Florida’s public school system has become a focal point in the national power struggle between the ruling class, which is made up of government experts who self-declare themselves, and multinational corporations. Florida’s largest publishers are suing to have their books kept in public school libraries.
Among those who have filed suit are Penguin Random House and Hachette Book Group. They also include Macmillan Publishers. Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins. These companies control a large part of the U.S. book publishing industry. Disclosure: I worked as a book editor for Macmillan for about one year before starting my career.
HB 1069 was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis gives Florida taxpayers and parents a voice in major issues that have arisen at the government-run school system in Florida.
The new law establishes standards for the teaching of human reproduction in public schools. It prohibits “classroom instructions on sexual orientation or gender identification [in] these schools” and “prohibits the district school boards from imposing” or “enforcing” requirements that children are referred to using “pronouns” that don’t correspond to biological sex, as defined in this bill, with specified exceptions.
The official summary of the bill states that in addition to the provisions above, “the law requires the suspension of materials which are alleged to contain pornography, or obscene representations of sexual conduct as defined by current law until an objection is resolved to the material.” The bill summary states that “a district school board is also required to discontinue use of any materials the board does allow a parent read aloud.” This could lead to book removals and very heated meetings.
Parents and taxpayers have the right to challenge the inclusion of certain books in libraries run by their local government. Local school districts are required to create a system for handling complaints. Ironic that so many people complain about a law that guarantees people’s right to complain.
Florida’s law requires school boards to pay attention to parents and children who attend the schools. This sensible decision has sparked fury among leftists all over the country. The New York Times and other mainstream media outlets, including The New York Times as usual, call the Florida process “a book ban.”
Florida should sue all of them for libel. The law doesn’t ban any books. The Wall Street Journal reported that “books may be restored to their original condition if the district determines they do not contain pornographic materials.” Non-pornographic material that depicts or describes sexual behavior’ may be kept on the shelves, but is subject to age or grade restrictions.
This is not the same as a book ban. The new law places public school libraries under the authority and control of local school districts, as they should.
Anyone can run for the local school board. This means that even people who are not trained in college teaching programs, or enlightened, could have a say over what Florida schoolchildren will find in their libraries. The lawsuit claims that Florida law mandates books be removed from school libraries without consulting “trained professionals, such as media specialists or teachers.”
It is interesting to wonder what kind of person believes that you need a degree in education to decide if you want to spend taxpayer money on copies of Gender Queer or other classics to allow eight-year-olds to puzzle over pictures of sex acts.
People behind the lawsuit say that Florida schools have taken classic books like War and Peace and A Tale of Two Cities from the shelves. I don’t see the problem with that: any nine-year-old who is smart enough to understand War and Peace will be more than clever to obtain a copy.
This is a desperate scare story. The real complaint is that leftists are frustrated at not being able to gain access to the minds of Florida kids who live in districts with conscientious parents and school board members. The law doesn’t prevent children from reading what they want. The supporters of the law only say that certain items shouldn’t be in the library they pay for.
Parents and taxpayers have the right to protest about certain books being made available to children in public schools. What other people listen to (and watch, play, and read, etc.). We are affected by what other people read, listen to, watch, and play. This does not mean that the government should censor what adults are allowed to publish or sell to each other, but it puts them in a better position to be responsible for children. It also means they have to use good judgment when deciding what to make available to students.
Only the citizens of Florida have a “right” to decide which books are included in Florida’s public school libraries. Publishers do not have the “right” to force others to purchase their books or to place them on public shelves when they are free. Florida’s new library law gives the power to decide what books are in the libraries back to the people who elect the school district leaders.
It would be a good idea for other states to learn from this example.
