Big Brother
I’ll never forget reading about her. It seems like it happened just minutes ago, though, in reality, it was decades ago. But some memories leave warm and unforgettable footprints in one’s brain. Lucretia Mott. Mott was a Quaker, an abolitionist, and a women’s rights activist. As a child, I sat in a cozy chair of my school library and eagerly, with the innocence only a child can possess, read about her and the Suffrage movement.
I do wonder — Have any books about Mott been banned?
In the wake of finding out my favorite book, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” has been banned in some places, I must return to the book bans, this odious thing that hovers over us, and has not ended. It has been quite a while since I have written about this subject. However, it deserves our focus and attention once again.
“School board tightens book bans.”
You see, it is still happening. It’s happening all over the place.
Florida has the dubious distinction of being Numero Uno in book banning, making up 72% of the bans.
Luckily, litigation is making its way through the Florida courts.
It all has to do with Bill 1069, which was the catalyst for the bans in the first place.
Five plaintiffs are suing, including Penguin Random House Publishing.
However, Florida is far from the Only state.
From the Observer:
“Early bills filed by state legislators show that Texas Republicans are teeing up a a book banning bonanza.”
Book Censorship. It seems surreal that this could happen in 2024, which will soon be 2025.
Many librarians are standing up to these bans, but the problem is that many are fearful that if they speak up too much, they could face legal repercussions.
This situation is not unlike the whole abortion ban mess. In that situation, in some states, doctors are terrified of going to prison if they help women who seek abortions.
It is how the GOP tries to rule — rule by fear. Big Brother at its most omnipotent.
That is why it is vitally important to make your voice heard at the local level. If you live in a state where you think such bands are occurring, call your library and see if these bans are affecting them. Ask what you can do.We must also really focus on local elections and school board elections because they matter greatly when it comes to this issue. Books are the pearls that make children’s souls glow — glow with knowledge and the beauty of imagination.
Going back to the beginning of this essay. Lucretia Mott. I heard her voice in that library of my youth. I hear her now, I hear all of them all now, the midnight whispers of the activists who came long before us. And I take my inspiration from them. So can you.
