries to control his rapidly beating heart and his troubled thoughts. It's not easy. He feels anxious and confused. The Leader looks at him and asks, are you with us? Sam? Are you? Are you with us? Sam doesn't hear not at first, has drifted Sam Yo. Sam calls the leader, are you with us in this fight? Are you willing to run for this school board seat and fight for what's right. Sam slips out of his reverie. He looks at the leader, glances around the room, and wonders who these people are. He knows some of them, or thought he did. He assumes they mean well, but wants to ask, why are you all so angry? So afraid of the truth? But he doesn't have the guts, He doesn't have the gumption. A few days later, he does not attend the book burning, and when asked about running for that open school board seat, Sam says, you know, I gotta tell you, With work and all these other commitments I have, I'm afraid I just won't have time. Now. More accurate might be I'm afraid. Thanks for listening to this original audio presentation of Fear and Loathing in America, narrated by the author. If you enjoy today's story, please take a few seconds to rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast, and then go to Thomas William Simpson dot com for additional information about the author and to view his extensive canon. The Ten Minute Storyteller is produced by Andrew Pleglsi and Josh Colotney and as part of the Elvis Duran Podcast Network in partnership with Iheartproductions. Until next time, this is Bill Simpson, your ten minute storyteller.

Welcome to the ten Minute Storyteller. That's me Bill Simpson, your host, narrator and author. We here at the ten Minute Storyteller endeavor to entertain you with tall tales or rendered swiftly and with the utmost empathy. We pledge to pack as much entertainment, emotion, and exploration into the human condition as ten minutes will permit. Mini novels on steroids. This week we meet Sam, a decent fellow without hard opinions. Sam thinks he might just run for school board, you know, help out do his civic duty. He meets with some concerned parents. He listens to their concerns about critical race theory, sex education, books that need burning fear and loathing in America. Word run around a couple weeks ago they wanted someone to run for the open school board seat. At first, it was unclear who exactly had put that word out, you know, just some parents looking to get one of their own on the board. A neighbor told Sam Sam, well, he's definitely one of them. Three kids in the district fourth grader at the grammar school, sixth grader at the middle school, and a freshman at the high school. For the most part, He and his wife loved the school system, a pleasant, safe environment with first class teachers and a reputation for academic excellence. He discussed the idea about running for the board with his wife. She wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of him running or serving, but she said, if you want to commit, I will support you. So he told his neighbor, who made a couple of calls, and within a day or two he was invited to meet with a group of concerned parents. He assumed the meeting would be a friendly exchange, lots of talk about their kids, and of course questions and answers about serving on the school board. But nope, these are some very serious and distraught parents. They get down to business with barely and hello, or how's the wife? Want to talk straight away about critical race theory and sex education and filthy books that would be better banned from the curriculum. They are passionate and yes, convincing in their views. Sam listens and often feels himself nodding in agreement. Listen proclaims the leader of the meeting, we don't need our kids hearing about what awful monsters white people are. How we enslaved the Blacks and annihilated the Aboriginals. Water over the dam. Far better for our kids to hear about the declaration of Independence in the Gettysburg address. Now, Sam's not entirely sure about all this, but he nevertheless gives a brief nod. And teaching sixth and seventh graders about sex, seriously, isn't that our job, a parent's job? What's up with teachers assuring our kids that perverse sexual behavior is perfectly acceptable? Well, huh, are you kidding me? It's tough enough out there for our kids without them being told it's okay to be homosexual or lesbian, or queer or transgender. What the hell is transgender? Anyway? Good God, just let them grow up normal like we did. Now. Sam considers himself a fairly open minded guy, but he has to admit he was a bit startled when as eleven year old, came home one day after school talking about a girl in his class who wanted to be a boy, and and some of these books they're subjecting our children to, The leader exclaims, my god, it's disturbing. The Bluest Eye, for instance, by Tony Morrison, being read as we speak at the high school contains a detailed description of a young girl being raped raped. Are childer need to read this garbage? Seriously? Didn't didn't Tony Morrison? Sam wants to ask, but doesn't when the Nobel Prize for literature and doesn't Amnon rape his sister Tamar in the Book of Samuel right there in the Bible? And didn't he read recently that a woman gets raped somewhere in America every two minutes. Every two minutes. The same article claimed one quarter to one third of all women in America will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime, or continues the leader Out of Darkness depicts in detail a Mexican girl and a black boy having sex. Disgusting ghostboy about a black kid murdered by police. Do we need our children subject to this nonsense? Do we? I don't think so. Ground zero gender queer. We are the ants about a homo with explicit descriptions of masturbation and genitalia, or or what girls are made of? Talks all about abortion for the love of God, abortion. I could go on and on, but I believe you see my point. Sam thinks his teenage daughter read that one what girls are made of Yes, He's sure that was the title. His wife and daughter discussed the book at great length, a good positive discussion about teen pregnancy, premarital sex, and girls taking pride in their bodies. Still, most parents present at the meeting cheer and applaud and assure the leader they one hundred percent absolutely see his point. We need The leader proclaims these books banned, We need another gentleman in the audience shouts these books burned. Now. This idea really fires up the meeting. They decide to stage a book burning in the parking lot of the high school and put it right out on Facebook live for everyone to see. It's time. The leader declares to take back our schools, protect our kids, and make America decent again. These declarations receive enthusiastic approvals. Sam sits there and listens and tries to control his rapidly beating heart and his troubled thoughts. It's not easy. He feels anxious and confused. The Leader looks at him and asks, are you with us? Sam? Are you? Are you with us? Sam doesn't hear not at first, has drifted Sam Yo. Sam calls the leader, are you with us in this fight? Are you willing to run for this school board seat and fight for what's right. Sam slips out of his reverie. He looks at the leader, glances around the room, and wonders who these people are. He knows some of them, or thought he did. He assumes they mean well, but wants to ask, why are you all so angry? So afraid of the truth? But he doesn't have the guts, He doesn't have the gumption. A few days later, he does not attend the book burning, and when asked about running for that open school board seat, Sam says, you know, I gotta tell you, With work and all these other commitments I have, I'm afraid I just won't have time. Now. More accurate might be I'm afraid. Thanks for listening to this original audio presentation of Fear and Loathing in America, narrated by the author. If you enjoy today's story, please take a few seconds to rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast, and then go to Thomas William Simpson dot com for additional information about the author and to view his extensive canon. The Ten Minute Storyteller is produced by Andrew Pleglsi and Josh Colotney and as part of the Elvis Duran Podcast Network in partnership with Iheartproductions. Until next time, this is Bill Simpson, your ten minute storyteller.