MAGA, BOOK BANNING AND THE SOUL OF THE SCHOOL BOARD
Ah, book banning. The age-old practice of trying to shield our precious children from the horrors of the world by removing any literature that might challenge their preconceived notions. It's like trying to stop a flood with a paper towel.
Recently, a group of parents in Nixa, Missouri, decided that certain books in their high school library were just too darn graphic and sexual. "The Kite Runner," "The Handmaid's Tale," and "To Kill a Mockingbird" were all deemed inappropriate for young minds. Because apparently, high school students are incapable of handling mature themes and complex ideas.
But here's the thing, folks. Literature is meant to challenge us. It's meant to make us uncomfortable. It's meant to push us outside of our comfort zones and force us to confront difficult truths about the world we live in. And if we start banning books because they make us uncomfortable, where does it end? Do we ban "1984" because it's too political? Do we ban "The Catcher in the Rye" because it has some naughty language?
The librarians and teachers at the high school have been fighting back against this ridiculous campaign, and they're absolutely right to do so. These books are not pornographic, they're not promoting a particular political agenda, and they're not inappropriate for high school students. They're important works of literature that should be available to anyone who wants to read them.
Now, I know what some of you might be thinking. "But what about the parents' rights? Don't they have a say in what their children are exposed to?" Of course they do. But here's the thing: parents don't have the right to dictate what their children learn. Schools have a responsibility to provide all students with a well-rounded education, and that includes exposing them to different ideas and perspectives.
Look, I get it. As a parent myself, I understand the desire to protect our children from anything that might harm them. But the truth is, shielding them from the world is not doing them any favors. We need to teach our children how to think critically, how to analyze complex ideas, and how to handle difficult situations. And literature is one of the best tools we have for doing that.
So, to the parents in Nixa and anyone else who thinks book banning is a good idea, I say this: get over yourselves. Your children are capable of handling mature themes and complex ideas. They're not fragile little snowflakes who need to be protected from the big, bad world. And if you're really that concerned about what they're reading, maybe you should try having a conversation with them about it instead of trying to ban it.
In conclusion, book banning is wrong. It's a misguided attempt to shield our children from the world, and it's ultimately doing them a disservice. We need to embrace literature for what it is: a powerful tool for teaching our children about the world around them. So let's stop trying to ban books and start encouraging our children to read widely and think critically.
The Fight for the Soul of a School Board | The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/the-fight-for-the-soul-of-a-school-board