The US doesn’t have any banned books. People who think this tend to be the type who uncritically consume misinformation. There are no banned books on a federal or state level. The discourse around book banning stems from a few individual schools, school districts, or libraries in heavily conservative areas removing books because the locals don’t like their content.
That’s a very dishonest way of viewing things. Every society on earth has book bans if you go that far down the chain. While this is a concerning trend because parents shouldn’t have their child’s school remove books, it’s also disingenuous to pretend that is on the same level as a federal or state book ban. Actually, I don’t there’s even a county level or a municipal ban on any book anywhere in the country. We’re literally talking about community level institutions, and even it’s a very tiny number of them in the country and they are all facing significant push back nationwide. That is not at all the same as Saudi Arabia having a national ban on George Orwell’s Animal Farm or Iran having a national ban on The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie where it’s illegal to seek out, read, or posses these books and doing so may result in actual legal punishments.
Its hair splitting. Libraries are controlled by a variety of institutions, sometimes non-profits or municipalities. The 1st amendment prevents the federal government from banning protected speech, but private entities can do what they like. (like moderators on a forum).
I think there’s a MASSIVE difference between conservative parents is some random rural town in Oklahoma removing a book because they’re paranoid that mildly explicit sexual content might corrupt their kids and the federal government banning books nationwide. We can and should be critical of the former, but we also have to be honest about the discourse and not pretend that its the latter.
That’s the thing tho, they are doing these bannings at low level places like those to get those books already out of as many places as they can while maintaining a veil of legitimacy as they haven’t done in a national level, therefore they aren’t “banning bonds” just like you’re argumentive, but the effect is not too dissimilar from banning them at a federal level, less people are getting access to critical information that allows them to learn of how evil the government has been and currently is
I disagree with this. It is a very, very big stretch to try and pretend that individual libraries and schools taking out books is the same as a federal ban. The former means you can’t access that book in that specific building from that specific institution, however, you can very easily and freely get it anywhere else. The latter means that you cannot access that book anywhere in the country and possessing it could result in legal punishments. While both of these situations suck, they are not at all comparable.
I also think it’s important to note that the vast majority of the book banning discourse is fueled by paranoid conservative parents in conservative areas who think that books containing explicit sexual content is corrupting their children. It’s stupid and worthy of criticism for sure, however, that’s still not the same as what you’re saying that it is, which is that the books being banned are covering up the things the government is doing.
I’m against these low level book bans as much as the next guy, but we have to be honest about what the scope and content of the discourse.
Gorilladrums@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
The US doesn’t have any banned books. People who think this tend to be the type who uncritically consume misinformation. There are no banned books on a federal or state level. The discourse around book banning stems from a few individual schools, school districts, or libraries in heavily conservative areas removing books because the locals don’t like their content.
starman2112@sh.itjust.works 4 hours ago
They didn’t say the US has banned books at the federal level. Book bans are book bans, and the US has book bans.
Gorilladrums@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
That’s a very dishonest way of viewing things. Every society on earth has book bans if you go that far down the chain. While this is a concerning trend because parents shouldn’t have their child’s school remove books, it’s also disingenuous to pretend that is on the same level as a federal or state book ban. Actually, I don’t there’s even a county level or a municipal ban on any book anywhere in the country. We’re literally talking about community level institutions, and even it’s a very tiny number of them in the country and they are all facing significant push back nationwide. That is not at all the same as Saudi Arabia having a national ban on George Orwell’s Animal Farm or Iran having a national ban on The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie where it’s illegal to seek out, read, or posses these books and doing so may result in actual legal punishments.
rumba@lemmy.zip 3 hours ago
en.wikipedia.org/…/Book_banning_in_the_United_Sta…
Unless you’re going to use the “from a certain point of view” argument, this is demonstrably false.
Poem_for_your_sprog@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
You just said there’s no banned books and then said there’s banned books.
electricyarn@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
Its hair splitting. Libraries are controlled by a variety of institutions, sometimes non-profits or municipalities. The 1st amendment prevents the federal government from banning protected speech, but private entities can do what they like. (like moderators on a forum).
Gorilladrums@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
I think there’s a MASSIVE difference between conservative parents is some random rural town in Oklahoma removing a book because they’re paranoid that mildly explicit sexual content might corrupt their kids and the federal government banning books nationwide. We can and should be critical of the former, but we also have to be honest about the discourse and not pretend that its the latter.
SLVRDRGN@lemmy.world 2 hours ago
So you’re saying or not saying that there are books banned within the USA?
argarath@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
That’s the thing tho, they are doing these bannings at low level places like those to get those books already out of as many places as they can while maintaining a veil of legitimacy as they haven’t done in a national level, therefore they aren’t “banning bonds” just like you’re argumentive, but the effect is not too dissimilar from banning them at a federal level, less people are getting access to critical information that allows them to learn of how evil the government has been and currently is
Gorilladrums@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
I disagree with this. It is a very, very big stretch to try and pretend that individual libraries and schools taking out books is the same as a federal ban. The former means you can’t access that book in that specific building from that specific institution, however, you can very easily and freely get it anywhere else. The latter means that you cannot access that book anywhere in the country and possessing it could result in legal punishments. While both of these situations suck, they are not at all comparable.
I also think it’s important to note that the vast majority of the book banning discourse is fueled by paranoid conservative parents in conservative areas who think that books containing explicit sexual content is corrupting their children. It’s stupid and worthy of criticism for sure, however, that’s still not the same as what you’re saying that it is, which is that the books being banned are covering up the things the government is doing.
I’m against these low level book bans as much as the next guy, but we have to be honest about what the scope and content of the discourse.
Magnum@infosec.pub 4 hours ago
What is this? legiscan.com/TX/bill/HB900/2023
Gorilladrums@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
This was found unconstitutional by a federal judge: ftrf.org/…/First-Amendment-Victory-in-HB900-READE…