Anonymous wrote:DCUM favorite Bethany Mandel getting in on the book banning act:

So because she and her right wing friends don't want their kids to see a book with a transgender character those books can't be in the library at all?

DCUM favorite Bethany Mandel getting in on the book banning act:

Anonymous wrote:

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If they want a book banned they should have to read the entire book and do a two page report and explain the context of the offensive parts or pictures. An elderly nude Holocost body is not there to appeal to prurient desire. I bet they cannot explain it. I recently read that 54% of US adults are illiterate. Here it is:

"According to the U.S. Department of Education, 54% of U.S. adults 16-74 years old - about 130 million people - lack proficiency in literacy, reading below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level."

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2020/09/09/low-literacy-levels-among-us-adults-could-be-costing-the-economy-22-trillion-a-year/?sh=60d6e0c04c90

That's a conservative publication. Having an illiterate population is a national security problem as well as affects business interests.

End the low literacy crisis first, Republicans.

Yikes! How many more of these book banners are projecting their own proclivities?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read this whole thread, but has anyone pointed out that To Kill a Mockingbird has been removed from required reading in a very liberal district?

According to the Seattle Times, the Mukilteo School Board voted unanimously Monday night to remove Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” from the required reading list for ninth graders while still allowing for teachers to choose to teach the classic novel to students.

The board acted after months of discussion among teachers, parents and students, and in reaction to concerns over racism in the classic novel, first published in 1960.

https://www.deseret.com/utah/2022/1/28/22906501/seattle-school-bans-to-kill-a-mockingbird-over-racism-concerns-as-wave-of-book-challenges-continues

I think there a conflation of books in the curriculum vs books in school libraries (i.e. book banning). Whether or not a particular book is to be taught as part of the curriculum can be debatable. I hope all can agree that removing books from libraries is not a good thing.

Are you saying there are no books that don't belong in a school library?

I didn't say that. There is generally thought and consideration on which books to include in the school library. Having some astroturfed parents group suddenly remove a book because it challenges their worldview is not a good thing.

So we agree there are books that don't belong in a school library.

You just don't like that the local community gets to decide? Who would you suggest decides if not the community?

"Local community"??? You make that sound like everyone in that district agrees with the decision. There are parents in that local community who WANT Maus to remain on the book list. Tell us whey their opinion doesn't count? Please.

In any meaningful population it is basically impossible to get everyone to agree on much of anything. Maus hasn't been "banned" in the sense that it isn't available from Amazon $13.50.

Just a reminder that the "local community" objected to the use of the word "damn" and nudity. The nudity was an image of a dead 70+ year old in a bathtub in a book about the Holocaust.

What do you want to bet that these same scandalized citizens are the ones who thought Donald Trump was a great guy for swearing and being indecent?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh America! I mean it is Florida, but still.
https://www.rawstory.com/banned-books-in-florida/

member of the Flagler County, Florida school board has filed a criminal complaint over four copies of an LGBTQ book recommended for 14 to 18 year olds, claiming it violates the state's obscenity laws.

"My concern is for the children of Flagler County," Jill Woolbright claims, according to the Palm Coast Observer. "This book needs to be investigated as a crime in our media center. This is pretty heavy stuff, violating our own policies.

They want it removed from school libraries, not banned.

Not true. It's all right there. They claim it violates state obscenity laws. That means they claim it is illegal and want it banned from the entire state. The full implication of their claim would also criminalize both authorship, publishing, distribution and ownership of the book. As they say "this book needs to be investigated as a crime".

Anonymous wrote:Oh America! I mean it is Florida, but still.
https://www.rawstory.com/banned-books-in-florida/

member of the Flagler County, Florida school board has filed a criminal complaint over four copies of an LGBTQ book recommended for 14 to 18 year olds, claiming it violates the state's obscenity laws.

"My concern is for the children of Flagler County," Jill Woolbright claims, according to the Palm Coast Observer. "This book needs to be investigated as a crime in our media center. This is pretty heavy stuff, violating our own policies.

They want it removed from school libraries, not banned.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read this whole thread, but has anyone pointed out that To Kill a Mockingbird has been removed from required reading in a very liberal district?

According to the Seattle Times, the Mukilteo School Board voted unanimously Monday night to remove Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” from the required reading list for ninth graders while still allowing for teachers to choose to teach the classic novel to students.

The board acted after months of discussion among teachers, parents and students, and in reaction to concerns over racism in the classic novel, first published in 1960.

https://www.deseret.com/utah/2022/1/28/22906501/seattle-school-bans-to-kill-a-mockingbird-over-racism-concerns-as-wave-of-book-challenges-continues

I think there a conflation of books in the curriculum vs books in school libraries (i.e. book banning). Whether or not a particular book is to be taught as part of the curriculum can be debatable. I hope all can agree that removing books from libraries is not a good thing.

Are you saying there are no books that don't belong in a school library?

I didn't say that. There is generally thought and consideration on which books to include in the school library. Having some astroturfed parents group suddenly remove a book because it challenges their worldview is not a good thing.

So we agree there are books that don't belong in a school library.

You just don't like that the local community gets to decide? Who would you suggest decides if not the community?

"Local community"??? You make that sound like everyone in that district agrees with the decision. There are parents in that local community who WANT Maus to remain on the book list. Tell us whey their opinion doesn't count? Please.

In any meaningful population it is basically impossible to get everyone to agree on much of anything. Maus hasn't been "banned" in the sense that it isn't available from Amazon $13.50.

Just a reminder that the "local community" objected to the use of the word "damn" and nudity. The nudity was an image of a dead 70+ year old in a bathtub in a book about the Holocaust.

Anonymous wrote:A parent in Texas demanded that a children's book about Michelle Obama be removed from the library because it promoted "reverse racism":

https://dailygazette.com/2022/02/02/parent-wanted-burnt-hills-residents-book-about-former-first-lady-banned-from-texas-schools/

How can you have reverse racism if you don’t even believe racism exists?

A parent in Texas demanded that a children's book about Michelle Obama be removed from the library because it promoted "reverse racism":

https://dailygazette.com/2022/02/02/parent-wanted-burnt-hills-residents-book-about-former-first-lady-banned-from-texas-schools/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read this whole thread, but has anyone pointed out that To Kill a Mockingbird has been removed from required reading in a very liberal district?

According to the Seattle Times, the Mukilteo School Board voted unanimously Monday night to remove Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” from the required reading list for ninth graders while still allowing for teachers to choose to teach the classic novel to students.

The board acted after months of discussion among teachers, parents and students, and in reaction to concerns over racism in the classic novel, first published in 1960.

https://www.deseret.com/utah/2022/1/28/22906501/seattle-school-bans-to-kill-a-mockingbird-over-racism-concerns-as-wave-of-book-challenges-continues

I think there a conflation of books in the curriculum vs books in school libraries (i.e. book banning). Whether or not a particular book is to be taught as part of the curriculum can be debatable. I hope all can agree that removing books from libraries is not a good thing.

Are you saying there are no books that don't belong in a school library?

I didn't say that. There is generally thought and consideration on which books to include in the school library. Having some astroturfed parents group suddenly remove a book because it challenges their worldview is not a good thing.

So we agree there are books that don't belong in a school library.

You just don't like that the local community gets to decide? Who would you suggest decides if not the community?

"Local community"??? You make that sound like everyone in that district agrees with the decision. There are parents in that local community who WANT Maus to remain on the book list. Tell us whey their opinion doesn't count? Please.

In any meaningful population it is basically impossible to get everyone to agree on much of anything. Maus hasn't been "banned" in the sense that it isn't available from Amazon $13.50.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read this whole thread, but has anyone pointed out that To Kill a Mockingbird has been removed from required reading in a very liberal district?

According to the Seattle Times, the Mukilteo School Board voted unanimously Monday night to remove Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” from the required reading list for ninth graders while still allowing for teachers to choose to teach the classic novel to students.

The board acted after months of discussion among teachers, parents and students, and in reaction to concerns over racism in the classic novel, first published in 1960.

https://www.deseret.com/utah/2022/1/28/22906501/seattle-school-bans-to-kill-a-mockingbird-over-racism-concerns-as-wave-of-book-challenges-continues

I think there a conflation of books in the curriculum vs books in school libraries (i.e. book banning). Whether or not a particular book is to be taught as part of the curriculum can be debatable. I hope all can agree that removing books from libraries is not a good thing.

Are you saying there are no books that don't belong in a school library?

I didn't say that. There is generally thought and consideration on which books to include in the school library. Having some astroturfed parents group suddenly remove a book because it challenges their worldview is not a good thing.

So we agree there are books that don't belong in a school library.

You just don't like that the local community gets to decide? Who would you suggest decides if not the community?

"Local community"??? You make that sound like everyone in that district agrees with the decision. There are parents in that local community who WANT Maus to remain on the book list. Tell us whey their opinion doesn't count? Please.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read this whole thread, but has anyone pointed out that To Kill a Mockingbird has been removed from required reading in a very liberal district?

According to the Seattle Times, the Mukilteo School Board voted unanimously Monday night to remove Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” from the required reading list for ninth graders while still allowing for teachers to choose to teach the classic novel to students.

The board acted after months of discussion among teachers, parents and students, and in reaction to concerns over racism in the classic novel, first published in 1960.

https://www.deseret.com/utah/2022/1/28/22906501/seattle-school-bans-to-kill-a-mockingbird-over-racism-concerns-as-wave-of-book-challenges-continues

I think there a conflation of books in the curriculum vs books in school libraries (i.e. book banning). Whether or not a particular book is to be taught as part of the curriculum can be debatable. I hope all can agree that removing books from libraries is not a good thing.

Are you saying there are no books that don't belong in a school library?

I didn't say that. There is generally thought and consideration on which books to include in the school library. Having some astroturfed parents group suddenly remove a book because it challenges their worldview is not a good thing.

So we agree there are books that don't belong in a school library.

You just don't like that the local community gets to decide? Who would you suggest decides if not the community?

I would say (and it's been mentioned elsewhere in this thread) that ideally the entire community along with educators should be involved. Since getting the entire community involved is next to impossible, educators have to take a greater role so that the school library has relevant literature for the entire community. If there is objectionable material, there is typically a mechanism for review taking into account a wide variety of factors.

Are you contending that ONLY the local community should decide? What happens if a very small subset of the community with especially loud voices and only interested in one particular worldview starts raising "concerns" about certain books? Is that a healthy way of determining what books are available to read?