Hey, Mom! The Explanation.

Here's the permanent dedicated link to my first Hey, Mom! post and the explanation of the feature it contains.

Saturday, July 8, 2023

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3063 - CENSORSHIP - My Community Conversation Talk and More on Book Bans (and KELSO high Play Ban)



A Sense of Doubt blog post #3063 - CENSORSHIP - My Community Conversation Talk and More on Book Bans

I realized that I had not posted the video of my Community Conversations talk on my blog.

I am thinking about it again because a student may write a research project on the subject of school book bans.

Also, I get to do the presentation again in the Longview Public Library in October, so I am thinking of revisions for it, shortening it, re-focusing it.

And so I decided to post the Community Conversation video as well as other recent emails I have received about the fight against book bans in schools and public libraries.

I am also working on a post that collects all five of my Community Conversations so far.

And then I saw this article:

KELSO HIGH BANS PLAY

It's not a "ban" exactly as the play did get performed 2-3 times, but the school suspended it for dubious and poorly defined reasons, supposedly for students not sticking to the script "exactly."

And yet, instead of acknowledging months of hard work by the students and thousands of dollars of ticket sales on the line and giving students the opportunity to fix their improvisations (did no one tell these administrators that improvisation or even just variance in script line delivery is very common in theater???), they suspended the second performance of the play just hours before its curtains were to go up.

Really?

On the face of things, and the reporter was not able to really get at the reasons in this article due to the people involved being less than forthcoming, this looks like censorship.

I also wonder why it took The Daily News two months to publish this article?

Anyway, enjoy all my postings here today.

Thanks for tuning in.


Wednesday, April 12, 2023


MY BITLY LINK FOR ALL MATERIALS



PREVIOUS BLOG POSTS








lowercolumbiacollege

Apr 13, 2023
April 13 Presentation
I Like to Read Banned Books
Presenter: Chris Tower



Dear MoveOn member,

In a big Politico story yesterday on MoveOn's Banned Bookmobile, MoveOn's Rahna Epting explained the goals: "One is to shed light on the dangerous bans of Ron DeSantis, whether that's banning saying gay, banning abortion or, even now, banning books—over 500 books in his own state. And No. 2 is to shed light on the fact that this is the entire agenda of the new MAGA Republican Party."1

Epting added, "Not pushing back against book bans would be a massive failure for all of us that care about the future of this country."2

The profile coincides with the debut of our Banned Bookmobile at an event yesterday in Orlando, Florida—which was a HUGE success!

But there was one problem.

We ran out of banned books to give away within 10 minutes. Ten minutes!

It's a great problem to have. But with 15 more stops planned across 10 states and Washington, D.C., we've had to substantially increase our budget for buying banned books to give away. Which means we need your help.

Christopher, the Banned Bookmobile is a true grassroots effort. Thousands of MoveOn members from across the nation came together to chip in to fill the Banned Bookmobile with banned books and to pay for the gas, staff, insurance, security, and other costs associated with the tour.

We are using the Banned Bookmobile tour to have conversations with voters about the MAGA vision for our country and to provide resources for people to get involved to help defeat the GOP in 2024.

The MAGA movement's vision for America is a place where our stories, our identities, and our communities are silenced. And where we continue to lose fundamental freedoms.

And while we may not be able to stop Ron DeSantis and the MAGA Republican Party from banning books, we will never let them erase our communities.

We are coming together to fight for our freedom of expression, build community, and ensure that Black, brown, and LGBTQ+ youth are able to see themselves reflected in and out of the classroom through their stories and identities.

And that's where our Banned Bookmobile comes in. At our stops, we are distributing free banned books and inviting guest speakers to discuss the harm and dangers of banning books—all while spreading a message of defiance against the MAGA Republican Party's bans.

Our tour includes stops in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin.

The Banned Bookmobile is turning out to be a huge hit, and we need your help to keep the Bookmobile stocked with banned books.

Will you start a $10 monthly gift to buy more banned books, keep the Banned Bookmobile on the road, and power our long-term campaign to stop MAGA's book bans? Your ongoing support couldn't be more critical. 

Yes, I'll chip in monthly.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

Thanks for all you do.

–Mana, Rahna, Elsie, Joel, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "The push to combat DeSantis' banned book movement," Politico, July 5, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/177270?t=6&akid=356410%2E36207282%2EeaPAB2

2. Ibid.



Christopher -

I am on a bit of a road-trip over the 4th of July holiday, but one of the several stops we made was in Idaho where I attended an event for the Idaho Democratic Party and heard about their work to push back against the GOP and build a bottom-up approach to gain seats.

I also stopped at Rediscovered Books in Boise where they are doing everything they can to push back against insane book bans happening across the country.

Book bans are at a record high -- there have been over 1,200 challenges in the last year, nearly double the (then-record) total from 2021. Couldn’t leave Boise without dropping by this incredible bookstore. The owners of Rediscovered Books are doing everything they can to push back against these insane bans happening across the country.

Stick it to the ban.

Gavin Newsom


Dear MoveOn member,

Florida recently passed a law that allows schools to more easily ban, restrict, and censor books.1 Amanda Gorman—the first National Youth Poet Laureate who made history as the youngest inaugural poet when she read "The Hill We Climb" during President Joe Biden's inauguration in 2021—experienced the ramifications of the law firsthand when her book of poetry was shockingly challenged by a parent in the Miami-Dade County school district.2

The complaint claimed that the book of poetry was "not educational" and contained indirect hate speech.3 After a rushed review, the school restricted access to the book for younger audiences, deeming it inappropriate for elementary students. This is outrageous, and we won't stand for it. 

Our freedom to read—and to make decisions about what our students and children can read—is being stripped away by concerted attacks from right-wing parents and Republican legislators dead set on politicizing our schools. But we can make sure every student has the opportunity to be captivated by Gorman's powerful words and embrace the beauty of diverse literature. 

With Governor Ron DeSantis fanning the flames, a small but loud group of conservative parents have been galvanized under the new law and begun challenging books in schools across the state—disproportionately censoring LGBTQ+ books and books about race and racial diversity.4 It's the right wing's latest tactic designed to eradicate conversations students have in the classroom around genocide, white supremacy, gender, and sexuality.

We can't sit idly by while books disappear from our schools due to one-off complaints and rushed committee reviews. These complaints are being orchestrated by right-wing parents who want to take away our ability to read freely and learn a full, honest account of history.

We need to come together collectively to push back against challenges, restrictions, and bans whenever and wherever they pop up. We need to proactively work to increase the number of diverse books featured in our schools and libraries—and we need to fight to keep them on the shelves. 

Sign now to call on the Department of Education and state education departments, as well as librarians and teachers across the United States, to add "The Hill We Climb" to every associated recommended reading list in the country.

There are many "recommended reading lists" put out by schools, local libraries, youth-oriented nonprofits, newspapers, websites, TV hosts, and more.These lists often inform students and their families about what books to read. While Republican leaders may want to strip away Amanda Gorman's moving poetry, we are calling upon thousands of individuals and institutions to recommend it. 

Together, we can protect the freedom to read and ensure that important works like "The Hill We Climb" aren't hidden away or dismissed.

Thanks for all you do. 

–Aliya, Isbah, Chrissy, Jensine, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Florida at center of debate as school book bans surge nationally," The New York Times, April 23, 2023 
https://act.moveon.org/go/174337?t=19&akid=355211%2E36207282%2EaBy0j3

2. "1 complaint led a Florida school to restrict access to Amanda Gorman's famous poem," NPR, May 25, 2023 
https://act.moveon.org/go/173156?t=22&akid=355211%2E36207282%2EaBy0j3

3. "Florida elementary school removes Amanda Gorman's poem from Biden's inauguration," ABC7, May 24, 2023 
https://act.moveon.org/go/174338?t=24&akid=355211%2E36207282%2EaBy0j3

4. "Who's Behind the Escalating Push to Ban Books? A New Report Has Answers," Education Week, September 28, 2022 
https://act.moveon.org/go/174339?t=26&akid=355211%2E36207282%2EaBy0j3

Dear MoveOn member,

Moments ago, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis officially entered the 2024 presidential race, and we want to make sure that voters across the country know exactly who he is.1

To achieve this, we want to create a "Banned Bookmobile," fill it with books that DeSantis has banned from schools in Florida, and drive it around the state handing those books out, for free, in highly trafficked areas that will attract media attention.

And if we have the funds, we'll take it on tour, following DeSantis to his campaign stops across the country, giving out banned books, hosting events with authors and advocates, and making sure the press covers it as much as possible.

But we need your help to do it, Christopher. Will you chip in $3 to help us buy as many copies of DeSantis's banned books as we can, give them away for free, and hammer DeSantis and the GOP with bad press?

DeSantis has positioned himself as the "more electable" version of Donald Trump and said that he wants to "Make America Florida" by bringing the extremist policies he has implemented as governor to the entire country.2,3

Policies that are, in a word, dystopian.

In the past year alone, DeSantis has instituted all of these fascistic policies in Florida:

  • Sweeping book bans targeting books written by or about people of color and the LGBTQ+ community, books about antisemitism and the rise of the Nazis, and accurate descriptions of American history, leaving school libraries empty.4
  • Banned the teaching of AP African American History in Florida classrooms, claiming that the course "lacks educational value."5
  • Signed one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, banning the procedure after six weeks, long before many people even know they are pregnant.6
  • Passed laws making it a felony to provide gender-affirming care for trans youth and making it even more difficult for trans adults to access care.7
  • Expanded his "Don't Say Gay" bill through 12th grade.8
  • And much, much more.

That is DeSantis's—and the MAGA movement's—vision for America. And we want to make sure that Americans know exactly what that means.

That's where our Banned Bookmobile comes in.

We will use this as an opportunity to have conversations with voters about the MAGA vision for our country, provide resources for people to get involved to help defeat the GOP in 2024, and make sure that—as often as possible—any coverage of DeSantis's campaign events includes mentions of our bookmobile.

All while giving out as many banned books as possible to students and others who have lost access to them thanks to people like Ron DeSantis.

But in order to do it, we will need to rent the vehicle, design and staff it, and buy hundreds or even thousands of books to give out. Which is where you come in. Can you make a gift of $3 right now to help stock our Banned Bookmobile with books that DeSantis and the GOP are afraid of us reading?

Christopher, GOP candidates like DeSantis and even Trump himself are desperate to downplay their extreme policies in public, because they know that the overwhelming majority of Americans disagree with them and that if voters knew the truth, they wouldn't cast a ballot for them.

That's why our bookmobile is so important. This is the type of highly visible tactic that the media love to cover, and the more we can get the word out about not just DeSantis but the GOP as a whole, the less they can hide from the consequences of their own actions.

Are you in? Chip in $3 now to help us buy as many banned books as possible and to ensure that DeSantis and his GOP cronies feel the heat.

Thanks for all you do.

–David, Kelsey, Rahna, Allison, and the rest of the team

 Sources: 

1. "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launches 2024 GOP presidential campaign to challenge Trump," AP News, May 24, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/173150?t=5&akid=352944%2E36207282%2ETu6DmG

2. "Ron DeSantis is learning that not every state wants to be Florida," NBC News, May 22, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/173139?t=7&akid=352944%2E36207282%2ETu6DmG

3. "'Biden and Me': DeSantis Privately Tells Donors Trump Can't Win," The New York Times, May 18, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/173140?t=9&akid=352944%2E36207282%2ETu6DmG

4. "Banned in the USA: State Laws Supercharge Book Suppression in Schools," PEN America, accessed May 24, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/173141?t=11&akid=352944%2E36207282%2ETu6DmG

5. "DeSantis defends banning African American studies course as Black leaders call for action," Politico, January 24, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/173142?t=13&akid=352944%2E36207282%2ETu6DmG

6. "DeSantis signs Florida’s 6-week abortion ban into law," Politico, April 13, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/173143?t=15&akid=352944%2E36207282%2ETu6DmG

7. "DeSantis signs Florida ban on transgender treatment for minors," Reuters, May 18, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/173144?t=17&akid=352944%2E36207282%2ETu6DmG

8. "DeSantis signs 'Don't Say Gay' expansion and gender-affirming care ban," NBC News, May 17, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/173145?t=19&akid=352944%2E36207282%2ETu6DmG




Florida Schools Now Protecting Kids From Smut Like Sexy, Sexy 'Paradise Lost'

Doktor Zoom
July 07, 2023 09:20 AM
Florida Schools Now Protecting Kids From Smut Like Sexy, Sexy 'Paradise Lost'
Image made using DreamStudio AI and Photoshop. Some people in back aren't writers; they're transporter accidents.

In exactly the sort of development you'd expect in the midst of a moral panic and censorship campaign, we learn this week that one Florida school district isn't limiting itself to removing modern-day smut like sex ed or books about gay penguins. The Orlando Sentinel reports that, thanks to a new state law that requires the removal of any school materials for review as soon as someone files a complaint, books like A Room With A View, Madame Bovary, and even John Milton's 1667 biblical fanfiction epic Paradise Lost have been pulled from Orange County Public Schools, at least until media specialists can check to make sure they're not porn. Hell, even Ayn Rand has been censored, instead of allowing high schoolers to find out for themselves what a terrible writer and human she was.

The story notes that several works that have regularly been used in classes are on the rejected list, like The Color Purple,Catch-22,Brave New World, and The Kite Runner. Naturally, the district has also removed both The Bluest Eye and Beloved by Toni Morrison, who can't seem to help herself terrifying white parents with books that are entirely too much about Black women how dare she.

Previously

Virginia Mom Begs Voters Not To Let Toni Morrison Kill More White Children With Words

100 Year Old Lady At Florida School Board Better Patriot Than All Book Banners Put Together

Ask The Gay Penguins How 'Limited' Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Law Is. YOU CAN'T THEY'RE BANNED

The district hasn't yet finalized its lists of what books will be permanently banned or restricted to certain grade levels, and which will be allowed back into classrooms; the district's "media specialists" are spending the whole summer reviewing every single book in classroom libraries to make sure children aren't corrupted by mentions of sex, gay people, or Black people who don't smile obligingly enough, we assume.

The Sentinel explains,

Some books rejected earlier this summer, among them “The Scarlet Letter” and Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” have since been approved, according to the lists shared with the Orlando Sentinel by a district teacher and by an advocacy group that obtained a rejection list through a public records request. Other books have been approved but only for certain grades.

Four plays by William Shakespeare, including “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” are currently listed as approved for grades 10 through 12 only, as is Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood” and Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the lists show.

Fans of The Simpsons will recall that Streetcar! is a musical spectacular featuring the sexy, muscular Ned Flanders and the cheery closing number, "You Can Always Depend on the Kindness of Strangers (A Stranger's Just a Friend you Haven't Met)."

Many books are being rejected — temporarily or permanently — because for some reason there's mention of sex, which Great Literature never mentions but smut like Othello does. The explanation listed for many titles on the rejected list is simply "Depicts or describes sexual conduct (not allowed per HB 1069-2023," which Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed as part of his presidential campaign. Pretty cruel to have a censorship law with 69 in it, if you ask us.

The new law makes book challenges easier and, if the concern is sexual content, requires the books to be removed from the shelves within five days and remain inaccessible to students while being reviewed. Republican lawmakers said they passed it to make sure pornography and books that depict sexual activity are kept from children.

Mind you, there's really not any porn in schools, and the law includes an apparently useless clause noting that even works with nudity or boinking can only be considered pornographic if they lack "serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value." Of course, once there's a complaint, that has to be determined by the school media specialists.

The Sentinel spoke to a teacher who said, "The last thing I would have expected to be rejected is Milton,” what with Paradise Lost being a "cornerstone of Western Literature" and all that. Yr Wonkette hasn't looked at it since comparative lit in grad school (Dante and Chaucer are way more fun), but yeah, there are indeed sex scenes in Paradise Lost, including Adam and Eve Doing It before the Fall (and unmarried at that, because there's no sin in the Garden) and after. Hope you're ready for some hot fuck action:

Handed they went; and eased the putting off
Those troublesome disguises which we wear,
Straight side by side were laid; nor turned, I ween,
Adam from his fair spouse, nor Eve the rites
Mysterious of connubial love refused

They was NAKED. Then after the Fall they screw again, only lustfully. Yeah, yeah, we know, you'll be in your bower.

The ninth grade teacher said he believes the new laws imply that "I have horrible intentions for my students," when he simply wants to get kids excited about reading and understanding literature, and isn't that always the excuse they give when they're peddling smut like Kurt Vonnegut and Alice Walker and Edgar Allen Poe?

“We are in this because we really care about the stuff that we teach and really care about the content we get to introduce our students to,” he said.

If the rejected list doesn’t change, he said, he will have to remove novels like “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team and a Dream” from his classroom bookshelves as they are rejected for all grades, as well as “Crime and Punishment” and “In Cold Blood,” which are now rejected for 9th grade, which he teaches.

Yeah, that Dostoevsky, what a creep. Another teacher said she was "gobsmacked" to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream rejected, even temporarily, and was downright angry at the rejection of works she had used in advanced placement classes, like Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man and John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany, which like virtually all the books mentioned here has yet to be adapted into a porno.

She selects novels “to engage my students, to offer them literature that makes them think,” and some books meant to describe “the adolescent experience” contain sexual content. But they are not pornographic or inappropriate and it upset her to see them on the rejected list.

“It’s just so frustrating and disheartening,” she said.

You know, it's almost as if writers think sex is an important aspect of human life and motivation, an essential part of literature, even. That's what kids have to be protected from, for sure. Fahrenheit 451 had it right: Books just make people unhappy, so best we get rid of them.

[Orlando Sentinel / Image generated using DreamStudio AI and Photoshop]



Doktor Zoom

Doktor Zoom's real name is Marty Kelley, and he lives in the wilds of Boise, Idaho. He is not a medical doctor, but does have a real PhD in Rhetoric. You should definitely donate some money to this little mommyblog where he has finally found acceptance and cat pictures. He is on maternity leave until 2033. Here is his Twitter, also. His quest to avoid prolixity is not going so great.






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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2307.08 - 10:10

- Days ago = 2927 days ago

- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
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