The Media Research Center loves to pretend that when conservatives ban books, it’s not really book banning; for instance, when Amanda Gorman’s non-offensive inauguration poem was banned in one school (based on the demand of a single parent who hadn’t actually read the poem), it insisted the poem was being, in an Orwellian turn of phrase, “assessed to be better tagged.” The MRC continued to serve up more of that attitude in recent months. Tim Graham spent an Aug. 14 post complaining that book bans (which he put in scare quotes) were accurately identified as such and that right-wing hysteria over them is causing librarians to be falsely attacked:
National “Public” Radio is staunchly taking sides in the debate over “book bans” of explicit sexual material in public libraries. On Saturday night’s horribly named show All Things Considered,Boston-based NPR reporter Tovia Smith filed a 12-and-a-half minute story warning “The battle over books comes at a cost.” Librarians have been smeared as evil people and their lives have been put in danger by nasty right-wingers.
In this whole story, NPR successfully avoided mentioning the content of any sexually explicit material at the center of these matters. This isn’t the first time NPR has campaigned on this issue.
[…]Their lingo is arrogant: when a book is “challenged,” it’s opposed to intellectual freedom, as they boast “To unite and protect the rights of all learners is inspirational.” In other words, “freedom” works when no one objects in a public forum. No one gets to question what librarians choose — and maybe what refuse to choose.
Graham went on to huff that “It’s a little sad how media outlets like NPR want to pretend this debate is Conservative Censors vs. Freedom Librarians, and not underline that these anti-‘book ban’ lobbies are conducting a culture war, offering sexually graphic messaging to children.” Not as sad as Graham portraying librarians as evil purveyors of pornography and right-wing parents as not involved in culture wars at all. He also complained that a librarian had filed a defamation lawsuit against a couple of right-wingers, thus proving that it was librarians who are “working to suppress speech” — but didn’t mention (outside of an outside tweet he inserted in his post) that those right-wingers falsely smeared the librarian as a pedophile. It seems that Graham can’t imagine why anyone should be upset by such a vicious, derogatory smear.
Graham returned for a Sept. 9 post after a book was banned based solely on a claim from one parent:
On Friday’s Morning Edition, NPR lamented the “surge” in book bans across America. Apparently, democracy works best in America when educators get to assign left-wing propaganda about how America is deeply racist, and no one objects. The headline on their website:
1 parent is responsible for a book ban in North Carolina
But even their summary undercut that assertion: “In a North Carolina school district newly controlled by Republicans, it took just one parent’s complaint to remove a book from the curriculum.”
So one parent started a political movement. If that one parent spurred the opposite movement — resisting a book by say, Clarence Thomas or Thomas Sowell — they’d get the Conquering Hero treatment. But here, it’s terrible.
Graham offered no reason why this single parent’s demand should carry more weight than actual educators, and he let the parent’s whine that the book was allegedly making “everyday average white students” feel bad pass without comment. Instead, he whined some more:
NPR never explained why they’re teaching “anti-racism” in an English class — specifically, a writing class — and not in social studies or history. But here’s what’s funny about this three-and-a-half minute story. There’s no mention this is a book by radical leftist Ibram X. Kendi, one of the most infamous Critical Race Theory voices. This isn’t merely about education, it’s about social change.
[…]NPR never focused on the actual contents of the book, other than airing the Gates complaint. All the Gates critics merely get to speak in favor of “critical thinking.” The local NAACP functionary complained “it’s going to make teachers who decide the curriculum to pick the safe route instead of the route that will envelop more critical thinking.” As NPR summarized, “the school board is ignoring important Black voices.” Voices that shall remain nameless!
Graham didn’t mention any actual content from the book either, which makes it difficult for him to legitimately complain about NPR doing the same thing, meaning that he can’t even back up his claim that Kendi’s book is only about “social change.” But shouldn’t making young people less racist be thje kind of social change people like Graham should get behind? Apparently not.
Tierin-Rose Mandelburg at least admitted that books were being banned (while also not doing so) in a Nov. 13 post whining that singer Pink was handing them out at her concerts:
Pink is a Punk.
Pop singer Pink plans to pass out thousands of books that are prohibited in Florida classrooms when she reaches the Sunshine State during her “Trust Fall” tour.
Pink announced the news via an Instagram post saying, “Did you know there have been nearly 6,000 book bans since the fall of 2021? And nearly 40% of the books bans in the last school year occurred in Florida? As a mom of two young readers, I can’t imagine letting someone else decide what MY CHILDREN can and cannot read! That’s why this week at my Miami, FL and Sunrise, FL shows, I’m partnering with @penamerica and @booksandbooks to give away banned books to the first 1,000 fans who want them at each show!”
The left has been using the phrase “book bans” as a way to make it seem like the right are trying to be dictators and control kids. Realistically, the right doesn’t think that pornographic books should be accessible to young, impressionable minds. The right also doesn’t think that the government should be providing these books to kids!
For example, a book called “Gender Queer” shows vivid images of characters performing oral sex, engaging in intercourse and the practice of masturbation. Another book called “Flamer” talks about sucking someone’s penis. And the book, “Let’s Talk About It,” informs kids why and how to watch porn and how to masturbate with way way way too graphic of images. Last year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed legislation to help keep some of these inappropriate books away from kids.
Pink, however, thinks that these books and these concepts should be available for any young person to read.
Mandelburg wants you think that those are the only things those books are about, which is an absolute lie. She has clearly never read the entirety of any of those book, only the brief salacious parts being circulated among her fellow right-wing book-banners. Still, she justified censoring books using another Orwellian term, “inappropriate information”:
Pink, here’s the bottom line: Kids shouldn’t have access to inappropriate information in classrooms that are funded by taxpayer money. That’s all that these “book bans” you’re talking about are doing. If you want to teach your kids how to suck d**k and masturbate with books in your own home, Pink, feel free. But, these concepts are unnecessary, inappropriate, and, quite frankly, would be illegal to be talked about in public schools. If you’re headed to one of Pink’s concerts, consider this your warning that it’s gonna be chock full of woke crap.
Mandelburg, meanwhile, is peddling un-woke crap to justify her censorship crusade.