My heart aches for the children who will no longer have access to their local library because some arrogant assholes decided to be offended by books with new ideas and different perspectives.
Yikes 😬
The wolf is at the door now. We are at that point in time.
Via: Utah Library Association
6:12 PM · Feb 3, 2024
"If you are a Utahn concerned about ongoing threats to librarians and teachers, and book-banning, go to Let Utah Read to learn more about the issues and how you can help."
In the most glorious "fuck you" I have seen in a while, you know the book that Cumberland City Council banned because they're homophobic bigots - Holly Duhig's "A focus on Same Sex Parents"? Well, the publisher, BookLife Publishing, have made a PDF version of the book available for free.
Sure be a shame if it was shared far and wide now, wouldn't it?
Every time you ban a book filled with hope and kindness, and care and love, we will resist.
"Facing pressure from right-wing ideologues, #Scholastic is facilitating the exclusion of #books that feature people of color and/or #LGBTQ characters. Scholastic has grouped many of these titles in a collection called "Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice" [& given] school officials…the option to exclude the entire set…Scholastic has…given schools a "bigot button" to exclude these books and mollify intolerant pressure groups." https://popular.info/p/scholastics-bigot-button
Judd Legum reports on the testimony given by mysterious Lanah Burkhardt before the Conroe, Texas, school board. Burkhardt wants books censored, especially Scholastic Books. She claims that reading a Scholastic Book with the phrase "a single kiss" turned her into a porn addict when she was 11 years old.
After hearing her, the Conroe board voted to restrict access to the book she claims made her a porn addict.
So, out of all the potentially "offensive" material in this book (like a feminist witch who becomes a leader) , the "censor" decides that mention of the words "goddammit", "Jesus Christ," "Christ Jesus” and "Christ" were the most offensive. I wonder if the person only knew how to read those particular words. I feel bad for the #Abilene#PublicLibrary in #AbileneTexas -- they must have to deal with some real choice humans (I'm being sarcastic)!
American cops are such overt fascists. Years of right-wing brain-poison have turned them into walking Breitbart comment sections with guns and qualified immunity.
PS: It turns out to be a myth that Victorians covered piano legs for the sake of modesty. But one day people will hear that Floridians removed dictionaries from school libraries for the sake of modesty, or prudery, or protecting the children, and wonder whether it's a myth. The truth will be out there, but not in Florida libraries.
Scholastic has sent a letter apologizing, reversing the program, and redoubling efforts to combat book banning legislation. Thank you to all who signed and shared the statement which helped instigate forward momentum for Scholastic's decision.
UPDATE: Scholastic backtracks after alleged exclusion of diverse books
"We recognize and acknowledge the pain caused, and that we have broken the trust of some of our publishing community, customers, friends, trusted partners, and staff, and we also recognize that we will now need to regain that trust."
“Librarians are being harassed in private Facebook groups. They’re receiving pressure from within and outside the school.”
But bookstores, libraries and book lovers of all kinds came together to fight back against the censorious, so-called READER act. From correspondent Matthew Patin: https://www.texasobserver.org/the-booksellers-revolt/
Remember those facile and glib, "it doesn't matter, children can get those books at the public library" and "just give copies of the book to your local library"? Remember those?
"Despite the age of consent in Mississippi being 16, no one under the age of 18 will have access to digital materials made available through public and school libraries without explicit parental/guardian permission."
Just a reminder, class - buy real books. Books made of paper. Libraries are going to be completely defunded by the white nationalist christo-fascists, and right wing nutjobs can, and will, order companies to erase your entire e-library in a snap. We need to preserve real history, real science, and literature, especially biographies and current event books that features real life accounts of real life people who don't fit their mold. Don't let ignorance win. Buy real books - used and new. Build your own library now while you still can, and give books as gifts this holiday season. Knowledge is far more valuable than any plastic junk.
Instead of the #Nazi - inspired #BookBans proposed by #MomsForLiberty (aka#MaterNazis ), have they considered adding 'Warning Labels', such as we put on cigarette cartons?
For instance, on the cover of any book by #AynRand we could put a sticker that says "WARNING! The Russian author of this book on #Objectivism , which glorifies self-interest, applied for #SocialSecurity and cashed all of her checks from the U.S. government!" 🤔