A Texas county has mandated public libraries move a well-regarded children's book documenting the mistreatment of Native Americans in New England — Colonization and the Wampanoag Story — from the "non-fiction" section to "fiction." The decision was made after the government of Montgomery County, under pressure from right-wing activists, removed librarians from the process of reviewing children's books and replaced them with a "Citizens Review Committee."
Thank you Judd for unearthing another revelation of right wing censorship that brings ignorance and lack of freedom to all of us. Freedom to choose what to do with our physical bodes, where to live, what to read, what to say, what to think, who to vote for. Our "Great" country grew out of abuse and slaughter of AMERICAN INDIANS. Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day!
Now their struggle has been reduced to fiction. We already had another Texas publisher try to pass off Black slaves as "guest workers" in their revisionist re-telling of history.
As a retired library studies professor, I especially appreciate this report, Judd. It reminds me of a Leonard Cohen lyric “Yes, you who must leave everything that you cannot control/It begins with your body, but later runs round to your soul. . .” (Sisters of Mercy)
This, and so many other things like it, already are happening all over the country. That is why journalism like this is so important, as well as us following up to stop them from happening. The right seems to have picked up on something the left has forgotten: think globally, act locally. If we let them, "two moms" can get together and get their way at local school libraries regardless of who is in the White House.
A preview of how the naga cult will destroy public education and libraries throughout the country. They're SHOWING us exactly who they are and what they stand for
This is just horrendous!! What can we do to stop these ridiculous groups being able to just change things how they want? You take librarians off the committee? I mean come on, once you do that you don’t care about the truth or books!! I’m so mad!
You can support the work of organizations like The Freedom to Read Foundation (affiliated with the American Library Association), Unite Against Book Bans and the ACLU. They are on the ground and in the courts fighting attempts to suppress first amendment freedoms like the freedom to read.
When politicians, not librarians, determine the quality of books available, truth and reality disappear. This is unconscionable! The restrictions on public education and libraries, the very institutions that support reality and history, lead to uneducated people who allow emotions to support their politicians which lead to dictatorship and destruction of democracy. Critical thinking is essential to truth.
There already is a longstanding attempt to erase the Palestinian people from history. Now, there’s an attempt to erase them entirely, even as we watch it live. Be sure to archive what’s happening, and safeguard it well, before this, too, gets moved to the fiction section.
The Bible isn't even original. It's a collection of favorite stories and events from the past that some people wanted to remember in their own perspective, like Judaism, or early Christianity. It's a bit like what Texas and other states are trying to do less originally by just moving books around.
True. And I ask, why don’t we have anything in place to prevent this Fascist take-over? In the past the FBI or CIA “took care” of certain people. Are they too undependable? No one seems to be protesting much. We should strongly demand that the Harris/Walz admin get SCOTUS impeachments going one minute after the win. This is why a BLUE Congress is extremely critical!
When I was getting my Master’s in Library Science in the mid-2000’s I could see the writing on the wall, I once had a fellow student accuse me of making everything “political”—I unequivocally told her that it already was, and if she didn’t understand that it was going to be a problem for her at some point…well here we are…now it’s a problem for all of us.
So, Texas librarians can start cataloging the Bible as fiction now, right? And the right wing propaganda can go in the fiction shelves too, right? 😡
Evangelicals have fun trying to explain the contradictions within the Bible. They could work for Cirque du Soleil with those gymnastics.
There aren’t words that describe my disgust that this can be done..how can there be so many people that don’t care about the truth?
There aren't very many of them, but a few can cause a whole lot of damage.
It is fiction, it’s parables and tales told during a time when people were ignorant about many things.
Thank you Judd for unearthing another revelation of right wing censorship that brings ignorance and lack of freedom to all of us. Freedom to choose what to do with our physical bodes, where to live, what to read, what to say, what to think, who to vote for. Our "Great" country grew out of abuse and slaughter of AMERICAN INDIANS. Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day!
Now their struggle has been reduced to fiction. We already had another Texas publisher try to pass off Black slaves as "guest workers" in their revisionist re-telling of history.
"Guest workers"? There isn't an adjective to describe that level of Disgusting!
Another example of white people washing American history.
It does seem to be a dependable formula for massive wealth accumulation for white people.
I see you avoided the obvious pun while making a most salient point. Hats off to you Randy!
As a retired library studies professor, I especially appreciate this report, Judd. It reminds me of a Leonard Cohen lyric “Yes, you who must leave everything that you cannot control/It begins with your body, but later runs round to your soul. . .” (Sisters of Mercy)
Small minded know nothings actually to impose their ignorance & bigotry on the rest of us
Remember, the MAGA Cheeto Jesus loves the poorly educated
Heaven help us - they are dragging us back to the middle ages (citizens review committee my ass)
What would you expect? It's Texas!
Texas! Florida! What’s next?
The entire country if we allow them to win the elections next month...Vote Blue
This, and so many other things like it, already are happening all over the country. That is why journalism like this is so important, as well as us following up to stop them from happening. The right seems to have picked up on something the left has forgotten: think globally, act locally. If we let them, "two moms" can get together and get their way at local school libraries regardless of who is in the White House.
Iowa is well on the way down this road too.
I know. Used to have one of the best, if not the best, public education systems in the nation.
A preview of how the naga cult will destroy public education and libraries throughout the country. They're SHOWING us exactly who they are and what they stand for
Being from Iowa, I am embarrassed by their book bans. It used to be that Iowa education was outstanding, now it is a joke.
This is just horrendous!! What can we do to stop these ridiculous groups being able to just change things how they want? You take librarians off the committee? I mean come on, once you do that you don’t care about the truth or books!! I’m so mad!
You can support the work of organizations like The Freedom to Read Foundation (affiliated with the American Library Association), Unite Against Book Bans and the ACLU. They are on the ground and in the courts fighting attempts to suppress first amendment freedoms like the freedom to read.
Thank you! I will definitely support these groups!
When politicians, not librarians, determine the quality of books available, truth and reality disappear. This is unconscionable! The restrictions on public education and libraries, the very institutions that support reality and history, lead to uneducated people who allow emotions to support their politicians which lead to dictatorship and destruction of democracy. Critical thinking is essential to truth.
"truth and reality disappear." That's a perfect description for the horror we are undergoing now as a nation.
This is the tipping point for Democracy. If Trump wins, we lose it all. I am terrified and I’m a white woman in her 70’s.
Same gender, same age, same race, same terror.
There already is a longstanding attempt to erase the Palestinian people from history. Now, there’s an attempt to erase them entirely, even as we watch it live. Be sure to archive what’s happening, and safeguard it well, before this, too, gets moved to the fiction section.
And the erasure is almost entirely funded by our tax dollars.
Keep following the money when it comes to genocides.
The Bible isn't even original. It's a collection of favorite stories and events from the past that some people wanted to remember in their own perspective, like Judaism, or early Christianity. It's a bit like what Texas and other states are trying to do less originally by just moving books around.
Texas has managed to become a totalitarian state within a democratic nation. Essentially, Project 2025 has been implemented in Texas.
True. And I ask, why don’t we have anything in place to prevent this Fascist take-over? In the past the FBI or CIA “took care” of certain people. Are they too undependable? No one seems to be protesting much. We should strongly demand that the Harris/Walz admin get SCOTUS impeachments going one minute after the win. This is why a BLUE Congress is extremely critical!
Excellent point.
Can we get a new timeline? This one we're living in is for the birds.
When I was getting my Master’s in Library Science in the mid-2000’s I could see the writing on the wall, I once had a fellow student accuse me of making everything “political”—I unequivocally told her that it already was, and if she didn’t understand that it was going to be a problem for her at some point…well here we are…now it’s a problem for all of us.
Good for you for getting your MLS and for correcting your classmate! I got mine in the seventies. Librarians rock. Keep standing up for the truth.
It's interesting that conservatives often object to moral relativism while simultaneously refusing to accept the idea of objective truth.