On Book Banning

Why, Why, Why?????

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I’m a voracious reader. Both my parents loved to read. They are the ones who led me on this path of wisdom gained from shared experiences, memories and emotions that so many brilliant authors have embedded into their publications.

My parents subscribed to both the morning newspaper, Detroit Free Press and evening paper, Detroit News. I fondly remember the dissemination of the Free Press in the morning among the eight members of our family. “I call the funnies!” “I’m taking Sports!” “Let me have the Women’s section.” And on Sundays, the funnies, in color, were displayed prominently on the kitchen table for the next reader in line.

Magi and Joe

Now allow me a moment to revel in the joy of having open-minded, loving parents. Clearly they were in some sort of a minority, judging from so many abused and damaged people on the planet. Joe and Magi were both bright, intelligent people who WANTED their children to have a good education and grow up to be community-minded citizens. They WANTED their six kids to read everything we could get our hands on.

Patty, a Sophomore in high school yearbook

Throughout my high-school years, what I lacked in a social life I made up in reading. After completing my homework, I’d embrace an interesting novel. I read all of Earl Stanley Gardner’s Perry Mason novels. I read the Russian greats Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. I read all of Anais Nin’s diaries. I read Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone With the Wind” - TWICE. I read Exodus by Leon Uris. I read the poetry of Kahlil Gibran. I read everything Ray Bradbury wrote, and when I read “Fahrenheit 451,” I thought “Oh, that’s horrible. But that would never happen.”

And yet.

What on earth happened? (Hint: MAGA Republicans do not want an educated, well-read public.)

Amanda Gorman’s amazing book, “The Hill I Climb” was banned in Florida because one woman “DS” complained about it. This is the form she filled out:

Is there something rancid in the drinking water in Florida? Something that makes people lose their marbles? DS says that Amanda’s book “Is not educational and have indirectly hate messages.” In what world is this garbled sentence even considered English? So one uneducated woman in Florida can get a beloved book banned from the state? And her answer on question 6. For what age group would you recommend this material? - “Not for schools.” Who made DS the Decider-in-Chief?

WTF?

Very disturbing.

What are libraries doing to counter this sort of idiocy?

Here in San Diego, I came across the Books Unbanned page at our city library. Here’s what it says on their home page:

One of the best ways to fight censorship is to read banned books. Fill out the form to access SDPL’s online collection of banned or restricted eBooks and eAudiobooks for FREE, no matter where you live in the U.S. You can check out up to 3 books at a time and put up to 3 books on hold. No late fees or renewals! You can return a book anytime or it will automatically expire at the end of your lending period. And the best part? Your SDPL Books Unbanned card will NEVER expire.

That’s awesome.

I was the kid who rode my bike to the local library every chance I got, to pick up a new novel, biography or autobiography because I cared about myself. I wanted to improve myself, I wanted to go places, I wanted to be someone. And I am.

Patty and “Lady Blue” (her mountain bike) posing below Stonewall Peak, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, California (Yes, it’s named after THAT Stonewall Jackson, the Confederate General.) There are efforts to change it back to its original Kumeyaay name, Cushi-Pi, meaning "Sharp Peak".

Daily Salinas reminds me of a hiker who once poked a stick in my mountain bike wheel - as I was riding - simply to hurt me. The joke is on him, as I am still riding and enjoying the sport I love.

Nobody is going to tell me what to do with my life. Nobody is going to tell me what I can or cannot read. Not the Pope, not my dead grandmother (she tried), not Daily Salinas.

And now, let’s take a look at the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution:

The First Amendment provides that Congress make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise. It protects freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. - https://whitehouse.gov

Okay, what’s the definition of religion: a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance.

For me, that pursuit is reading. Reading is my religion.

What’s Daily’s? She is allegedly Christian.

I dug up a bit more about her in an article in The Guardian. According to the article:

Reporting by various outlets into social media accounts appearing to be Salinas’s shows that she posted anti-semitic content online, and appeared to have been present at Proud Boys events, and at a protest attended by the far-right organization Moms for Liberty.

In a post that featured a picture of Enrique Tarrio, far-right neo-fascist leader found guilty of seditious conspiracy, Salinas appeared to hail the Proud Boys, writing, “Los mejores,” or “The best” in Spanish, adding, “My Proud boys,” alongside emojis of the American flag, a heart, a flexed arm and prayer hands.

“She… revealed that she only read snippets of the books that she sought to ban at the education center. The books include The ABCs of Black History, poetry by Langston Hughes and books on Cuba, all of which she has criticized for “indirect hate messages”, references to critical race theory and gender indoctrination.

“They have to read for me because I’m not an expert.” she said. “I’m not a reader. I’m not a book person. I’m a mom involved in my children’s education.”

More like a fireman in “Fahrenheit 451” throwing flames at people’s hidden personal libraries. She’s a mom involved in her children’s education and meddling in the education of other people’s children.

Perhaps she can spend some time on herself and pick up a good book.

I recommend “The Hill We Climb” by Amanda Gorman.

Patty Mooney is VP, Video Producer and Editor at award-winning San Diego video production company, Crystal Pyramid Productions. Her most recent documentary is “NECTARBALL: The Story of Cannabis”