Lawmakers in Texas are seeking to impose harsh criminal penalties on school librarians and teachers who provide award-winning works of literature to students.
Will the literature porn law apply to those parts of the Bible that are sexually graphic as well? Song of Songs has gotten more than one white evangelical's naughty bits tingling.
This was explicitly stated in Project 2025. Now the supposed “free speech warriors” are engaging in book bans and sending librarians to prison for recommending classic literature.
It really bothers me how comfortable these legislators and outside observers feel about meddling in the affairs of librarians and educators. I don't go to butcher shops or construction sites trying to tell them what to do. Members of the GOP would rather give teachers and other school employees guns than allow them to follow their preferred curricula. Sickening.
It has to do with a lack of respect for the professions. I have a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in Education. I've heard comments from others like "I don't get to travel in the summer because I have 'real' job."
I am the only one in my immediate family who has never been a full time teacher. My parents, spouse, and siblings all taught at high school and college levels. I'm an engineer. What have I learned (in no particular order)?
1) With a lot less education, I could earn A LOT more money.
2) While I enjoyed my actual technical job, overall management sucked the joy from working...just like the school administrators.
3) I worked for both good and bad managers, but the baloney I've endured is nothing compared to dealing with school administrators, school boards, and parents.
4) I've never gotten phone calls or texts from parents telling me their kids were perfect and I was at fault.
5) I do not spend my evenings correcting papers and planning the next day, although as kids we often pitched in and helped my father correct his students' papers. Sometimes I would spend hours at the library checking sources to see if a student had plagiarized.
6) I am not expected to carry a gun, much less practice enough (uncompensated, of course) to make sure I hit the target in the heat of battle.
7) I am not expected to cover costs for pencils, paper, etc. required to do my job.
8) I am not expected to donate time to unrelated activities "for the good of the company."
9) My reference books are not banned because they might teach Critical Race Theory.
All true. I taught for 12 years before my oldest was born. After one year of full-time teaching as a mom, I knew I couldn't be a good mom AND teacher. I'm now in a completely different field where I don't have the educational background and it provides a better balance between my family and my career. Plus, I can go to the bathroom whenever I want! 🙈
I love education and strongly support educators, but it's a hard job especially when you feel the drawbacks outweigh the benefits.
Would love to see those people with "real jobs" work as a teacher for just one month. That's about how long it would take for them to have a complete breakdown. I taught sports journalism for several semesters at a local university. Just teaching one class with 18 students was a fulltime job. Teachers are among the lowest paid professions in our society, a clear display of our misplaced priorities. After parents, teachers have the biggest impact on the lives of our children. To treat them with anything but respect and admiration while giving them our support is the real crime here.
Yup. I know that there are significant problems with the current public education system, but it is a serious issue that our society doesn't value education and those who provide it to our future.
You're right.. So in preparation for my next flight somewhere, I'm going to read a book about piloting any old aircraft, so when I board the plane I can tell the airline captain how to do his GD job which he/she must NOT be doing well, otherwise I wouldn't be waisting my time to tell them how.
PS: I know proper usage calls for the word 'wasting.' I'm making an obscure point here, ok? Lol...
The Texas exemption for law enforcement, Judges, and pedophiles who marry children under religious pretexts is the most flagrant hypocrisy I’ve seen this week! (And a high bar was set by the wear plans texting club.
So the victims of the pedos in the churches of Texas won't ever understand how horrifically they are / were abused? It's way past time for some God to do some serious smiting.
Ignorance is what these goons want. It alliws a pliable populace to be guided by the nose. The theocracy they imagine is already rotten from the inside.
Unfortunately, these people don't actually believe in religion or god so they have no morality to guide them. They pretend they do but it's obvious from an outsider perspective that they have none, it's all driven by ego and id. The parental side has left the room.
Sorry, Judd, I got only halfway through this story before I had to stop. I had to stop to check my phone which, just like those Texas beasties' phones, is crammed full of available context-free pornography often, too often, including violence against women baked right in. Context free because, unlike most of the censored books in Texas, there is no pretext for the choking, hitting, slapping, punching, hair pulling of women by men and various other sex-fun that 12-year-olds can see FOR FREE and without their parents or anybody's goddamn permission.
They will need to ban dictionaries also under these conditions. Police, politicians, judges, religious groups are sometimes those who most abuse children. Leaving the children ignorant makes them more vulnerable to abuse. Those who make these laws are whitened sepulchers or much worse.
Thank you Rebecca and Noel for keeping us in the know about the prevalence of ignorance and puritanism threatening our educational system. How foolish to be afraid of learning about sexuality when it's unavoidable--two different sexes obviously populate our planet everywhere we go. So much fear about sexuality reveals a deep neurosis in those who would ban any exploration about a basic part of human nature everywhere and through all time. Remember, it was the Holy Roman Catholic Church that was famous for banning books--And, remember how many priests were found to be pedophiles who abused boys and girls? Religion is used to be a protection against inner guilt. [shall I capitalize that?]
"One lawmaker said this bill would prevent taxpayer money from being spent to advance political activism and political agendas."
Always blind to the irony of their own actions are our "friends across the aisle."
Now, would the following passage have me tossed under the xtra large jail in the great big ole state of TX where everything is real damn BIG?
"Like fish, almost all frogs fertilize the eggs on the outside. The male holds the female around the waist in a mating hug called amplexus. He fertilizes the eggs as the female lays them. Amplexus can last hours or days—one pair of Andean toads stayed in amplexus for four months!"
It's really about keeping the populace stupid. Stupid people can't perform critical thinking and will repeat and believe the last thing they heard, thus giving more power to influencers, political ads and people who for their own benefit want to control the population. Every since Julius Caesar, oligarchs/autocrats have known the benefits of an uneducated populace.
Hmm, I have mixed feelings about this. On a personal level, I find books labelled as "literature" mostly the most boring books I have ever had to read. So on that level, I don't know why anyone would be offended by them. (Not including children's literature, which are usually fun reads.) Also, I find that people who like to read "literature" seem like hoity toity types who have their noses turned up at us regular folk who don't understand their fetish for boring books. Now granted, I didn't benefit from English Lit as much as "those" people, but I don't think banning books is a good turn for society generally because it's the first step in a long journey to darkness that I wouldn't want to see in this country, especially as we seem to be racing along in that direction. Reading challenging books is one way to challenge assumptions so it should be there for those who need it.
This isn’t about personal preferences or likes and dislikes in literature. Not about personal resentments or social class. It is about abuse of power, ignoring legal protections & control.
Not everyone wants to be a scientist, a writer or mathematician. Everyone needs some of those skills and the opportunity to make their choices. Education does that by providing knowledge, expanding horizons and skills enabling students to challenge assumptions. That’s why authoritarians attack, often seek to incarcerate or eliminate those you call “hoity toity” and teachers.
There are federal laws about pornography and a SCOTUS decision which set out the test for determining what is pornographic. The 3rd prong of the test from the decision (Miller v. California) states: “ (c) whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value." This is what has protected literature, libraries, schools and universities.
No one should look down on another person just based on superficial traits. That's why I call them "hoity toity" -- they don't appreciate differences in taste may be acceptable. What is wrong is if someone tries to impose their beliefs or tastes on other people who don't want them. Trump and Musk are leading a faction in this country that wants to do exactly that to everyone. Liberals and leftists are all about enabling choices, not reducing them. Conservatives in the extreme want to restrict choices.
Agreed re: mixed feelings. In my experience, I've had 'regular folks' turn up their noses at my love of reading. They'd pronounce ALL reading as boring and seemingly suggest that I may have some issues because I'm not bored by books and excited by reality TV, like they are. Fancy that.
About one in four American adults didn't read a single book last year. That's awful. And in my experience, they're not evenly distributed around the country.
I have so much news and email to read, I don't really have time to read books but as a child I read so many books I probably used up my quota. It was really helpful for learning English and various topics as I am hard of hearing and had trouble following conversations and class discussions. (It's also why I never developed a taste for English Lit.)
Just thinking about your comment...how those who work 2 jobs are not likely to relax by reading a book even if they once may have loved reading. And, then, there are so many with reading disabilities.
When my kids were in school (In Georgia, and not that long ago), we had to sign permission slips for them to participate in any reading or film that might have the slightest possibility of someone objecting. They got an alternate assignment if there was no permission given. I would bet a million dollars these Texas parents haven't read any of these works of literature and are just freaking out because someone told them to be offended (snowflake much?). Sidebar: my mom was the most dedicated elementary school special ed teacher you could ever meet. She's now 89 and has said for years there's no way she would become a teacher now, especially in Florida where she worked.
Will the literature porn law apply to those parts of the Bible that are sexually graphic as well? Song of Songs has gotten more than one white evangelical's naughty bits tingling.
🎯👍🏼
its in the Bible, ergo- its not naughty, its educational.
This was explicitly stated in Project 2025. Now the supposed “free speech warriors” are engaging in book bans and sending librarians to prison for recommending classic literature.
It really bothers me how comfortable these legislators and outside observers feel about meddling in the affairs of librarians and educators. I don't go to butcher shops or construction sites trying to tell them what to do. Members of the GOP would rather give teachers and other school employees guns than allow them to follow their preferred curricula. Sickening.
It has to do with a lack of respect for the professions. I have a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in Education. I've heard comments from others like "I don't get to travel in the summer because I have 'real' job."
I am the only one in my immediate family who has never been a full time teacher. My parents, spouse, and siblings all taught at high school and college levels. I'm an engineer. What have I learned (in no particular order)?
1) With a lot less education, I could earn A LOT more money.
2) While I enjoyed my actual technical job, overall management sucked the joy from working...just like the school administrators.
3) I worked for both good and bad managers, but the baloney I've endured is nothing compared to dealing with school administrators, school boards, and parents.
4) I've never gotten phone calls or texts from parents telling me their kids were perfect and I was at fault.
5) I do not spend my evenings correcting papers and planning the next day, although as kids we often pitched in and helped my father correct his students' papers. Sometimes I would spend hours at the library checking sources to see if a student had plagiarized.
6) I am not expected to carry a gun, much less practice enough (uncompensated, of course) to make sure I hit the target in the heat of battle.
7) I am not expected to cover costs for pencils, paper, etc. required to do my job.
8) I am not expected to donate time to unrelated activities "for the good of the company."
9) My reference books are not banned because they might teach Critical Race Theory.
All true. I taught for 12 years before my oldest was born. After one year of full-time teaching as a mom, I knew I couldn't be a good mom AND teacher. I'm now in a completely different field where I don't have the educational background and it provides a better balance between my family and my career. Plus, I can go to the bathroom whenever I want! 🙈
I love education and strongly support educators, but it's a hard job especially when you feel the drawbacks outweigh the benefits.
Would love to see those people with "real jobs" work as a teacher for just one month. That's about how long it would take for them to have a complete breakdown. I taught sports journalism for several semesters at a local university. Just teaching one class with 18 students was a fulltime job. Teachers are among the lowest paid professions in our society, a clear display of our misplaced priorities. After parents, teachers have the biggest impact on the lives of our children. To treat them with anything but respect and admiration while giving them our support is the real crime here.
Yup. I know that there are significant problems with the current public education system, but it is a serious issue that our society doesn't value education and those who provide it to our future.
I don't remember any sex scenes in any of the books mentioned here. I remember the books, but never cared about the naughty bits.
The most offensive book mentioned here is the bible, by far.
A lack of respect for these professions and that these professions are seen by some critics as "traditionally feminine" fields.
You're right.. So in preparation for my next flight somewhere, I'm going to read a book about piloting any old aircraft, so when I board the plane I can tell the airline captain how to do his GD job which he/she must NOT be doing well, otherwise I wouldn't be waisting my time to tell them how.
PS: I know proper usage calls for the word 'wasting.' I'm making an obscure point here, ok? Lol...
Those people are incapable of recognizing that you put in your 2,000 hours of "full time hourly employment" in those 9 months. More actually.
Way more.
The Texas exemption for law enforcement, Judges, and pedophiles who marry children under religious pretexts is the most flagrant hypocrisy I’ve seen this week! (And a high bar was set by the wear plans texting club.
So the victims of the pedos in the churches of Texas won't ever understand how horrifically they are / were abused? It's way past time for some God to do some serious smiting.
Best left to reality and the law.
This reality!
All of this and I mean ALL of this comes from the ALEC, Heritage Foundation and the Federalists Society. These laws are well coordinated and planned.
And, Russell Vought Project 2015
I am going to tease you Valerie!
🤔
Ignorance is what these goons want. It alliws a pliable populace to be guided by the nose. The theocracy they imagine is already rotten from the inside.
Unfortunately, these people don't actually believe in religion or god so they have no morality to guide them. They pretend they do but it's obvious from an outsider perspective that they have none, it's all driven by ego and id. The parental side has left the room.
Sorry, Judd, I got only halfway through this story before I had to stop. I had to stop to check my phone which, just like those Texas beasties' phones, is crammed full of available context-free pornography often, too often, including violence against women baked right in. Context free because, unlike most of the censored books in Texas, there is no pretext for the choking, hitting, slapping, punching, hair pulling of women by men and various other sex-fun that 12-year-olds can see FOR FREE and without their parents or anybody's goddamn permission.
Wow, really? I have not been so fortunate to get that shit. Any idea how that happened? Did you read Catcher in the Rye or something worse.
JFC…
They will need to ban dictionaries also under these conditions. Police, politicians, judges, religious groups are sometimes those who most abuse children. Leaving the children ignorant makes them more vulnerable to abuse. Those who make these laws are whitened sepulchers or much worse.
Definitely calls for a ban of the filthy bible! Anyone who has READ it, knows why.
I read enough of it. It's really awful, except for part of Matthew, whoever he was.
Thank you Rebecca and Noel for keeping us in the know about the prevalence of ignorance and puritanism threatening our educational system. How foolish to be afraid of learning about sexuality when it's unavoidable--two different sexes obviously populate our planet everywhere we go. So much fear about sexuality reveals a deep neurosis in those who would ban any exploration about a basic part of human nature everywhere and through all time. Remember, it was the Holy Roman Catholic Church that was famous for banning books--And, remember how many priests were found to be pedophiles who abused boys and girls? Religion is used to be a protection against inner guilt. [shall I capitalize that?]
"One lawmaker said this bill would prevent taxpayer money from being spent to advance political activism and political agendas."
Always blind to the irony of their own actions are our "friends across the aisle."
Now, would the following passage have me tossed under the xtra large jail in the great big ole state of TX where everything is real damn BIG?
"Like fish, almost all frogs fertilize the eggs on the outside. The male holds the female around the waist in a mating hug called amplexus. He fertilizes the eggs as the female lays them. Amplexus can last hours or days—one pair of Andean toads stayed in amplexus for four months!"
My, Adam, "birds do it, bees do it"...thank you for educating us about frogs who seem to have the best time of any creature performing this activity!
Hahahahahahaha! You are most welcome Valerie.
It's really about keeping the populace stupid. Stupid people can't perform critical thinking and will repeat and believe the last thing they heard, thus giving more power to influencers, political ads and people who for their own benefit want to control the population. Every since Julius Caesar, oligarchs/autocrats have known the benefits of an uneducated populace.
Hmm, I have mixed feelings about this. On a personal level, I find books labelled as "literature" mostly the most boring books I have ever had to read. So on that level, I don't know why anyone would be offended by them. (Not including children's literature, which are usually fun reads.) Also, I find that people who like to read "literature" seem like hoity toity types who have their noses turned up at us regular folk who don't understand their fetish for boring books. Now granted, I didn't benefit from English Lit as much as "those" people, but I don't think banning books is a good turn for society generally because it's the first step in a long journey to darkness that I wouldn't want to see in this country, especially as we seem to be racing along in that direction. Reading challenging books is one way to challenge assumptions so it should be there for those who need it.
What are regular folk?
People who don't enjoy reading English literature (but doesn't include people who may read other books)
This isn’t about personal preferences or likes and dislikes in literature. Not about personal resentments or social class. It is about abuse of power, ignoring legal protections & control.
Not everyone wants to be a scientist, a writer or mathematician. Everyone needs some of those skills and the opportunity to make their choices. Education does that by providing knowledge, expanding horizons and skills enabling students to challenge assumptions. That’s why authoritarians attack, often seek to incarcerate or eliminate those you call “hoity toity” and teachers.
There are federal laws about pornography and a SCOTUS decision which set out the test for determining what is pornographic. The 3rd prong of the test from the decision (Miller v. California) states: “ (c) whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value." This is what has protected literature, libraries, schools and universities.
https://www.oyez.org/cases/1971/70-73
It's not "what is pornographic," it's "what is obscene"? Plenty of pornography is constitutionally protected for adult consumers. Obscenity is not.
You’re right. I provided the standard for obscenity but said “pornography.”
Thank you. I remembered that, but was too lazy to look it up.
No one should look down on another person just based on superficial traits. That's why I call them "hoity toity" -- they don't appreciate differences in taste may be acceptable. What is wrong is if someone tries to impose their beliefs or tastes on other people who don't want them. Trump and Musk are leading a faction in this country that wants to do exactly that to everyone. Liberals and leftists are all about enabling choices, not reducing them. Conservatives in the extreme want to restrict choices.
Thank you for the link. And, yes, education, especially that of quality, benefits all who partake or have this opportunity.
Agreed re: mixed feelings. In my experience, I've had 'regular folks' turn up their noses at my love of reading. They'd pronounce ALL reading as boring and seemingly suggest that I may have some issues because I'm not bored by books and excited by reality TV, like they are. Fancy that.
About one in four American adults didn't read a single book last year. That's awful. And in my experience, they're not evenly distributed around the country.
I have so much news and email to read, I don't really have time to read books but as a child I read so many books I probably used up my quota. It was really helpful for learning English and various topics as I am hard of hearing and had trouble following conversations and class discussions. (It's also why I never developed a taste for English Lit.)
I'm hard of hearing too. Tinnitus and it is BAD. Agreed re: the surfeit of news/email but if I don't make time for books, they make me make time.
Just thinking about your comment...how those who work 2 jobs are not likely to relax by reading a book even if they once may have loved reading. And, then, there are so many with reading disabilities.
That thought also extends to people (including family) I know who didn't have the time to properly educate themselves before voting.
I put reality TV in the same category as soap operas. I never liked it because if I want "reality" I can just join or watch people in my locale.
When my kids were in school (In Georgia, and not that long ago), we had to sign permission slips for them to participate in any reading or film that might have the slightest possibility of someone objecting. They got an alternate assignment if there was no permission given. I would bet a million dollars these Texas parents haven't read any of these works of literature and are just freaking out because someone told them to be offended (snowflake much?). Sidebar: my mom was the most dedicated elementary school special ed teacher you could ever meet. She's now 89 and has said for years there's no way she would become a teacher now, especially in Florida where she worked.
Teachers should put a rotating selection of oulawed book covers in a locked display case warning children not to read them.
Best way for them to get read is to make them taboo.
Good idea!