Using Alasdair MacIntyre's theory of tradition-bound rationalities, this essay analyses James Moffett's depiction of the censors who opposed his "Interactions" textbook series in the Kanawha County, West Virginia, schools. Many reviewers have found Moffett's analysis of the censors in "Storm in the Mountains" even-handed and respectful. Such lauding of Moffett's work obscures the ways in which his understanding of the censors and their motivations inadequately considers the cultural history of the Appalachian region, its relationship to literacy, and the rationality underlying the censors' stance. A critical look at Moffett's representation of the censors permits a reconsideration of his theory of literacy, and moves us closer to understanding how to realize pluralistic education in resistant locales.