Do you think banning books is OK?

[msc545]

A federal judge in Texas ruled that at least 12 books removed from public libraries by Llano County officials, many because of their LGBTQ and racial content, must be placed back onto shelves within 24 hours, according to an order filed Thursday.

Seven residents sued county officials in April 2022, claiming their First and 14th Amendment rights were violated when books deemed inappropriate by some people in the community and Republican lawmakers were removed from public libraries or access was restricted.

[lightbulb27]

I just watched some videos of books kids were reading and it was way not appropriate.

Banning the books.. whom is stocking these books in the first place? If kids want to read them, let them read them off amazon.

in a public library it's ok, they don't have to choose that book and frankly, should be labeled "R" or P, just like movies... P for mind puke. There's nothing like having your elementary daughter reading a book of gay porn from the school library. If you are ok with that, then we can split the country and I'll go to my half.

In a school library, has no business being there. the educators should be choosing the content for quality, why do they have gay slut books in elementary school?

I wouldn't ban them, I just wouldn't include them for those audiences.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/HgzWbbqcRaEhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/CkgU0ZtKUxg

[Still-alive]

We should always remember this quote

and yes some places are actually burning the books too not just banning them

[Anonymous]

I’m not a fan of censorship. When someone wants to ban information, it’s because they fear that information will sway opinions and they won’t be able to control the narrative. You counter information with information, not with forced removal of material. Public libraries should exist to serve all facets of society. If it’s the government mandating this ban, then it’s a clear violation of the first amendment.

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

No. I don’t believe censuring is a good thing.

I come from a post-Soviet country and banning books was a tradition of a Soviet Union. I don’t think that should be a practice of today.

That being said, I have bought new books yesterday. If someone decides any of them is not good, should I be banned to read them?

I don’t think so, it’s my right to read whatever I want to read.

[NostalgiaSenpi]

The First Amendment protects Americans from an outright banning of books by the U. S. government, but each year many books are “challenged” and taken to court to prevent schools or libraries from carrying the titles.

An ironic choice was the banning of Fahrenheit 451 several times due to graphic content.

Control over public education, in the words of the Supreme Court, is for the most part given to “state and local authorities.” The government has the power to determine what is appropriate for students and thus the curriculum at their school.

Several members of the Supreme Court have written that removal is constitutionally permitted only if it is done based on the educational appropriateness of the book, but not because it was intended to deny students access to books with which school officials disagree.

[Sasahara]

No, I'm not ok with Disney banning Life and times of Scrooge McDuck chapter 11 from being reprinted because SJWs working at Disney found Bombie to be problematic

Neither am I ok with Vesle Hoa (a Norwegian story) being banned because it contains words the woke crowd finds offensive.

On the other hand, I'm ok with actually inappropriate stuff being banned from childrens libraries, as long as adults can get it somewere else for themself. Like porn for example.

[purplepoppy]

If a book is promoting the harming of a particular group then yes ban it. But not ones expressing a different view point.

[musicbrain5]

Absolutely not. It is a violation of the First Amendment. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/censorship

[Anonymous]

I like the interesting parallels between liberals not wanting to ban books, with the idea that everyone's words should be heard, while they were rabidly in support of banning internet posts from Trump and many other conservatives, and anyone who posted differing opinions about covid and what's going on in the world.

"Free speech" shouldn't only apply to liberal opinions.

I'm fully in support of banning some books from SOME places. I don't believe, and nobody can convince me otherwise, that it's healthy for children to read books in school with explicit content. Just as I don't believe that it's healthy for children to be exposed to a drag queen's cock and balls while "she" intentionally doesn't wear underwear for drag queen story hour.

Not everything should be available for everyone at every age, and that's perfectly fine and normal... even healthy. Sorry liberals.

[Uannoyme]

I was going to respond, but this pretty much sums up my thoughts.

[msmissydc]

Completly banning is not fine and speaks in my opinion against a free country. I can agree with restricted access because some materials are made as Propaganda or are easy misunderstood without the right background knowledge. The restriction should be things like age restrictions or books made only available when asking for the book, instead of putting it on public shelves. This wouldn't restrict people in direct access but the form on which they access it. You are not accidentally finding a book with extremist opinions and thinking "looks fine", but have access to it for research or when you already know the book and probably the background of that book.

[msmissydc]

Addition: I would even argue that the age-restriction should be lifted when used for teaching under a teachers supervision. This would also prevent misunderstanding or lacking background knowledge for these books.

[msc545]

All hose conditions you mention don't make it ok to ban or restrict books.

[msmissydc]

As I said I am not ok with banning books at all.

[msc545]

The restrictions you suggested are unconstitutional and therefore illegal.

[msmissydc]

So every single book must be placed on a public shelf?

[msc545]

Access can be restricted to some extent by age.

[msmissydc]

Why should books be a special case with that but video games or movies can do that?

[msc545]

Books are easier for adults to inspect.

[front2back]

You can regulate books in schools but Publix libraries should be off limits. You should be able to grab Mein Kampf at a public library if you so desire. Especially with the internet now becoming a place where history is actively being rewritten we need public libraries to remain untouched for printed information.

[lottiebannotie]

No it sounds like something Nazis or the Khmer Rouge would do

[Guardian45]

EXACTLY!

[Guardian45]

Or ANY tyrant/autocrat!

[msc545]

@Guardian45 yes, definitely. Like DeSantis and others.

[lottiebannotie]

And both democrats and republicans

[msc545]

I don't think any Democrats engage in book banning. Can you tell me of any?

[FreyaRed]

If a opinion in a book doesn't incite to violence and doesn't break any other law, banning this book is suppression of free speech.

[Apulu_Imback]

No way! You can censor few books for their content or whatever but banning book can't be tolerated by my reader self! I can't imagine reading novels online!

[richardcory]

"Banning" can mean different things. Very few (if any) books are actually banned in the US, but many books are not purchased by public schools and libraries.

[exitseven]

Banning books is a violation of the First Amendment. Limiting public funds to purchase materials that are questionable in nature is not. Clearly the judge was within his rights.

[msc545]

"questionable" as determined by whom?

[exitseven]

The citizens of the town. Notice that there are 5 or 6 people making a cas eout of this while the rest of the town is in agreement. We are supposed to trample on everyone's idea of public decency to appease a handful of wackos?

[msc545]

Simple citizens are unqualified to determine the presence or absence of "decency".

[exitseven]

No, the people that pay the bills are the ones who get to decide. The so called "simple" citizens are the ones who do all the earing and pay all the taxes. Just because somebody does not have a bunch of letters after their name does not mean they are incapable of telling right from wrong.
Iy is attitudes like this that is making this country haed for civil war.

[msc545]

Paying bills does not entitle just anyone, educated or not, to make important decisions... like those pertaining to school curriculums.

This may be a shock, but not everything is about money as conservatives seem to believe.

[exitseven]

No, everything IS about money. People like to talk about altruistic goals but when you peel back a few layers it is always about money, Look at what went on when we had the Covid pandemic. It started out to be all about saving lives and keeping people safe but if you look closer it was about Fauci getting rich, protecting China, helping the teachers union, stealing an election and making the pharmaceutical companies billions of dollars.

[msc545]

Ok. You're not precisely wrong, but I don't think that absolutely everything has to do with money ultimately.

[exitseven]

Maybe not everything but it is tops on the list.

[msc545]

Generally speaking yes. Especially for conservatives since it is all they care about.

[jshm2]

Sure and it's fuck all to do with "free speech" but simply following the rules and regulations of the premises.

Too many people think "free speech" means you can say and do exactly whatever they like. Mainly as it says so in the "constitution".

When in fact it's the opposite. Free speech means you're subject to law and sanction, if you've broken the rules outside of what the law says you're free to say or do.

[msc545]

Unconstitutional "rules and regulations" are illegal when made by public entities - like schools and school boards.

[RealMarek]

There is a difference between banning a book and limiting it to adults. For example, would you be fine with Protocols of the Elders of Zion being in a school library?

[AviatorTom]

When I was growing up, there was a section if tye library thst was off-limits to children, adults only. That was fine... outright banning a book is wrong.

[mark000h]

I'll bet you that's an Obama judge that made that ruling, which will be quickly overturned on appeal.

[mark000h]

by the way, there's no first amendment right to porn or other indecent content for children.

[CaptainSmartass]

Yeah. If they're woke, they should be banned.

Simples...

[Guardian45]

Shadow of "Fahrenheit 451"

[SnowedIn]

It is not.

[singlemombizz]

Never

[CandyRat]

Yes, 100%.

[musicbrain5]

In what way is banning books, or severely restricting access to certain books, not a violation of the First Amendment?

[AngryCarl2]

Candy! You had a sex change?

[CandyRat]

@musicbrain5

Great question, Brain.

My favorite conservative talk radio host explained on Friday that the constitution is worthless. You just proved him to be right. He's very much right wing, an ex marine, and a patriot. But he's practical.
Roe v. Wade was unconstitutional, but the left didn’t care. When the supreme court recently reversed it, they got death threats from the left.
The department of education is unconstitutional, but it’s become too powerful to change. Putting a moratorium on paying your rent during Covid, is unconstitutional, but Biden doesn’t care about the constitution. Paying off student loans with taxpayer money is unconstitutional, but Biden doesn’t care. Getting involved in wars that aren’t threatening the US is unconstitutional, but Biden doesn’t care. Not protecting our own borders from an invasion is unconstitutional, but Biden doesn’t care. Taking away guns is unconstitutional, but Biden doesn’t care.

So as long as we’re going to cherry-pick what we like and don’t like in the constitution, let’s let the kids be kids, and stop exposing them to the ever-growing number of pedophile groomers in the government.