I’m a liberal democrat horrified by the current Dr Seuss drama and normalization of censorship

[Anonymous]

I couldn't believe the story from Orange County, CA, about an Asian family that was being relentlessly harassed after moving into the neighborhood. Neighbors now stand guard outside the family's house to protect them. https://abc7.com/asian-american-hate-crimes-against-americans-ladera-ranch-crime/10380565/

The uptick in racism against Asian-Americans is surely because of the pandemic. Look at how easily and quickly the relentless drumbeat of blaming China has influenced young people. The Suess estate is right to do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Remember when the ACLU represented the rights of neo-Nazis to march in Skokie? I think the liberals had it right then and are getting it wrong now. Censorship through other means is still censorship.

The ACLU has not actually changed its position.

This is a corporate decision. It’s related to making money. Not preserving rights.

Maybe you just don’t like capitalism?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I came to the US in the mid 80s, from communist China. People in the modern day have no conception of what it's like to experience the western culture for the first time, coming from a nearly perfect state of vacuum. Everything was new, vibrant, and amazing, including sliced bread and bologna.

Now throw on top of this, Dr Seuss books. It's like adding Mentos to a bottle of soda. I remember vividly pulling those books off the shelf at the local public library, which was mind blowing in and of itself. An air-conditioned building where everyone is polite and quiet, filled with books! A children's section, my gawd! What are these books, with cats, funny hats, strange words, what does it all mean?

Of all the books I read during those first few months of being in the US, the only ones I remember is my English text book, and Dr Seuss books. Maybe Dr Seuss books contain racially insensitive content, but to stop printing a volume because it talks about Chinese people using chopsticks? I imagine the 11-year-old me would have giggled at understanding that one reference, a moment of familiarity on and otherwise wild mental ride.

That’s wonderful that the books gave you so much joy. Dr. Seuss had a very wide catalogue of other books that will still be published. My personal favorite is the 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins. Also his fine art is available as puzzles from Liberty Puzzle. https://www.libertypuzzles.com/store/products/search?term=Seuss&category_id=&size=#results

Here are some of the images being referenced: https://library.nashville.org/blog/2019/08/tackling-racism-childrens-books-conversations-seussland

[Anonymous]

NP - I was a camp counselor about 20 years ago at a day camp for 4-6 year olds. Our area had a large Asian population, and we had a lot of young Asian campers. "It Happened On Mulberry Street" was in a pile of old books we had, and one day I pulled it out to read during story time, having never read it before (but hey, it's Dr. Seuss!). Turned the page, and boom: drawing of a slant-eyed "Chinese boy" with a pointy hat, long pigtail, wearing stereotypical dress, "carrying sticks." I was in my early 20s at the time, and I remember thinking "this cannot be the only Asian person these kids get to see represented in our books," fumbled my way through skipping that line and turned the page as quickly as I could.

If the Dr. Seuss foundation has decided not to publish "It Happened on Mulberry Street," I'm 100% fine with that. It's not censorship. That's the free market. If you're that concerned with making sure old stereotypes in literature are preserved, then put together a collection of those stereotypes and try to get them published. The government will not stop you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're a "liberal Democrat" like I'm the Queen of Sheba. Primarily, you need to learn what exactly censorship is.

Traditional liberals are very much opposed to censorship and banning things a people because of their views.
Clearly, there are not too many traditional liberals left in the Democratic Party.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is appalling to me that they are pulling some of Dr. Seuss’s classic children’s books off the shelves because they are potentially offensive. At what point does this cancel culture not become Fahrenheit 451?

I just re-read one of the titles being discontinued, “...Saw it on Mulberry St”, Dr. Seuss’s first children’s book and a wonderful story about imagination. The only potentially offensive line in the whole book is “a Chinese man that eats with sticks”. Is acknowledging that Chinese eat with chopsticks now so offensive that we are banning a book that mentions it? Can any Asians out there please enlighten me and tell me if you’re happy with the choice to remove this classic book from the shelves?

I’m really afraid of what’s going on, and that this kind of move is supported and applauded by the left.

Sure, you’re a liberal.

And it’s the company that owns the Seuss estate that has decided not to publish them anymore, because they’ve decided that the images look like racist caricatures. Is that okay with you, OP, that a private business is making business decisions? Or do you absolutely need to know there are racist images available for children to consume? “Liberal” my foot. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/02/books/dr-seuss-mulberry-street.html?action=click&algo=bandit-all-surfaces&block=trending_recirc&fellback=false&imp_id=611826861&impression_id=2a05d563-7b69-11eb-a011-4b3621e00654&index=3&pgtype=Article®ion=footer&req_id=511260386&surface=most-popular-story&variant=0_bandit-all-surfaces

I believe OP is a liberal. It seems to me that many people on the far right and far left are very similar in this way- always aghast and deeply offended about the things other people do and desperate for the government to intervene.

[Anonymous]

Remember when the ACLU represented the rights of neo-Nazis to march in Skokie? I think the liberals had it right then and are getting it wrong now. Censorship through other means is still censorship.

Have you read this thread? The books are not being censored. They are just not going to be printed anymore. It was not a government decision. The publishers were likely not making any money from the books so decided to no longer print them. Lots of books are no longer printed.

Some people act like Rome is being burned down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Remember when the ACLU represented the rights of neo-Nazis to march in Skokie? I think the liberals had it right then and are getting it wrong now. Censorship through other means is still censorship.

That's where lots of liberals still are. I'm not personally bothered by plenty of what offends people, but I support their right to free speech, including calls for publishers to stop publishing books, and I support the free speech of publishers to pick and choose what they publish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Remember when the ACLU represented the rights of neo-Nazis to march in Skokie? I think the liberals had it right then and are getting it wrong now. Censorship through other means is still censorship.

That's where lots of liberals still are. I'm not personally bothered by plenty of what offends people, but I support their right to free speech, including calls for publishers to stop publishing books, and I support the free speech of publishers to pick and choose what they publish.

+1. Exactly.

To be clear, I support the right of other people to try to buy the rights to these books and publish themselves.

It's ALL free speech.

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are you talking about? There is no broad based movement to ban Dr. Suess. There is no "the left" that you speak of.

Get your head out of the sand.

The ban is coming from Dr. Seuss Enterprises, not from any "liberal" group calling for it. I am a liberal and think it's silly. Feel better now?

[Anonymous]

The left is trying to cancel any conservative thought that disagrees with the far left.

It won’t end with silencing conservatives. Unless stopped, it will end with a small number of tech billionaires and a small number of very liberal politicians determining what you can read in a book (Amazon already won’t publish some conservative authors),
What you can watch on TV (tv stars are frequently cancelled),
And what you can listen to on the radio (democrats sent a letter to cable companies wanting them to drop conservative outlets).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are you talking about? There is no broad based movement to ban Dr. Suess. There is no "the left" that you speak of.

Get your head out of the sand.

The ban is coming from Dr. Seuss Enterprises, not from any "liberal" group calling for it. I am a liberal and think it's silly. Feel better now?

Not really. They are doing it under heavy liberal pressure.

[Anonymous]

I'm quite sure that if it's important to you or anybody else to get a hold of Dr. Seuss; books you will be able to.

You can enjoy them while you eat your "beloved" Aunt Jemima pancakes; I'm sure you stocked up right?

And if not, I think we will survive without Dr. S and Aunt J.

[Anonymous]

What other books that are questionable in nature might be pulled next? I want to stock up.