I didn’t realize this is Banned Books Week (or more likely, I forgot) but a local tv station ran a story about it this morning. Seems it started back in 1982 in response to people challenging books in libraries, bookstores, and schools. The problem has grown steadily since then and I’ve addressed it several times, most recently in Ban book bans.
The story was about the Idaho student who, at her graduation, tried to hand a banned copy of The Handmaid’s Tale to the superintendent of her school system. When he refused to take it, she dropped it at his feet. Graduation was several months ago but, belatedly, I want to commend the student, Annabelle Grace Jenkins. It’s reassuring to know there are students who realize what’s happening to their rights and are taking action.
Here’s the interview with Annabelle:
And if that video disappears, here’s a brief one showing what she did:
Thank you, Annabelle.
“A word to the unwise.
Torch every book.
Char every page.
Burn every word to ash.
Ideas are incombustible.
And therein lies your real fear.”— Ellen Hopkins
_____________
Header image AI generated
The only remedy to thought-control is exposure to sunlight. Love the Hopkins’ quote.
I don’t know if you watched all of the first video, but that quote is mentioned at the end. Annabelle wrote it in the book she tried to give to the superintendent.
. . . she should have slapped him with it . . .
Oh, I wish!
What a GREAT young lady !!! – I was seen as obstreperous when I was her age, but I don’t think I had her courage.
Pusillanimous schools, pusillanimous libraries … 🙁
The schools and libraries aren’t the source of the problem. They are more often the victims of narrow-minded old-fashioned hyper religious patrons or even outsiders who, given a little power, start imposing their ideas on everyone else. She gives me hope.
School libraries have to kowtow to patrons ? – what a shitty set-up !!
Well, as I understand it, district school boards can make these decisions for all the schools in their respective districts and board members, who are elected, don’t necessarily even have kids in the affected schools. This is deemed better than having the state make such decisions for everyone. I won’t swear to any of this, having never had a kid in Colorado schools. I just catch news stories here and there.