Why is a ‘Banned Books’ tour distributing titles available for overnight delivery on Amazon?
The American Library Association has thrown its support behind two exciting “banned books” tours organized by Penguin Random House and The New Republic. These tours are a response to the efforts by parents and red states to remove inappropriate books from children’s shelves and classrooms. In celebration of #BannedBooksWeek, the bookmobiles are hitting the road to distribute copies of these books in the most affected communities. But here’s the twist: anyone anywhere in the country can buy these “banned” books.
One of these self-described “bold new initiatives to combat censorship and celebrate the First Amendment” will be touring through Oct. 28. To fight against the new laws and regulations limiting the kinds of books kids can access, one bookmobile is handing out books like “Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag,” “I Am Jazz,” and “How to Be an Antiracist” — all of which are readily available on Amazon to be shipped directly to your door overnight.
Concerned parents and lawmakers have contested the content of these books that leftist activists now characterize as “banned.” Some have been moved from children’s shelves due to pornographic imagery, while others have been taken out of classrooms due to divisive ideologies. The nuance and maturity these “banned” books demand are at the crux of the issue, but the ALA and affiliate sponsors insist these books should remain accessible to children of any age in libraries and classrooms on taxpayers’ dime.
The talking points reiterated on the left are all about “MAGA Republicans” and how they love to “ban books.” The painfully obvious irony is that if these books were truly banned, this book tour would be impossible. Conflating the regulation of child-appropriate content in public schools with mass book banning and censorship is dishonest at best.
“This is a dangerous time for readers and the public servants who provide access to reading materials,” said ALA Director for Intellectual Freedom Deborah Caldwell-Stone. “Readers, particularly students, are losing access to critical information, and librarians and teachers are under attack for doing their jobs.”
Therein lies one major problem: the idea that it is the job of librarians and teachers to provide obscene imagery or transgender confusion for children and otherwise steep them in the left’s sexual and racial orthodoxy. But beyond that, conservative efforts to safeguard kids aren’t putting taxpayer-funded employees in “danger.” And the “critical information” the ALA claims is at stake is still available anywhere online and in the grown-up sections of libraries. The question right-wing parents and politicians pose is not whether these books should be allowed to exist, but rather what content is appropriate for children in public spaces.
The “banned book” tours were backed by numerous affiliates including The New Republic, The American Federation of Teachers, the African American Policy Forum, Banned Books Week, Bookshop.org, House of SpeakEasy, the Urban Libraries Council, The Freedom to Read Foundation, Penguin Random House, Little Free Library, and PEN America.
Why is the ALA and its supporters accused of not engaging in a meaningful discussion about the merits of certain books, and instead resorting to labeling anyone who questions their appropriateness as enemies of free speech?
Y in this narrative is that the people leading these efforts to remove inappropriate materials are the parents themselves, irrespective of their political affiliations. It is unfair to portray this solely as a phenomenon driven by conservative ideology when concerned parents from all walks of life are actively participating in these debates.
But the focus of the ALA and its supporters is not on engaging in a meaningful discussion about the merits of these books. Instead, they have taken a combative approach, labeling anyone who questions the appropriateness of certain materials as enemies of free speech. This oversimplification of the issue undermines the legitimate concerns held by parents and lawmakers who simply want to ensure that their children are not exposed to explicit content or divisive ideologies at a young age.
It is disingenuous to suggest that the availability of these books on platforms like Amazon invalidates the concerns of parents. The fact that parents can choose to purchase these books and have them shipped directly to their homes does not undermine the importance of age-appropriate content in libraries and classrooms. Parents should have the autonomy to make decisions about what their children are exposed to, and it is the responsibility of schools and libraries to respect their wishes.
The ALA and its affiliates seem to be more interested in pushing a specific ideological agenda than in fostering an environment that promotes critical thinking and open dialogue. By insisting that these books should be accessible to children of any age, they are ignoring the developmental differences between children and the potential impact that explicit or divisive content can have on their young minds.
In conclusion, the ALA’s support of these “banned books” tours, organized by Penguin Random House and The New Republic, reflects a concerning disregard for the concerns and values of parents and lawmakers. By framing these debates solely in terms of free speech and political ideologies, they undermine the legitimate concerns held by parents who simply want to protect their children from explicit content and divisive ideologies. It is crucial to engage in a nuanced and respectful dialogue that takes into account the developmental needs of children and the rights of parents to make decisions about their children’s education.
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