According to a new American Library Association report, there were 330 “book challenges” in the fall of 2021, an uptick from the same periods in recent years. “Parents, activists, school board officials and lawmakers around the country are challenging books at a pace not seen in decades,” the New York Times reported last month.
Viewed in a broader national context — there are roughly 99,000 public K-12 schools in the US — these numbers are still far too low to describe as a national crisis. But free speech advocates insist the new campaigns are worth paying attention to — and worrying about.
(https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22914767/book-banning-crt-school-boards-republicans)
The fight is particularly heated in Texas, where Republican state officials, including Gov. Greg Abbott, have gone as far as calling for criminal charges against any school staff member who provides children with access to young adult novels that some conservatives have labeled as “pornography.” Separately, state Rep. Matt Krause, a Republican, made a list of 850 titles dealing with racism or sexuality that might “make students feel discomfort” and demanded that Texas school districts investigate whether the books were in their libraries.
(https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-books-race-sexuality-schools-rcna13886 )
Truth: We are a country founded on liberty and freedom.
Truth: Censorship runs afoul to liberty and freedom.
Truth: Censorship is a very slippery slope.
Truth: Those who censor tend to be very power-hungry.
Truth: There is no text in these books being targeted for banning that isn't readily available online.
If the book promotes hate or intolerance against races, ancestries or religions, it should not even be published. Duh.
If the book has images (drawings, pictures) of sexual behavior: that's a no-brainer...... it should only be accessible to legal adults.
And, it's a no-brainer that elementary kids must be shielded/protected from adult language & themes that their minds are not ready for. Let kids be kids!
Beyond that, let the banning cease!
Grace & Peace & Love to you all -
Matt