We need to protect books at our schools and libraries | Editorial – Chicago Sun-Times
Removing books from library shelves is not what America is supposed to be about.
Freedom of speech and freedom of expression are two of our countrys core ideals. Writers are free to express themselves as they so desire. Readers are free to read a book, or not.
Yet every year, we read or hear the news that parents or citizens somewhere earlier this week, in west suburban Downers Grove are clamoring to have a book they deem offensive taken off the shelves of their childs school library or their local public library.
It happens scores of times every year, when words or stories make people uncomfortable and Americas culture wars flare up. The American Library Association publishes an annual list of the top 10 Most Challenged Books those most likely to be condemned and targeted for removal. In 2020, 273 books were targeted and among the top 10 were three acknowledged literary classics: John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men, Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird and Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye.
In case readers are not aware: Morrison and Steinbeck both won the Nobel Prize for literature. To Kill a Mockingbird won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961.
On Monday, as the Sun-Times Nader Issa reported, the issue flared up in Downers Grove when about 200 people packed a school auditorium to demand that the book Gender Queer: A Memoir be removed from the libraries at Downers Grove North and Downers Grove South high schools. According to protesters, the book exposes children to homoerotic or pornographic content.
The book is the story of author Maia Kobabes journey of gender identity and sexuality as a teenager and young adult. A few pages include illustrations of sex acts, but the books publisher says it is appropriate for high school-aged students.
Gender Queer: A Memoir has come under fire elsewhere too. Virginias largest school district removed it from its high school libraries earlier this fall while it considers parents concerns. A Florida district banned it altogether. Schools in New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington have had the book challenged. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster told the states education department to investigate the book, which he considers sexually explicit and pornographic.
Its worth noting that Gender Queer is not mandatory reading at either Downers Grove high school. In fact, theres only one copy available for students to check out at each schools library at Downers North and Downers South high schools.
Lauren Pierret, a senior at Downers Grove North, said at the meeting that she didnt even know Gender Queer existed until last week.
This isnt being forced upon your kids, Pierret said, but it gives kids who would be interested in this story a choice to read it.
It is not the job of this editorial board to judge whether a book is too sexually explicit, profane, violent or otherwise unfit for a child, teenager or another adult to read.
Nor is it the job of conservative culture warriors or anyone else.
Some of the past attacks on Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird, it should be noted, came from people who were bothered by racial stereotypes and slurs they said would have a negative impact on students, according to the ALA.
Good literature can sometimes make us uncomfortable, for any number of reasons. Censorship is never the right response.
Besides, once it starts, where does it end?
Consider the case of Texas Rep. Matt Krause, who is running for attorney general in his state and made headlines when he compiled a list of about 850 books that might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress because of their race or sex, as the Texas Tribune first reported. Most of the books on his list were written by women, people of color and LGBTQ authors.
Weve got to ask: Did Krause bother to read all 850 books? Or is his list just for political theater?
Books in our schools and libraries must be protected. Even when we dont approve of them.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.
See the original post:
We need to protect books at our schools and libraries | Editorial - Chicago Sun-Times
- Russia has also declared war on literature. Look at whats happening and be warned | Anna Aslanyan - The Guardian - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- South Park's Trey Parker and Matt Stone Stopped Comedy Central from Censoring Trump's Genitals - Consequence of Sound - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- Visa and Mastercard are getting overwhelmed by gamer fury over censorship - Polygon - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- Mastercard and Visa face backlash after hundreds of adult games removed from online stores Steam and Itch.io - The Guardian - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- Renowned Contemporary Artist Amy Sherald Cancels Major Exhibition at the Smithsonian, Citing Censorship - bet.com - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- Op-Ed | This Is What Censorship Looks Like In A National Park - National Parks Traveler - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- Trust and safety workers on why they're not speaking out - Platformer - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- From Big Brother to Brave New Algorithm: The Rise of Sovereign AI and the New Age of Censorship - Modern Diplomacy - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- Letter to the Editor: Who in America isn't letting them live in peace? - Amarillo Globe-News - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- The Art World Confronts a New Era of Censorship in the U.S. - observer.com - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Citing censorship concerns, Georgia-born artist cancels show at Smithsonian - AJC.com - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Artist to withdraw exhibit from National Portrait Gallery over censorship concerns - Politico - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Columbia genocide scholar may quit school over censorship on Israel, antisemitism - The Times of Israel - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Amy Sherald cancels Smithsonian exhibition over censorship - ArtReview - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Amy Sherald Called Off Her Smithsonian Show Over Censorship - The Cut - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Amy Sherald cancels Smithsonian art show over censorship of trans-themed painting - TheGrio - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- The week in free expression: 19 25 July 2025 - Index on Censorship - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Trump's order to block 'woke' AI in government encourages tech giants to censor their chatbots - AP News - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Amy Sherald Cancels Major Smithsonian Show Over Censorship Concerns - hypebeast.com - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Michelle Obama Artist Pulls Show Over Trump Censorship Threats - The Daily Beast - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Columbus native Amy Sherald cancels art show, citing culture of censorship - Columbus Ledger-Enquirer - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Harvard Journal Abruptly Cancels Issue on Palestine, Sparking Accusations of Censorship - The Harvard Crimson - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- A Refuge From Censorship: Why Independent Bookstores Will Save Us - Literary Hub - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Freelancing to fill information gaps left by global censorship - Freedom of the Press Foundation - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Russian lawmakers pass a bill punishing online searches for information deemed to be 'extremist' - AP News - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Amy Sherald Withdraws Exhibition From Smithsonian Amid Concerns Over Censorship - BroadwayWorld.com - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- AG Bontas Censorship of Pro-Life Speech Challenged in the 9th Circuit - Thomas More Society - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Itch Has Now Been Censored By Payment Processors Too We're Slipping Down The Censorship Slope - TheGamer - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Efforts to restrict or protect libraries both grew this year - Stateline - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- After The Party Free Speech At San Diego Comic-Con With The CBLDF - Bleeding Cool News - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- A Century After the Scopes Trial, Censoring Spirit on Evolution Still Thrives - Evolution News - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- New Lollipop Chainsaw game and anime adaptation in the works. Publisher promises lots of dark humor and no censorship - AUTOMATON - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- News in India is being erased from the internet - Index on Censorship - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Turkish police arrested magazine staff over Muhammad cartoon, but it doesnt actually depict the prophet - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights and... - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Are You Laughing Yet? - The Atlantic - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- In Letter, Artists and Scholars Call for Reinstatement of Whitney ISP Leader Ousted Amid Censorship Controversy - ARTnews.com - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Yoko Taro Tried to Warn Us About Payment Processors' Censorship in 2024 - 80 Level - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Summer 2025 Teen Advocacy Institute: Power to the Readers - National Coalition Against Censorship - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Crying Censorship, US Pressures Foreign Officials in Bid to Counter Tech Regulations - Tech Policy Press - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Some Implications of Censorship of Equality and Equity in Policy and Public Administration Courses - PA TIMES Online - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Political turmoil and military tensions see 24 internet restrictions imposed so far in 2025 - Tom's Guide - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Australian anti-porn group claims responsibility for Steam's new censorship rules in victory against 'porn sick brain rotted pedo gamer fetishists',... - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Why is self-censoring tape appearing all over Tokyos host club ads?Photos - SoraNews24 - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Steam Users Rally Behind Anti-Censorship Petition - OpenCritic - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Stephen Colbert and I: The Tightening of Right-Wing Censorship - Informed Comment - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Artists speak out on attempted censorship of views on Gaza - Music Ally - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Raging Trump Desperately Tried to Censor Epstein Expos - Yahoo Home - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Steams Adult Games Under Threat in Financial Censorship Move That Cuts The Smut - Insider Gaming - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Turkey becomes the First to Censor Musks AI Chatbot Grok - Informed Comment - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Russia's new censorship push - Kremlin eyes control over WhatsApp and Telegram - RBC-Ukraine - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Revealed: The secret code words being used to beat online censorship - The Telegraph - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- New Russian law criminalizes online searches for controversial content - The Washington Post - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Censoring All Men Are Created Equal cost U. Oregon $724K will other universities learn? - The College Fix - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Pixar Censorship Report Addressed By Director Of Studios Next Movie: The Movie Will Morph With Or Without You - Screen Rant - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Advertising Standards Authority Bans Viva!s Dairy is Scary Ad, Sparking Controversy Over Censorship - vegconomist - the vegan business magazine - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- This VTuber Just Raised Over $780 for the ACLU. After Steam's New Content Policies? Her Anti-Censorship Message Is Urgent - VICE - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Desperate Royals Tried to Censor Leaked Kings Funeral Plans - The Daily Beast - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Ready or Not Shows Signs of Recovery After Censorship Controversy - Game Rant - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- When Superman takes a side: Gaza, censorship, and the criminalisation of empathy in America - India Today - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Northeastern research breaches The Great Firewall to look at Chinese censorship - Northeastern Global News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Ready Or Not Modder Retcons 'Censorship' Changes Within An Hour Of New Patch Going Live - IGN Southeast Asia - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Foreign journalists in the U.S. are self-censoring to protect themselves from the Trump administration - Poynter - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Turkey becomes the first to censor AI chatbot Grok - Global Voices - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- How Iran and Israel control information - Index on Censorship - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- "I've Been Dying To Play This Game For Years": With Ready Or Not Launching On Console Tomorrow, It Looks Like The Censorship Has Already... - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Spotify could pull out of Trkiye in row over censorship pressure - Music Ally - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Indian film board criticised for cutting overly sensual Superman kisses - The Guardian - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Superman's Big Kiss Was Cut By The Censors In India - Kotaku - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Russia and Belarus unveil censored 'patriotic AI' to rival the West - Ynetnews - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- I Would Quit Before They Made Me Do That | Feedback - School Library Journal - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Reporter's Notebook - July 13th, 2025: An MCTS financial fiasco, Milwaukee arts winners and losers, book censorship in Wisconsin prisons - WTMJ - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Internet fumes at censorship of kissing scene in James Gunns Superman: They don't have a problem with Housefull 5 | Bollywood - Hindustan Times -... - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Listen to the Trump-Referencing Clipse Track Universal Music Allegedly Tried to Censor - Mother Jones - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- The EUs Censorship Codes Are Coming for the First Amendment - National Review - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Guest column | Book bans dont work. As a kid, I proved it. - The Washington Post - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Ira Wells, who literally wrote the book on book bans, shares his thoughts on the politics of censorship - The Globe and Mail - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Fans SLAM censorship of 33-second kissing scene in James Gunns Superman: 'They don't have a problem with - Times of India - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- After the Bombings, Iran Tightened Its Censorship. Iranians Arent Standing For It. - Council on Foreign Relations - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- All that glitters is not gold: A brief history of efforts to rebrand social media censorship - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Zelensky, Zuckerberg, prolifers, a trans journalist, and a gay person with a Bible. How Russia is censoring the Axios/HBO documentary - Mediazona - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]