Schools in Clay County, Florida, are withholding dozens of books from students, citing legislation that has been proposed but not approved by the state legislature or signed into law. In a spreadsheet published by the Clay County school district listing the status of challenged books, 55 titles were categorized as "Pending Legislative Update." A spokesperson for Clay County schools, Terri Dennis, told Popular Information that the "district is monitoring the current legislative session and stands prepared to comply with any statutory updates." Dennis confirmed that these titles are not being made available to students. In other words, the school district is anticipating new legal restrictions and is withholding titles even though they do not run afoul of current law.
I don't care if these fanatics want to prevent their kids from learning about the world as it is, not the world as they fantasize should be, but DAMN THEM, they have no right to decide what my kids get to read and learn. Why are their parental rights so much more important and powerful than mine? Is it because theirs come with an implied threat of violence against school boards, libraries and librarians? Or is it because aggrieved, white, evangelical men have decided that they will assert the power that they have for now thinking that we will just sit back and take it. Well, I'm nearing the point where I'm mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.
I suggest that anyone who sees sex everywhere and talk about it in terms of “evil “ may have some issues to present to a qualified therapist or psychiatrist. However usually the only ‘expert‘ view they will listen to is their own opinion, which is blighted.
Thank you again Judd for such excellent reporting. Controlling what children learn is the first step in creating an authoritarian society. We must find ways to challenge this now. How we got to such a state where minorities feel they have the right to control life for everyone is perplexing and disturbing.
It’s simple. Kids who are not educated or even aware of what is not appropriate behavior are less likely to object when a “trusted” adult is sexually abusive. They’re creating their own supply of kids to abuse. They are the groomers. Library bans aren’t far behind. Parents are going to have to be proactive to protect their kids from the State of Florida. Insanity.
Shades of Fahrenheit 451! Those who start by banning books proceed to burning books and end in burning people.
Perhaps it is time to form a No Right Turn in Education organization to raise a little or a lot of hell from the other side. The first actionable item would be to demand the removal of the Bible from all schools and libraries as it clearly meets the criteria, nebulous as they are.
To cite a few (there are others):
* The passage in which God strikes Onan dead for “spilling his seed upon the ground”, a blatant description of coitus interruptus.
* The passage describing the trial for adultery in which the woman is forced to drink a concoction brewed by a priest which will induce an abortion if she is guilty.
* The passage in which David and Jonathan kiss until David is sexually aroused (the King James Version uses the term “exceeded”, a 16th century euphemism for a state of tumescence. Gasp! Homosexuality! In the Bible! Not even condemned!
Having purified the schools and libraries of such filth, we could then proceed to demanding that all houses of worship be closed to stop them from grooming children.
Great reporting, Judd. Your detailed and in-depth research adds color to the black & white headlines that are screaming for attention. I appreciate your tenacity in exposing the tactics and individuals behind these well packaged strategies.
I feel like a broken record, but where are the parents? I don’t know a single parent who would stand by and let anyone harm their kids in any way. Before responding here, I searched online and found nothing recent about Florida parents taking action or any new legislation challenging interpretation of the law. It boggles my mind. Silence is compliance. If they aren’t screaming, no one else has a chance of making change.
If there ever was a mission that was a fool's mission this is it. Don’t these people realize that these kids can still get these books overnight from Amazon if their parents want to let their kids read them?
Not to mention, OK, I’ll mention it, it flies directly in the face of the first amendment of our Constitution.
It s time to loudly proclaim that deluded psychopaths are NOT allowed in ANY public office! And I hope this is a lesson to people whining about Biden…too old, did 50 things correct & one wrong in their opinion so drag him through the mud. WE DO NOT HAVE THE LUXURY! We need to get focused 100% on getting these nut cases out of these public or governmental positions. We cannot divide our vote. Will we ever learn!? Fascism or not. That is what the election will be. Get Progressives in a every single level from school board, alder-people, mayors, governors.
Teach the lunatics a lesson with their own tactics. The bible is loaded with bizarre sexual perversion and nuttery. BAN IT FROM SCHOOLS Ezekiel 16:17/ Deuteronomy 25:11-12/Ezekiel 23:18-21 on and on. Start talking to these parents about what’s in the bible. Most of these right wingers are bible-illiterate.
Seems like at least one lawsuit should be forthcoming against Freidman and his Nazi-paranoid partners for usurping the responsibility of public schools to educate Florida's kids.
Sounds like all this talk about "parents rights" is a ruse. We should be doing nothing to prevent a child from reading. Hopefully publishing the lists of books banned will bring them to light.
Ongoing, great reporting, Judd. And the folks who comment here are thoughtful. But I am wondering, and deeply concerned that with all the danger around us and with the threats piling up around our country; gun violence, racist attacks on minorities, bodily autonomy taken away from women, corrupt supreme court justices, and perhaps the worst symptom, everybody in positions of power lying to our faces, why we are not marching in the streets? It would appear that we, as a nation, lack the strength of our convictions. Is it not time to acknowledge that while these comments are comforting to us as a family of concerned, curious people, changing the horrible status quo might require that we take action?
There has been no middle ground with this party for many years because these are the people which support that party. These types of people are like suicide bombers except they are bombing our democracy. You cannot reason with a person who already called for jihad against you, years ago.
I don't care if these fanatics want to prevent their kids from learning about the world as it is, not the world as they fantasize should be, but DAMN THEM, they have no right to decide what my kids get to read and learn. Why are their parental rights so much more important and powerful than mine? Is it because theirs come with an implied threat of violence against school boards, libraries and librarians? Or is it because aggrieved, white, evangelical men have decided that they will assert the power that they have for now thinking that we will just sit back and take it. Well, I'm nearing the point where I'm mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.
I suggest that anyone who sees sex everywhere and talk about it in terms of “evil “ may have some issues to present to a qualified therapist or psychiatrist. However usually the only ‘expert‘ view they will listen to is their own opinion, which is blighted.
Thank you again Judd for such excellent reporting. Controlling what children learn is the first step in creating an authoritarian society. We must find ways to challenge this now. How we got to such a state where minorities feel they have the right to control life for everyone is perplexing and disturbing.
On Friedman's "advice" the "Challenge Council" banned The Handmaiden's Tale.
Fitting innit?
It’s simple. Kids who are not educated or even aware of what is not appropriate behavior are less likely to object when a “trusted” adult is sexually abusive. They’re creating their own supply of kids to abuse. They are the groomers. Library bans aren’t far behind. Parents are going to have to be proactive to protect their kids from the State of Florida. Insanity.
Florida. Why are so few people making decisions about whats appropriate for kids in Florida ?
This nut job admits to his own ignorance by stating he’s an avid Fox viewer.
Its apparent to anyone
with a clear mind , that Fox promotes liars and their lies.
More ‘militant ignorance’,
that props up these folks that see sex in everything
I feel for liberals/progressives in Florida. It must be brutal watching your state become a national embarrassment.
Shades of Fahrenheit 451! Those who start by banning books proceed to burning books and end in burning people.
Perhaps it is time to form a No Right Turn in Education organization to raise a little or a lot of hell from the other side. The first actionable item would be to demand the removal of the Bible from all schools and libraries as it clearly meets the criteria, nebulous as they are.
To cite a few (there are others):
* The passage in which God strikes Onan dead for “spilling his seed upon the ground”, a blatant description of coitus interruptus.
* The passage describing the trial for adultery in which the woman is forced to drink a concoction brewed by a priest which will induce an abortion if she is guilty.
* The passage in which David and Jonathan kiss until David is sexually aroused (the King James Version uses the term “exceeded”, a 16th century euphemism for a state of tumescence. Gasp! Homosexuality! In the Bible! Not even condemned!
Having purified the schools and libraries of such filth, we could then proceed to demanding that all houses of worship be closed to stop them from grooming children.
What goes around comes around.
Great reporting, Judd. Your detailed and in-depth research adds color to the black & white headlines that are screaming for attention. I appreciate your tenacity in exposing the tactics and individuals behind these well packaged strategies.
I feel like a broken record, but where are the parents? I don’t know a single parent who would stand by and let anyone harm their kids in any way. Before responding here, I searched online and found nothing recent about Florida parents taking action or any new legislation challenging interpretation of the law. It boggles my mind. Silence is compliance. If they aren’t screaming, no one else has a chance of making change.
If there ever was a mission that was a fool's mission this is it. Don’t these people realize that these kids can still get these books overnight from Amazon if their parents want to let their kids read them?
Not to mention, OK, I’ll mention it, it flies directly in the face of the first amendment of our Constitution.
It s time to loudly proclaim that deluded psychopaths are NOT allowed in ANY public office! And I hope this is a lesson to people whining about Biden…too old, did 50 things correct & one wrong in their opinion so drag him through the mud. WE DO NOT HAVE THE LUXURY! We need to get focused 100% on getting these nut cases out of these public or governmental positions. We cannot divide our vote. Will we ever learn!? Fascism or not. That is what the election will be. Get Progressives in a every single level from school board, alder-people, mayors, governors.
Teach the lunatics a lesson with their own tactics. The bible is loaded with bizarre sexual perversion and nuttery. BAN IT FROM SCHOOLS Ezekiel 16:17/ Deuteronomy 25:11-12/Ezekiel 23:18-21 on and on. Start talking to these parents about what’s in the bible. Most of these right wingers are bible-illiterate.
Seems like at least one lawsuit should be forthcoming against Freidman and his Nazi-paranoid partners for usurping the responsibility of public schools to educate Florida's kids.
Sounds like all this talk about "parents rights" is a ruse. We should be doing nothing to prevent a child from reading. Hopefully publishing the lists of books banned will bring them to light.
Ongoing, great reporting, Judd. And the folks who comment here are thoughtful. But I am wondering, and deeply concerned that with all the danger around us and with the threats piling up around our country; gun violence, racist attacks on minorities, bodily autonomy taken away from women, corrupt supreme court justices, and perhaps the worst symptom, everybody in positions of power lying to our faces, why we are not marching in the streets? It would appear that we, as a nation, lack the strength of our convictions. Is it not time to acknowledge that while these comments are comforting to us as a family of concerned, curious people, changing the horrible status quo might require that we take action?
There has been no middle ground with this party for many years because these are the people which support that party. These types of people are like suicide bombers except they are bombing our democracy. You cannot reason with a person who already called for jihad against you, years ago.