From: Ronald Wilkinson
Edinburgh
The anti-democratic bullies, after failing to overturn the 2020 presidential election, have now focused their attention on banning books from schools and libraries, claiming they are protecting children from harmful materials.
Banning books, protesting teaching of equity in schools, the redistricting of predominantly Black and brown districts, and the suppression of voting rights, which impacts mostly Black and brown voters, are all part of a coordinated effort, I suspect, by the far right to help them win big in the midterm election.
Why weren’t these targeted books and the teaching of equity seen as a problem when Donald Trump was president and Republicans had full control of the House and Senate?
I know why the caged bird sings: Its singing is that of sadness, not of happiness. It wants to be free to explore all of nature’s beauty as nature intended. Children, too, want to be free to explore the diversity of their world.
Reading is elementary, it is also fundamental, in that it opens up a child’s mind to a wealth of diverse knowledge.
Some people who want to ban certain books accuse the authors of being communists and teachers of teaching communism. If these people truly understand what communism is and its history, they would know that the banning and mass burning of books deemed unacceptable, is a long practice by communist leaders as a way to control the minds of their people. These narrow-minded “book police” groups are acting just like the communists they accuse others of being.
This is why diversity in reading is so important: it lets the reader to be able to read, not just between the lines, but outside the lines as well. I would encourage everyone to get the DVD: “The Book Thief.” It is rated PG-13.
One of the books that has come under fire lately, because of nudity and profanity, is “Maus,” a graphic novel about the Holocaust written by Art Spiegelman. If nudity is one of the reasons these people want to ban that book, why not also ban paintings of Adam and Eve in the garden being tempted by the serpent, and Christ on the cross covered only by a loin cloth, which can be seen in many churches? Also, why not ban every nude and semi-nude painting and sculpture in museums and other public places? Even the famous Mona Lisa painting could become a target, because of her smile, which some may find too suggestive.
The problem with extremism in politics is that it can get ridiculous.
Editor’s note: This letter is paid political content. It is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
