Page 4 - aruba-today-20240424

A4 up front
Wednesday 24 april 2024

Minnesota and other Democratic-led states lead pushback on censorship

Continued from Front

The Washington and Mary-
land legislatures have already
passed them this year, while
Illinois did so last year. It was a
major flashpoint of Oregon’s
short session, where legisla-
tion passed the Senate but
died without a House vote.
According to the American
Library Association, over 4,200
works in school and public
libraries were targeted in 2023,
a jump from the old record
of nearly 2,600 books in 2022.
Many challenged books —
47% in 2023 — had LGBTQ+
and racial themes.
Restrictions in some states
have increased so much that
librarians and administrators
fear crippling lawsuits, hefty
fines and even imprisonment
if they provide books that oth-
ers regard as inappropriate.
Already this year, lawmakers
in more than 15 states have
introduced bills to impose
harsh penalties on libraries
or librarians.
Conservative parents and
activists argue that the books Bloomington Jefferson senior Shae Ross, fourth from left, joins Governor Tim Walz, right, and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan,
are too sexually explicit or second from left, at an event promoting proposed legislation to prevent books bans based on ideology at Como Park High School
in St. Paul, Minnesota on March 21, 2024.
otherwise controversial, and Associated Press
are inappropriate, especially
for younger readers. National The voluntary nature of read- braries based on content or and classrooms. and others succeeded. The
groups such as Moms for Lib- ing,” said Martha Hickson, a ideological objections and Because of her activism, Bloomington School Board last
erty say parents are entitled librarian at North Hunterdon require that the key deci- Ross was invited when Walz month made it much harder
to more control over books High School in New Jersey. sions about what books will went to Como Park Senior to seek removals. Parents can
available to their children. “Students can choose to read, or won’t be offered be made High School in St. Paul last still restrict access by their
But pushback is emerging. not read, or totally ignore by library professionals. month to view a display of own children to material they
According to EveryLibrary, everything in this library. No The state House is consider- books banned elsewhere. deem objectionable.
a political action committee one is asking them to read ing an approach with more The governor called book Many challenges in the district
for libraries, several states are a damn thing.” teeth, including penalties and bans “the antithesis of eve- came from the Bloomington
considering varying degrees Hickson recalled how parents allowing private citizens to rything we believe” and de- Parents Alliance. One of its
of prohibitions on book bans. first suggested her book col- sue to enforce it. nounced what he depicted leaders, Alan Redding, re-
A sampling includes Califor- lections contained pedophilia “I’m working with stakehold- as a growing effort to bully called how his son’s 9th grade
nia, Connecticut, Delaware, and pornography during a ers, with the Department of school boards. class was discussing a book a
Georgia, Kansas, Massachu- school board meeting in 2021. Education, librarians, school At a House hearing last month, few years ago when graphic
setts, Missouri, New York, Penn- She watched the livestream in districts and their representa- speakers said books by LG- passages about date rape
sylvania, Rhode Island and horror as they objected that tives,” said Democratic Rep. BTQ+ and authors of color are were read aloud in class. He
Vermont, though some in the novel “Lawn Boy” and Cedrick Frazier, of New Hope. among those most frequently said his son and other kids
conservative states appear illustrated memoir “Gender “We’re working to tighten up banned. Karlton Laster, di- were unprepared for some-
unlikely to pass. One has also Queer” were available to the language, to make sure rector of policy and organ- thing so explicit.
died in New Mexico this year. students and suggested she we can come to a consensus, izing for OutFront Minnesota, “They were clearly bothered
One such bill is awaiting Dem- could be criminally liable. and just kind of make sure who identifies as Black and by this and disgusted,” Red-
ocratic Gov. Wes Moore’s “Tears welled up, shaking” that everybody’s on the same queer, said reading their works ding said. “My son absolutely
signature in Maryland. Wash- Hickson said. “But once my page.” helped him “communicate shut down for the semester.”
ington Gov. Jay Inslee signed body got done with that, my Ross, a student at Jefferson my hard feelings and truths Minnesota Republican law-
a bill last month that sets a normal attitude, the fight side High School in Bloomington, to my family and friends,” makers have argued that in-
high bar for removing chal- kicked in, and I picked up my was alarmed when she heard and helped him come out stead of worrying about book
lenged materials, especially cellphone while the meeting last year that conservative to his family. bans, they should be focusing
those dealing with race, sex- was still going on and started groups were organizing in Kendra Redmond, a Bloom- instead on performance in a
ual orientation and gender reaching out.” her community to ban books ington mother with three chil- state where just under half of
identity. A version pending Book bans have been a sore based on their content. So she dren in public schools, testified public school students can
in New Jersey would protect point for Minnesota Gov. Tim and her friends got organized about efforts to push back read at grade level.
librarians from civil or criminal Walz, a former high school themselves, and they helped against a petition drive by “Every book is banned for a
liability. teacher. The Minnesota Sen- persuade their school board conservatives to pull about child that doesn’t know how
Some proposals are labeled ate passed his proposal this to make it much harder to 28 titles from the city’s school to read,” said GOP Rep. Pa-
“Freedom to Read” acts. month. It would prohibit book remove books and other libraries. tricia Mueller, a teacher from
“That’s what’s so critical here. bans in public and school li- materials from their libraries Pushback from Ross, Redmond Austin.q