Book bans and good trouble
I attended the most recent Nassau County School Board meeting last Thursday. It was far less contentious than the previous one, which was paused in the middle to calm things down and remove a speaker. Here is a link to the videos of the meetings, in case you would like to see for yourself.
I attended the meeting to commend the board’s achievement of an A rating and to address the previous month’s disruption. Here is what I said, in part:
“I am sad that members of the public treated this board with such disrespect. There is no legitimate reason to read sexually explicit material aloud, threaten legal action or cause a public disturbance. Shame on those who did so. I am sad and angry that some members of this community would stoop to hijacking the agenda of this board time and time again. They want to address their narrow, overly moralized focus. It does an injustice to your work. It absorbs time, talent and energy. It is not the main point of the faith they claim to represent.”
Like me, you may find yourself asking “Why?” Why do people who do not have children in our school system and in some cases do not even reside in our county feel the need to continually disrupt our school board meetings?
Part of the answer lies in this graphic from PEN America, an organization founded in 1922. Their stated mission:
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible.
This organization reports on book-banning efforts nationwide, keeps track of lists of books subject to bans, and educates on educational censorship. Florida has been labeled the “Blueprint State” because it has had the most attempts at book bans and other censorship tactics. Those who think differently decry the validity of this organization’s mission and efforts.
Book banning and censorship of free speech are key tactics in the authoritarian playbook.
Under the guise of moral outrage, freedoms to read and learn and speak out are curtailed in favor of promotion of an agenda supportive of suppression and dictatorship. As I said in my remarks, the point of a public school system is “ ... to educate, not indoctrinate.” When history is presented in a revisionist way, when youth are not taught skills to think critically or to thrive in an environment of diversity and inclusion, we all suffer. This is why we cannot turn our heads away from this controversy.
Don’t you wonder why we are facing the biggest rise in book banning since the McCarthy era of the 1950s? A key focus is to challenge and silence black, brown, LGBTQIA and female voices. Another is to divert attention from the cruelty being enacted on these populations in ways overt and subtle. We need look no further for evidence than the detention facility in the Everglades and one possibly to come closer to us at Camp Blanding.
I am incredulous that religious legitimation is given to acts of disruption and even violence, citing the story of Jesus overturning the tables of the moneychangers in the Temple in Jerusalem. Citing this story as a blessing of disruption or violence completely reverses its meaning. Jesus called out injustice and abuse of the poor who had to pay from what little they had for their sacrifices to enrich the Temple’s coffers. He decried the commercialization of a sacred space. He was righteously indignant.
This Thursday, July 17, marks five years since the passing of Congressman John Lewis. His legacy of civil rights activism reminds us of the need to be engaged in “good trouble.” Here are a few ways you can engage in good trouble regarding book banning, from PEN America:
- Send a letter to state representatives about book banning. See www.act.pen.org.
- Support organizations that defend readers and writers. See www.fightforthefirst.com.
- Vote locally.
- Read a banned book. The Freedom to Learn working group has a banned book club!
- Speak out about book banning.
The first lesson in the book, "On Tyranny: 20 Lessons from the Twentieth Century" by Dr. Timothy Snyder says, “Do not obey in advance.” To me, this means we cannot capitulate to disruptions or directives out of fear of potential consequences. We can’t rationalize inaction by saying, “It’s not that bad.” Or, “That doesn’t have anything to do with me.” The biblical directive to “love our neighbors as ourselves” is a call to action on behalf of all neighbors all the time.
Take time this week to follow in the steps of John Lewis making some “good trouble” and continue in the days and weeks to come.
Comments
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Mark Tomes
The author speaks from a place of compassion, morality, and broad perspective. She has a mature attitude that shows a growth much beyond the self-centeredness of many adults today.
Sunday, July 13 Report this
paulward
Good column. But John Lewis was a congressman and not a senator.
Sunday, July 13 Report this
KathyJB
Good catch, Paul - thanks!
Sunday, July 13 Report this
Barnes
Sorry, but it is not about banning books, it is about what reading material is appropriate for public school libraries, particularly middle or elementary school libraries. When you are sad that some stooped to reading sexually explicit material out loud, what is being read is coming from one of the books available in the school library. So, if it's too offensive for you to hear at a public hearing, why is it not too offensive to be made available to a 10 year old? Get yourself a copy of Gender Queer, which you can purchase from Amazon since no one is trying to ban it from there, and get back to me if you think that is appropriate reading material for pre-teens in general. That book contains not only graphical sexual descriptions, but it comes complete with illustrations as well.
Sunday, July 13 Report this
BBillings
This editorial column is a lie - the case in point here is not book banning, the case in point is forcing our kids to learn - sometime as early as kindergarten - about lifestyle CHOICES that our kids should not be dealing with yet.
It's a way for the LGBWHATEVER to indoctrinate, and we see what you are doing.
And you wont get away with it, linda hart green.
Monday, July 14 Report this
Barnes
I doubt this comment will be allowed, but here goes. I find it rather telling that the title of the book I referenced was partially censored in a comment to an article that condemns censorship. The censored word begins with the letter Q and the book referenced promotes same *** sexual exploration by teenagers which the author apparently thinks is appropriate reading material for pre-teens. I agree that the purpose of a school system is to educate, not indoctrinate, but what this author is promoting is in fact indoctrination. According to the National Assessment of Education Progress, 40% of American 4th graders have less than basic reading skills and only 26% of 12th graders are considered proficient in math. How about we get back to teaching the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic instead of pushing political agendas like DEI.
Monday, July 14 Report this
KathyJB
Barnes - We do not have the ability to edit comments ourselves; however, our content management software employs automatic content moderation; this is the first time we've seen it in action. We may need to ask our tech support to edit those settings.
Monday, July 14 Report this
Barnes
Yet again, a word in a comment to an article that condemns censorship is censored. For the record, the Q word was not used in a pejorative manner, it was part of the book title. Also, if the censored words are too graphic to be allowed in these comments, why are the books that contain these and other far more graphic words - that also contain illustrations of the actions those words describe - not considered too graphic for elementary school readers?
Monday, July 14 Report this
Barnes
No need to post this comment unless you want to. Just thanking the editor the response to my post. If posts contain nasty pejoratives or attacks, I agree they should be censored and the words stricken from my posts could certainly be used in that manner. I don't know if your software can determine context, but I am sure your tech support is a lot smarter than me, so maybe!
Monday, July 14 Report this
Ralamken
There’s a thorny thing called the FL DOE regulations regarding instructional material and books in district libraries. Here they are:
The FL DOE guidelines re: Library and Instructional materials:
Materials must be Free of Pornography and all materials prohibited under s. 847.012,
As defined in 847.012 Any picture, photograph, drawing, sculpture, motion picture film, videocassette, or similar visual representation or image of a person or portion of the human body which depicts nudity or sexual conduct, sexual excitement, sexual battery, **********, or sadomasochistic abuse and which is harmful to minors.
Any book, pamphlet, magazine, printed matter however reproduced, or sound recording that contains explicit and detailed verbal descriptions or narrative accounts of sexual excitement, or sexual conduct and that is harmful to minors.
Please notice that nowhere does it say local authorities can apply the “ intrinsic literary value” standard to trump these guidelines despite the best effort of a NCSD media specialist. It also doesn’t say the district can ignore them to settle a …
Monday, July 14 Report this
WendeBurdick
I'd like to better understand the issue stated by the author regarding citizens of Nassau County who do not have children attending the School Board meetings and voicing their opinions about age inappropriate books being made available in the school library. We don't have any children in the school system but Nassau County insists on taxing us to fund the School Board just the same. I believe this significant investment in local education (thousands of dollars annually) gives us the right to have and to voice our opinion on that education. Can you please clarify your objection here?
Saturday, July 19 Report this