Letter: Be sure to speak out against banning books

Editor:

This is Banned Books Week, which encourages citizens to fight to protect the freedom to read. This year, we really have our work cut out for us. There have been more attempts to ban books this year than in the last 20 years. Supporters of book bans claim they are protecting children by removing books with themes they find offensive. Many of them will claim the books are inappropriate for children, even though many of them haven’t even read the books they want to ban.

But book bans are never about protecting children. They’re about silencing voices of people whom the radical right doesn’t like. That’s why so many bans target books that have LGBTQ+ themes or deal with race. The radical right doesn’t want children to grow up believing that gay and transgender people are people, because if they do, children might treat them with respect. They don’t want children to learn about the struggles people of color faced in history because it goes against the narrative that their own history is only noble and honorable.

This year, don’t just read banned books. Join the fight against suppression and censorship. Speak up in support of librarians, trained professionals who know what books are appropriate for children. Speak up at school board meetings and stand up to those who try to silence diverse voices. The right to read freely is a fundamental right that we must fight to protect.

Jodi Greene
Robeson Township

Source: Berkshire mont