In a chilling meeting of the Florida State Board of Education last week, a school district superintendent was publicly browbeaten and repeatedly threatened with criminal prosecution.
Moms for Liberty. Citizens Defending Freedom. I'm sure the irony isn't lost on anyone here. When these groups say "liberty" and "freedom," they mean for "us" and not "them" -- however loosely or dangerously the in-group and out-group might be defined.
Yes. Their definition of freedom is in the negative sense as discussed by Timothy Snyder. Their own failures as parents motivate them to restrict the freedom of others.
Thanks to Popular Information for reminding us that this travesty is ongoing.
They also don't seem to grasp the fact that every single one of their children is *already* consuming any and all manner of porn from the internet. Nor do they seem to grasp that porn addiction is rampant in conservative America--especially among Evangelical Christians--where 50% of all church pastors are admitted porn addicts.
Yet they also seem to believe that eliminating all sex ed from school curriculae--with the exception of abstinence-only material--will somehow magically protect their kids from the rampant teen pregnancy and STD rates in the religious communities of Red states.
Their ignorance wouldn't be so much of a problem if they weren't trying to foist it upon the rest of the country.
It would fun to track where the children of Moms for Liberty are at. How many are drinking, drugging, sexing, and getting arrested for God knows what? You know it is happening, especially in Florida. Their kids are either made to kneel in church all day or they slip out and get pregnant and herpes, all in the same afternoon. How many Moms for Liberty are grandmothers before 40? Children don't hate, they are taught to hate. A lot of that hate is self directed to become depression and addiction, unwanted pregnancies and lack of a future because they forgot to get an education.
The people of Florida need liberty and freedom from these groups. What a rotten lot of ignorant loudmouths these people are. They'd fight you tooth and nail to let their kids fire a gun, but raise a stink over which books other people's kids read.
Has Florida removed the Bible from school libraries yet? It is full of the very things these people say should be kept from children? Under DeSantis Florida is becoming a laughing stock as far as education is concerned. I wonder how long it will take for Florida to become totally illiterate if it doesn't elect a democrate governor next?
Thank you for this fulsome report on censorship. It is always bracing to me as a librarian to see moral arbiters like Garcia clear a room by saying “child abuse,” pass another repressive law, and ultimately fail to suppress human nature.
There is no other way for the rest of us to object to this 12th century state... never step foot in the state... Disney be damned... they should leave... film industry ?? forget it.. any woman or gay working in the film industry will be arrested there if they try to exercise their rights as a HUMAN BEING... am I angry damn right I am...may a hurricane demolish Mar A Lago...
Judy Blume, Maurice Sendak. I gave those books to my innocent children!!! Multiple books by both. It's my mom's fault. She gave me a Sendak book when I was tiny.
Pornography! I have spread pornography. To Children. To my own children.
In "Thelma and Louise" Susan Sarandon's character will not step foot in Texas because of trauma experienced there. I feel the same way about Florida where I believe there has been a trauma-based populace since Andrew Jackson invaded the territory illegally in order to obliterate the Seminoles. He loved killing native populations. Even back in the day, Florida was filled with racists who burned black towns and lynched black citizens. It has a shitload of bad karma and, ergo, we have these horrible people, these uptight puritanical assholes, these bigots and creeps, from the governor on down, running things. But like John Lennon sang, instant karma gonna get you.
This turns my stomach. While your reporting makes me queasy at times it is so incredibly important. I look to you to learn about attacks on our country hiding in the shadows that need to be exposed to the light of day. Thank you.
Florida does not care about education: it is all about indoctrination. The uneducated generation will not be able to respond to the serious physical threats facing the state, particularly now that the Federal government will not be a backstop and the changing workforce. But, great news, they haven't read "smut"!
Moms for Liberty. Citizens Defending Freedom. I'm sure the irony isn't lost on anyone here. When these groups say "liberty" and "freedom," they mean for "us" and not "them" -- however loosely or dangerously the in-group and out-group might be defined.
Yes. Their definition of freedom is in the negative sense as discussed by Timothy Snyder. Their own failures as parents motivate them to restrict the freedom of others.
Thanks to Popular Information for reminding us that this travesty is ongoing.
They also don't seem to grasp the fact that every single one of their children is *already* consuming any and all manner of porn from the internet. Nor do they seem to grasp that porn addiction is rampant in conservative America--especially among Evangelical Christians--where 50% of all church pastors are admitted porn addicts.
Yet they also seem to believe that eliminating all sex ed from school curriculae--with the exception of abstinence-only material--will somehow magically protect their kids from the rampant teen pregnancy and STD rates in the religious communities of Red states.
Their ignorance wouldn't be so much of a problem if they weren't trying to foist it upon the rest of the country.
It would fun to track where the children of Moms for Liberty are at. How many are drinking, drugging, sexing, and getting arrested for God knows what? You know it is happening, especially in Florida. Their kids are either made to kneel in church all day or they slip out and get pregnant and herpes, all in the same afternoon. How many Moms for Liberty are grandmothers before 40? Children don't hate, they are taught to hate. A lot of that hate is self directed to become depression and addiction, unwanted pregnancies and lack of a future because they forgot to get an education.
The people of Florida need liberty and freedom from these groups. What a rotten lot of ignorant loudmouths these people are. They'd fight you tooth and nail to let their kids fire a gun, but raise a stink over which books other people's kids read.
Very important information that goes right to the heart of the issue all Librarians are facing.
Great reporting by Judd’s team! Keep the light shining!
This is just so crazy. Florida is the Project 2025 Poster Child. It is hypernormalizing craziness.
Has Florida removed the Bible from school libraries yet? It is full of the very things these people say should be kept from children? Under DeSantis Florida is becoming a laughing stock as far as education is concerned. I wonder how long it will take for Florida to become totally illiterate if it doesn't elect a democrate governor next?
The exact reason I have avoided the Bible all these years. Filthy.
Thank you for this fulsome report on censorship. It is always bracing to me as a librarian to see moral arbiters like Garcia clear a room by saying “child abuse,” pass another repressive law, and ultimately fail to suppress human nature.
Yes! This is censorship as close to the definition as one can get under the guise of protecting the children. Florida could be censored. As in, STFU.
There is no other way for the rest of us to object to this 12th century state... never step foot in the state... Disney be damned... they should leave... film industry ?? forget it.. any woman or gay working in the film industry will be arrested there if they try to exercise their rights as a HUMAN BEING... am I angry damn right I am...may a hurricane demolish Mar A Lago...
We need to name the hurricane. Hurricane Ginger would be good.
It's tempting to feel this way.
Judy Blume, Maurice Sendak. I gave those books to my innocent children!!! Multiple books by both. It's my mom's fault. She gave me a Sendak book when I was tiny.
Pornography! I have spread pornography. To Children. To my own children.
Repent!!
On your knees, wanton woman! Child abuser! Dig up Sendak and hang him!
In the Night Kitchen has drawings of *naked boy*! For shame. (It's truly an important work of children's literature.)
Florida is a demonstration site for what America will look like under Nazi control in just a few short years.
In "Thelma and Louise" Susan Sarandon's character will not step foot in Texas because of trauma experienced there. I feel the same way about Florida where I believe there has been a trauma-based populace since Andrew Jackson invaded the territory illegally in order to obliterate the Seminoles. He loved killing native populations. Even back in the day, Florida was filled with racists who burned black towns and lynched black citizens. It has a shitload of bad karma and, ergo, we have these horrible people, these uptight puritanical assholes, these bigots and creeps, from the governor on down, running things. But like John Lennon sang, instant karma gonna get you.
A nightmare.
This turns my stomach. While your reporting makes me queasy at times it is so incredibly important. I look to you to learn about attacks on our country hiding in the shadows that need to be exposed to the light of day. Thank you.
Florida does not care about education: it is all about indoctrination. The uneducated generation will not be able to respond to the serious physical threats facing the state, particularly now that the Federal government will not be a backstop and the changing workforce. But, great news, they haven't read "smut"!
It’s saddening and maddening.
This has to stop!!! Where are the parents in Florida that oppose this??? Surely, there are some!!!
great reporting, as always, important to shed light on the individuals themselves behind the book banning
We know who’s illiterate and ignorant. We know who has smut for brains.
If I never read another word about Florida, I'll die happy
The regime is working on that in their war against actual journalists