Wow.

[juldea]

The math helpline got this email today:

----------------------------------------
Problem Description
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Book: Math 2, 1st Edition
Book Type: Textbook
Lesson: 41A & (41B)
Problem: 2 & (2)
Page: No page specified

Problem Description: Part three of each problem states, "Count by 5's to find the number of toes in all of the socks / (shoes)." Counting by fives in an inappropriate method of determining the number of toes in all of the socks or shoes because not all feet have five toes. For additional reference, not all hands have five fingers; nor do all boys and girls have two hands/arms/feet/legs/eyes or ears - something they don't need to be reminded of by their math book publisher.



Um, damn. How am I supposed to respond to this?

Comments

[vambot5.livejournal.com]

"I'm sorry, mr/ms ____, that our textbooks are so rampantly insensitive. I will suggest to our editors that the author of this problem be duly castigated and that staff of writers undergo sensitivity immediately. Thank you so very much for bringing this to our concern."

[goldbug.livejournal.com]

dear person who identifies with one or more genders,

you are absolutely right! in addition, each body may have one or more personalities. today you've reached the bitch! stop wasting my time. i'm here to teach math. email our resident pastor at askthepastor@saxonpub.com for some good christian advice.

sincerely, the destroyer.

[lo5an.livejournal.com]

sounds to me like you've got somebody who is in pain lashing out at you. I'd forward the email up the org chart and ignore it. Probably nothing you can say to them will make them feel better.

It is a concern when writing a text book that a lot of what most people take for granted is missing or painful in other peoples lives, but you can't communicate with out saying things that will sometimes remind somepeople of something painful.

[juldea.livejournal.com]

Actually I think this person might object to me insisting that all people identify with a gender.

[vambot5.livejournal.com]

this person probably has problems with basic first grade problems. "dave has 5 apples, and you take away 2. how many apples does dave have?" "how can you assume that all people have apples! some people can't afford apples! some people..."

[withlyn.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm with Lo5an.