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Ultra-Right’s Clarion Call: Book Censorship Today, Book Censorship Tomorrow, Book Censorship Forever [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2023-06-12  

Communities all over the country are dealing with incidents of book censorship and book banning. According to a recent PEN America report, “The 2022-23 school year has been marked … by an escalation of book bans and censorship in classrooms and school libraries across the United States. … more … during the fall 2022 semester than in each of the prior two semesters. This school year also saw the effects of new state laws that censor ideas and materials in public schools, an extension of the book banning movement initiated in 2021 by local citizens and advocacy groups. Broad efforts to label certain books ‘harmful’ and ‘explicit’ are expanding the type of content suppressed in schools.”

Interestingly, and perhaps not unexpectedly, most of the challenges are coming from a small minority of very vocal parents and such organizations as Moms For Liberty (https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/5/11/2168727/-Moms-For-Liberty-Creating-School-Board-Chaos-Banning-Books-From-Coast-To-Coast). As PEN America noted (https://pen.org/report/banned-in-the-usa-state-laws-supercharge-book-suppression-in-schools/): “Many public school districts …face threats and political pressure, along with parental fears and anxieties surrounding the books on their school shelves. School Boards, administrators, teachers, and librarians are told in some cases to ‘err on the side of caution’ in the books they make available. Too often, they do just that.”

Ironically, several communities are dealing with demands that in fairness, the Bible, notorious for sex and violence, be banned as well.

An astute reader, in a letter to The Salt Lake City Tribune, suggested that given the rigmarole surrounding banning books, the next book that could be on the chopping block is … the dictionary. After all the dictionary “contains all the words and meanings for which books are banned.”

Many communities are fighting back.

Here is a roundup of recent book censorship/banning incidents--compiled by Book Riot (https://bookriot.com/shiny-happy-people-and-book-bans/).

Book Censorship News: June 9, 2023

· The bill in Connecticut that would offer financial support for the designation of sanctuary libraries is heading to the governor’s desk.

· Someexcellent reporting from the Cedar Rapids Gazette (IA). Did you know the new law in Iowa that gives free reign to book bans has a clause in it that allows these challenges and bans to happen without being subject to public records laws? That should scare the hell out of you.

· The Arizona governor vetoed a bill that would have facilitated book banning across the state.

· In Douglas County, Colorado, citizens rebuked the efforts by the right-wing bigots to ban books throughout the library, among other things. Shocking no one, those bigots have been claiming “victory” on social media, utilizing the same propaganda and misinformation they did on their initial flier.

· Three books have been banned in Brevard County (FL) schools. There cannot be appeals and the decision stands for 8 years.

· “An anti-LGBTQ+ protest was organized on Instagram after a Pride celebration was scheduled at Saticoy Elementary in North Hollywood [CA]. The Pride celebration included a book reading about different types of families. Shortly after the celebration was announced, someone broke into the school after-hours to steal a transgender teacher’s pride flag and burn it. The same teacher was also doxxed by right-wing activists.” Just so you remember that this isn’t just happening in “those” states. If you’re in a blue state or think you’re safe, it’s your backyard, too.

· Lander Valley High School (WY) has heard complaints about Let’s Talk About It butthe book remains in the library.

· The Punxsutawney School Board (PA) heard from a slate of book crisis actors — and those in favor of the rights for all — about inappropriate books in the school library. A decision will be made in the fall for how the school plans to address the issue. Read this one for the anti-censorship speaker comments.

· The11 books under fire at Roxbury schools (New Jersey).

· HarperCollins and Scholastic are part of a lawsuit against Llano County, Texas’s public library related to book removal.

· “Temecula’s conservative school board majority has blocked a history textbook because its supporting materials mention slain gay rights leader Harvey Milk.” This is in California.

· Nazareth and Parkland school districts in Pennsylvania experienced book challenges this year but neither made changes to where the books lived (AKA: crisis actors did not succeed). Of course they got lists since that’s how book banners operate.

· Three books challenged in Staples High School (CT) — Gender Queer, Flamer, and This Book Is Gay— were allowed to stay in the school. Now there’s an appeal over the decision.

· Four books which have been sequestered behind the desk at St Tammany Parish Library (LA) have been returned to their rightful spots on shelf.

· Catawba County Schools (NC) have set a date for the debate over whether three books will remain in the schools: Monday’s Not Coming, Beyond Magenta, and Out of Darkness. A parent cited Bible passages at the recent meeting in an attempt to claim it is also inappropriate. This isn’t the way, y’all.

· “We respect these people. It’s not us versus the LGBT,” he said. “But elementary students don’t have the requisite amount of emotional intelligence to handle these discussions. This is the time to teach algebra.” This is over new policy in Montgomery County Schools (MD) where parents won’t be notified in advance when a storytime book might include LGBTQ+ characters or themes. I also don’t know about this dude, but we did not learn algebra until high school. Quote pretty well encapsulates how well these bigots know child development or education.

· Wicomico County Schools, also in Maryland, are dealing with “parental rights” folks demanding the removal of obscene material from the schools. No books are named, of course, as it is all a boogeyman.

· A private bookstore in Maine experienced protesters to their drag queen story time. I thought these people were only mad about tax money and public institutions or whatnot. Their beliefs get really muddy.

· Good news: Newtown, Connecticut, did not ban two graphic novels from their shelves.

· At Idaho Falls Public Library (ID), every child now needs to have a parent or guardian re-register them for a library card. Why? Because of their new restricted card policy. Imagine how many kids will now go without a card at all because of the right-wing nonsense here. This is the opposite of what a library does or how it should operate.

· “After debate at a Tuesday morning work session, school board members appeared to come to a consensus, saying that book challenges brought to the school for ‘pervasive vulgarity’ should be filtered through a librarian and school principle before a book is removed.” This is a real decision made by the Hanover school board in Virginia. They’re going to — gasp — trust the professionals before just pulling books off shelves.

· A look at how SPLC-designated hate group MassResistance was behind book banning fervorin Ludlow Schools (Massachusetts).

· Seminole schools (FL) are going to remove pages from their high school yearbook because — gasp — they reference LGBTQ+ topics.

· Demands to remove books in Rio Rancho Public Library (NM) were unsuccessful.

· What the hell is happening at Menominee Falls Public Library (WI)? “Jubber told Schlotthauer the village board would be requesting a book audit, and he planned to submit a request for reconsideration for ‘concerning teen LGBTQ+ titles on behalf of residents who may be hesitant to share their names and addresses that the form requests.'”

· West Bend, Wisconsin is dealing with a spate of book challenges to the same familiar titles popular with the book crisis actors elsewhere, and there are board members sympathetic to the lies.

· In news surprising absolutely no one, in this climate of right-wing bigotry and book bans, queer teens and teens of color are feeling less and less safe.

· At Caro Public Library (MI), there are now people trying to get board members who don’t agree with banning books recalled from their positions.

· “If you say yes to this bill, and this bill passes, you are playing in the hands of the GOP’s current attempt to eradicate LGBTQ education from this country,” said Marco Cozzolino, a senior at Westerly High School. “This is not how I want to remember this town.” This town hall in Westerly, Rhode Island, is a powerful look at how government should work— they talked about the new legislation in the state that would create more book bans (an interesting counter to the legislation earlier this year to protect librarians and teachers in the state from prosecution). The local representatives will not be voting in favor of the bill.

· The 23-person (TWENTY THREE PERSON!!!!) committee at the Greeley-Evans School District (CO) are recommending keeping two challenged books in the schools.

· I am paywalled, but this is a real article about why students should not serve on book review committees in Wake County, North Carolina, since it might expose them to vile material. So…students whose rights are on the line should have no say in that? Cool. They realize the kids are seeing the book crisis actors, who are the real danger, right?

· New amendments have been added to the potential book ban bill being debated in Louisiana.

· “Numerous people urged the board to leave in place its current opt-out policy by which parents can forbid their children from checking out objectionable books. So far, 41 parents have opted their children out of certain books. Thousands of parents, however, let their children have full access to the school libraries.” Most parents do not restrict their students’ access to books (Cheyenne, Wyoming).

· Three books are being challenged by parents— they were acquired via a “list” posted on Facebook page, shocker — in Whitehall school district (MI).

· A Pennridge School (PA) update. “Students will need parental permission to read or check out books containing sexual content in the Hermon High School library beginning this fall, Principal Brian Walsh told the school board Monday.”

· This is in Maine. All parents will need to make a choice for their kids, and again, no one knows what “sexual content” means even though WE all know what it means. I guess we should be happy they’re not using BookLooks as their guide for rating the books? Not that Common Sense is especially reputable in a professional setting.

· A proposal in Amherst, Pelham and Amherst-Pelham Regional schools (NH) would limit book challenges to actual residents of the district. Revolutionary!

· Western Placer Unified School District (CA) will make a final decision on whether or not The Hate U Give can remain in the curriculum later this month. The committee says it should, but now it’s up to the board. The book never had challenges before this year. Again, shocker!

· “At issue for the bulk of over 70 speakers at both the budget public hearing (our count was 65) and majority of Public Comments (counted 9 total) on non-agenda items was whether continued County funding of Samuels Public Library should occur while a total of 134 books requested for removal by the ‘CleanUpSamuels’ website advocacy group remain on library shelves.” The book banners from Front Royal, Virginia, want to simply defund the public library if it doesn’t remove the books they disagree with.

· Due to the new laws in Missouri, Mid-Continent Public Library has decided not to put up any Pride displays for children or teenagers.

· Ada Public Library (ID) illegally removed six books from shelves in March, but this week, they will be back on shelves.

· Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher, Fade by Lisa McMann, Fallout by Ellen Hopkins, Foul is Fair / Golden Boys Beware by Hanna Capin, Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero, Push by Sapphire and Tricks by Ellen Hopkins will all be returned to shelves at Beaufort Schools(SC). One book, Identical by Ellen Hopkins, came up to a tied vote on whether or not it can remain, so it will go through the process again.

· “At a meeting last month, commissioners voted to remove the definition of diversity from Georgia’s teacher training documents. Thursday’s meeting is expected to include a vote on deleting ‘woke’ words from guides for training teachers and replacing them with less controversial language. For example, one change would instruct teachers to promote the value of ‘fairness’ rather than the values of ‘equity, social justice, community and diversity.'” Our children are being lied to, and it’s happening through state legislation.

· I don’t doubt we’re going to see more and more teachers leave over book bans and discriminatory education policyin Florida (and elsewhere around the country).

· Identicalwill be recommended to remain on shelvesin Manheim Township School (PA).

· “At the May board meeting, one member of the public said she was concerned that a member of one branch’s staff ‘appears to be transgender.’ At the same meeting, another speaker told the board the libraries have ‘inappropriate’ and sexual content that is ‘sexualizing’ children.” A book crisis actor showed up and started nonsense at the Garfield County Public Library District (CO) over books, yes, but also the fact one of the library’s staff members looks like they might be transgender. Literally complaining about another human.

· In Saline County, Arkansas, where the public library has been center to ongoing “controversy” (from book banners), the county judge just gave himself oversight of the library board which means management and operations of the library itself.

· Great Falls, Montana has seen a rise in anti-library billboards lying about distribution of sexual material to children. “Liberty and Values MT” apparently does not include being truthful and honest.

· Liberty Lake City Council (WA) has officially failed in trying to take over the public library.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/6/12/2174867/-Ultra-Right-s-Clarion-Call-Book-Censorship-Today-Book-Censorship-Tomorrow-Book-Censorship-Forever

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