The Orlando Sentinel published a two-page print spread Thursday listing 673 books that have been removed from classrooms in Orange County in 2023 due to fears they violate the state’s new laws banning “sexual conduct” from public schools.
Teachers with any of the 673 books on their classroom shelves have been instructed by the school district to remove them, the newspaper said, also noting that the Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) staff will review the list of rejected books once again, so it’s possible the books will eventually be returned to the classroom. The district began compiling the list over the summer.
The list stems from two Florida laws signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis ®, who is also running for president. They require media specialists to review books in libraries and classrooms, and to exclude books that include sexually lewd material or pornography. The legislation also aims to give parents greater ability to raise objections to their children’s education.
I mean, that’s fine. The idea is that parents are more aware of what their kids are reading, and have more say in it. Those books aren’t banned, they’re just not available in a school library. Your kid still has access to the book, just not through the school. They can order it on Amazon. They can borrow it from a friend, they can go to the local public library and borrow it there.
Saying these booked are flat out banned is like saying alcohol is banned from Florida because they don’t sell it at fast food joints. …no, it’s not banned, you just have to go somewhere else to get access.
I think it’s pitiful to defend the censorship of books considered generally harmless for decades. Shame on you, honestly.
Is withholding pornographic images from school libraries shameful? If it is, shame away. I’m okay with that.
Dumbest argument I’ve ever heard. You really think there’s Hustler and Playboy in school libraries? Or are you unable to distinguish between pornography, literature, and educational content? Was I looking at porn when I saw bare tits in the encyclopedia at 7? Should we ban encyclopedias? Should Judy Bloom books be banned because they gasp discuss puberty and masturbation?
Judy Bloom books are banned in Florida.
Fucking tools. Thanks for letting me know.
Alcohol isn’t banned you just need a license to sell it. The analogy doesn’t work though because it’s not like beer is allowed everywhere but wine isn’t. They are making objective decisions about the content of different versions of the same product.
Also a huge number of those books have been available for decades or even a century so why are they suddenly a problem now?
And these books aren’t banned, you just need a library card to take one home. They’re far more accessible than alcohol. Anyone of any age can pull from public libraries. The analogy does work, because alcohol and non alcohol are Noth drinks, there are just some that are age appropriate and some that aren’t. Kind of like books, but books are far, far more accessible and less strictly regulated, even when they’re pulled from school libraries.
They’re a problem now because literal pornographic images and descriptions were found in some books in some school libraries, and when it was called to attention, the left doubled-down and tried to gaslight people by saying it wasn’t happening. The problem was, it *was happening, there was proof, and images and passenges were leaked.
Now, I think we’ve got an overreach problem, but don’t get it wrong, this was absolutely a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just remove anything pornographic and we would have been good.
So, like, also the Bible right?
Depending on the version, sure.
Is there a version that leaves out the ‘let’s rape Dad to get preggers’ story?
If you support this book banning policy you are a fascist.
The reason is because the subordination of individual interests for the ‘good’ of the nation/race is a fascist hallmark.
You may think it’s a huge leap between book bans and gas chambers but Fascism had a legitimate political party that took many policy positions long before people realised it was a bad idea.
If it makes you uncomfortable to think that you support the people that were on the losing side of WWII then I implore you to reconsider how you’ve arrived at this position.