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While the American Library Association hosts discussions and programming around banned books in public institutions and libraries, the topic of prison book access is lacking. They do have resources and guides to donating books (including to prisons), but the advocacy side for those incarcerated is mostly left up to organizations that do this year-round. This is probably because, as a nation, people arent ready to confront their own bias against those incarcerated (even for non-violent offenses), and advocates get labeled radicals or hippies.

Some books frequently banned from prisons are works by Frederick Douglass, Alice Walker, Shakespeare, Stephen King, George Orwell, Anne Rice, James Patterson, many holy books that are not the Christian Bible, and thousands more.

Common reasons are sexually explicit imagery/text (it doesnt matter the context), the book helping hide/plan criminal schemes, encouraging deviant sexual behavior (???), information on drugs, information on weapons/weapon-making, or having contraband in it. Instead of going down how almost each one of those is used to exploit and dehumanize incarcerated people, lets talk about the most nefarious of all general rules.

One reason the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) bans books is if:

It contains materials that a reasonable person would construe as written solely for the purpose of communicating information designed to achieve the breakdown of prisons through offender disruption such as strikes, riots, or security threat group activity.

While this is the language used for TDCJ, many other prison systems across the country (including territories and military bases) have a similarly worded clause in guidelines. This vague language allows them to ban books about civil rights, race/racism (as well as other isms), social studies, or really anything. Because prisons can be private, state (over 50%), country/local, or federally-run, these rules and restrictions vary in severity and application between systems. Needless to say, but the type of incarceration (general populations vs. solitary confinement) also affects book access.

When a journalist from The Marshall Project asked for an updated book ban list from the TDCJ, they were asked to pay $400 for a spreadsheet listing the titles.

Books can be sent back or rejected for misspellings, where the book was mailed from, notes inside, letters attached, if it is hardback, and many other reasons. All of these reasons (like the type of books rejected) are under the guise of protection.

I know this phrase gets old, but the pandemic made this worse for many incarcerated people. On top of overcrowding, lack of masks/sanitizer, medical experimentation (giving inmates ivermectin, saying they were vitamins), and more, they are on lockdown mode for the most part. Prison lockdowns mean no access to libraries, classes, or any social spaces (visitation, etc.).

What can you do to help?

There are tons of organizations that help incarcerated folks access books year-round and bring attention to the biased nature of prisons banned books to the press. Many of these organizations need volunteers, but all of them need money and books. Some also look for writers to become pen pals.

Another indirect way to aid is to educate yourself about the nature of the prison system and about prison abolition. These are titles such as The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexzander, The End of Policing by Alex Vitale, and Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Davis. These books are banned in many prisons because the state fears educating the public, and for that terrible reason from TDCJ mentioned earlier.

The way prisons exist (purposely) acts to strip all humanity and dignity out of peoplethose people being disproportionally poor, Black/brown, and disabled (mentally, physically, etc.). So, books can increase literacy, lower recidivism, improve critical thinking skills, provide answers as to the systems designed to put them there (and keep them there), or just relieve the pain of incarceration through escapismand their access is weaponized against them, all on our dime and in the name of our safety.

(image: Alyssa Shotwell)

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Prison Censorship Should Be a Bigger Discussion in Banned Book Week - The Mary Sue

THERE'S something a little fishy about the photos of this remote tropical island on Google Maps.

Satellite imagery provided by the digital map service shows the left side of Mururoa in French Polynesia, but blurs the other half.

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In place of satellite imagery is a blueish blob that obscures whatever lies beneath from users.

Moruroa is a small atoll in the southern Pacific Ocean.

It's not clear why much of the island is censored, but some suspect it relates to the island's nuclear history.

France undertook significant nuclear testing on the atoll between 1966 and 1996 with as many as 181 tests performed during this time period.

Some of the explosions at the island are said to have been 200 times the strength of the bombs dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in 1945.

A study by Greenpeace found that it contaminated the water as far as Peru and New Zealand, with radiation levels of 12 millirems reported.

Revealed

Unsurprisingly, the island is off limits to visitors.

Testing at the site stopped in 1996 after then-French president Jacques Chirac ordered the dismantling of nuclear testing facilities.

Chirac said live on the radio that "the safety of our country and of our children is assured."

Due to safety concerns, the island is still guarded by French troops - which could explain why it's blurred out by Google.

In 2018, France's government asked Google to pull all images of French prisons and other sensitive sites from the web.

The order followed a daring escape from a prison near Paris that involved a helicopter that flew it into the courtyard.

It's thought that notorious killer Redoine Faid and his accomplices used Google Maps to scout out the layout of Reau prison.

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Google Maps censors mysterious nuke island that visitors are BANNED from going near... - The Sun

Sometimes making change means playing the long game. And Jasmine Burney-Clark, founder of the Florida advocacy organization Equal Ground, knows this well.

As a young girl, Burney-Clark grew up in Orlando, in a congressional district so gerrymandered that it jigsawed unevenly across Central Florida and was represented by one of the few women of color in Congress. As a young leader, she founded Equal Ground in 2019 to ramp up the political voice of underrepresented communities of color.

Right now, even as the immediate battle for representation plays out with the states Republican-controlled Legislature convening to redraw the boundaries of legislative and congressional districts, she is keeping her focus on the future.

The result? A brand-new Redistricting Fellowship program that engages Black college students and young professionals about the crucial redistricting process that is taking place this year. Funded in part by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the program is giving a new generation the tools to monitor the redistricting process, and to fight back against a system that, if history is any guide, is skewed against communities of color.

As the founder of Equal Ground, this work is tied deeply and closely to how I was raised in a gerrymandered district the majority of my life, Burney-Clark said. That defined my political existence. I saw from a young age how it kept my community from having a proper voice. And I saw that affected everything. It meant a lack of opportunity for housing, for community development, for education. It meant more often than not that Black people were laborers in the places they occupied, rather than leaders. It meant that had to change.

To learn how to direct such opportunities to communities who need them, seven fellows from the northern, central and southern areas of Florida are meeting virtually now through November with advocacy leaders, legislators, local and state policymakers and others. They are undergraduate and graduate students from historically Black colleges and universities, and some are young professionals. They have each demonstrated leadership on various levels, and they come seeking equal representation with a level of energy that inspires.

One of the fellows is Jaliyah Cummings, 22, who learned early on how much your neighborhood can determine your future. The daughter of two police officers, she grew up in a middle-class suburb of Orlando, attending fine public schools that she said were well-resourced and gave her every opportunity to succeed.

But her cousins grew up in a more urban area not far away, and she watched with pain and dismay as their friends dropped out of poorly performing schools and ended up in prison. In 2013, when she was 14, she watched in disbelief as George Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin.

As a younger child I can say that I was kind of sheltered, in a sense, but being able to be that age and watch that trial and to see the verdict, it was just so wrong, Cummings said. I realized I wanted to be an attorney. That is where I need to be. That is my purpose.

Now a senior at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee, Cummings is completing her coursework for a degree in criminal justice and plans to attend law school next fall. She said the fellowship with Equal Ground has given her the tools to understand just how critical securing real representation is for minority communities.

We are not angry, we are exhausted, Cummings said. There is so much that hinders people from reaching their full potential. And what we are learning is that so much of it starts with who is out there representing us.

Dierre Johnson, 22, another Equal Ground fellow, is a recent graduate in human resources studies at the University of West Florida. Now pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree, she has learned through the fellowship that redistricting is basically foundational.

My parents always told me not to be a spectator but to be a participator, Johnson said. How can your vote be your voice, how can you be a true participant when its muzzled or diluted from the effects of gerrymandering? That is what flipped the switch for me, when I actually learned what redistricting is and how it has been used to silence Black communities.

All members of Congress and state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. Redistrictingis the process of enacting newcongressionalandstate legislativedistrict boundaries. The states redraw these district lines every 10 years following completion of the U.S. Census, which tracks population shifts. The federal government requires these districts to have nearly equal populations and not to discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.

However, some politicians have used gerrymandering the process of drawing district lines to favor one political party, individual, constituency or race over another in order to advance their political objectives.

Redistricting is just one of the issues Equal Ground has taken on. Along with other, more established organizations throughout the state, it works to protect voting rights across the board. It also educates voters, particularly in the Central Florida communities where the organization got its start, on registering to vote, casting ballots and getting involved in their communities at all levels.

Equal Ground represents what a new social justice movement needs to look like to really effect change, said Nancy Abudu, interim strategic litigation director for the SPLC. Yes, there are bigger, more established groups like the League of Women Voters and Common Cause, but its often the smaller grassroots organizations that are nimble enough to reach voters in an even more impactful way. And in the case of Equal Ground, you have a Black-led organization making sure that Black people are politically engaged to change the system.

For its grassroots work to empower voters, Equal Ground received a grant of $200,000 from the Vote Your Voice campaign earlier this year. The campaign is investing up to $30 million from the SPLCs endowment to engage voters and increase voter registration, education and participation.

The SPLCs Voting Rights Practice Group has made redistricting a priority.

The process will determine the allocation of political power and representation at every level of government across the country for the next 10 years. Equal Ground and other organizations like it want to ensure that redistricting is not used to exclude communities of color from attaining political power.

The stakes are high. State legislatures have an obligation to ensure fair and equal representation for all people, upholding the 14th Amendments guarantee of equal protection under the law and complying with the requirements of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

But historically they have often done the opposite.

The last time Floridas Republicans were tasked with redrawing the states political districts, in 2012, a judge concluded they turned it into a mockery by secretly and illegally working to enhance their command of the state. After years of litigation, the Florida Supreme Court threw out the Legislatures map and set the states current congressional boundaries.

This year, an even more powerful GOP-led Legislature is again preparing to begin the recasting of state House, Senate and congressional district lines. That means it can dictate not only who runs for public office and who is elected, but also how financial resources are allocated for schools, hospitals, roads and more.

And the representatives who are elected have the power to make decisions that greatly impact the communities they represent, from ensuring safe schools to adopting inclusive immigration policies. The people who live in a district can then influence whether elected officials feel obligated to respond to a particular communitys needs.

To make matters still more fraught, Floridas population has grown, so the state will be allocated one more seat in Congress. Whether that seat will be held by a Republican or a Democrat and whether the district will fairly represent the people who live in it depends largely on how the Legislature draws district boundaries.

Against that backdrop, Equal Ground is working with other organizations around the state to train Black and Brown communities on how to reach their elected officials, how to vote for officials who will better represent them, and how to hold legislators responsible for conducting a fair redistricting process.

The more were able to educate folks, the more powerful they become, said Jamara Wilson, redistricting program manager for Equal Ground. We understand that this process right now is in the hands of the Legislature, but they need to understand that they are being watched carefully.

Read more stories from theBattle for Representation: The Ongoing Struggle for Voting Rightsserieshere.

Photo at top, from left to right: Kristin Fulwylie,Jasmine Burney-Clark andJamara Wilson.

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Redrawing the Map: Grassroots organization trains Black college students and young professionals on the importance of redistricting - Southern Poverty...

ST. LOUIS (AP) Adam Wainwright allowed two hits in eight masterful innings and Paul Goldschmidt homered to lead the St. Louis Cardinals over the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 on Sunday.

The Cardinals snapped a two-game skid and kept the Pirates from earning their first series sweep of the season. They remain the only team in the majors without one.

Wainwright (12-7) threw 106 pitches and retired his final 11 hitters. He hasnt permitted a run in his past 19 innings against the Pirates and has won his last seven decisions against them.

The 39-year-old right-hander struck out nine and did not walk a batter in improving to 20-7 lifetime against Pittsburgh.

I just match up pretty well against them, Wainwright said. But, they beat me around pretty good earlier in my career. This is just payback.

Wainwright has given up just six hits during his 19-inning scoreless run against Pittsburgh, with 19 strikeouts and no walks.

Textbook. Thats how you teach kids to pitch, Goldschmidt said. He lives it out daily. And hes been doing it for such a long time. Eight innings was huge. He really picked us up today.

Wainwright has gone at least seven innings in 14 of 25 starts this season. He used his breaking ball to stymie the Pirates for the second time in 11 days, including a two-hitter in a 4-0 win at Pittsburgh on Aug. 11.

His last loss to the Pirates came on April 3, 2016.

We need to come up with a better game plan, Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said. At some point we have to figure out a way to combat that because hes gotten us three times now.

Goldschmidt hit his 19th homer in the fifth to make it 2-0. He had two hits and extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Been swinging it pretty well, Goldschmidt said. Got a little lucky a few times. It probably looks better than it really is.

Alex Reyes got his 28th save in 30 chances. Right fielder Lars Nootbaar hauled in a long drive by Colin Moran with two on to end it.

Yadier Molina brought in Goldschmidt with a run-scoring single in the first off Steven Brault (0-2), who gave up one run and five hits over four innings. Goldschmidt ripped a one-out single off third base to start the outburst.

Harrison Bader added a run-scoring single in the eighth.

Pittsburgh won five of its previous six games in St. Louis.

ROLE REVERSAL

St. Louis has won 10 of its last 11 in Pittsburgh. The Pirates went 5-4 in St. Louis this season and 3-2 last year.

TRAINERS ROOM

Pirates: RHP Sam Howard worked two scoreless innings for Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday night. He is on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain.

UP NEXT

Pirates: RHP Will Crowe (3-7) will face Arizona in the first of a three-game set Monday in Pittsburgh. The Diamondbacks had yet to announce a starter. Crowe ranks fourth among NL rookies with 79 strikeouts.

Cardinals: RHP Jack Flaherty (9-1, 2.68 ERA) will face Detroit RHP Casey Mize (6-6, 3.69) in the opener of a two-game series Tuesday in St. Louis. Flaherty has allowed two runs in 12 innings over two starts since returning Aug. 13 from a long stint on the injured list due to a left oblique strain.

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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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Wainwright extends mastery of Pirates in Cardinals' 3-0 win

As with Robert Frosts two paths diverging in the woods, the covid pandemic has hit a fork in the road.

Back in 2020, when the virus first presented itself, anything could be forgiven. Trump could shoot hydroxychloroquine up his butt; Fauci could sneer at masks, then a week later demand that we wear 17 masks; governors could order everyone to stay home, while they cavorted at parties, restaurants, hair salons and protests.

The lies, hypocrisies and idiocies were all stuffed in our burlap bag, as we bounced along Coronavirus Road.

Then, in a triumph of Western medicine, A VACCINE APPEARED! Thats when our path in the woods diverged into the sane and insane.

Its pretty clear now that the vaccines work, with few side effects -- although our public health experts would really do us a solid if theyd stop lying about there being no side effects. At a minimum, the vaccines prevent serious illness and death. Theyre even more effective than the flu vaccine, and thats pretty good.

Between widespread natural infection -- something else it would be nice if authorities would stop lying about -- and mass vaccination, covid IS NOW OVER. It wasnt the flu in 2020, but it is in 2021.

Liberals sulked as people began getting vaccinated and living their lives again, but then seized on the delta variant to announce: Lets lock down again!

The very people demanding that everyone get vaccinated are the same ones telling us vaccines dont work all that well, so maybe wed better just keep wearing masks, quarantining, working remotely and staying home from school.

Do the vaccines work or dont they? If they work, well thank you to stop bossing us around now.

Going further into crazy town, liberals decided to pretend that Anthony Fauci was not an escaped mental patient.

Our most visible public health authority continues to issue lunatic pronouncements like a third world despot: The vaccinated must wear masks! Children should be vaccinated! Even 2-year-olds need to be masked! Everybody has to get a third vaccine shot! (That last bright idea led a couple of experts from the Food and Drug Administration advisory panel to resign in protest, followed by the panel unanimously voting to recommend booster shots only in certain cases.)

Apart from just coming out and telling us he doesnt believe the vaccines work, Fauci is telling us he doesnt believe the vaccines work.

This is the nut, you will recall, who knowingly lied to the public at the outset of the pandemic for what he, Anthony Fauci, in his sole discretion, decided was a higher cause. Without a scintilla of scientific evidence one way or the other, he condescendingly announced that masks dont work against covid -- simply for the greater good of preventing a mask shortage.

What if he considers it a greater good for Anthony Fauci to keep appearing on TV? Like an aging football star who dreams of being back in high school, Fauci longs to be in the spotlight.

Except we have vaccines now! So thanks, but weve heard enough from you, Fauci.

Also, we know things that we didnt in 2020.

We now know, for example, that covid is bad, but its not Ebola. Eighty-year-olds have survived it. Trump survived it. The 800-pound Chris Christie survived it. And that was before we had all the therapies we have now. Or, come to think of it, any idea what we were doing at all. (Remember the mad rush for ventilators?)

We know that cases are good; deaths are bad. The media frantically report cases only because their panic porn attracts readers, so who cares if its irrelevant?

As long as you dont die, which would be bad, a covid infection is natures vaccination shot! As multiple studies have shown, immunity from prior infection is stronger and more durable than that from vaccination.

Infections are especially good if youre already vaccinated. Then youll have super-immunity. You wont die of covid -- although you might die with covid, especially if youre old or sick or have just taken a massive dose of fentanyl.

Like George Floyd. Remember? He had covid when he died. But unlike Floyd, the media will broadcast your death as a cautionary tale to again harangue us to wear masks and get vaccinated. How dare you not get a vaccine and put the vaccinated at risk!

But the vaccinated arent at risk. You know why? Because the vaccines work.

We also know that covid poses virtually no risk to young people. We knew this early on, and for some reason ignored it, but by now the evidence is overwhelming.

Since covid landed on our shores, 95% of dead the U.S. have been 50 or older. Nearly 80% of the dead were 65 or older -- and not only are they heavily vaccinated, but they make up only 16% of the population. The 64.5% of the population under age 50 -- in its entirety -- accounted for only 5% of those who died from covid.

Combine the minimal risk of death to young people -- less than the flu during a normal flu season -- with what we now know about the strong immunity from prior covid infection, and, throughout 2020, we should have been putting little kids into giant, Japanese-size classrooms and encouraging young people to blow beer foam in one anothers faces, get drunk and make out with strangers. Our entire under-30 population would be immune.

Remember the college kid on spring break when covid first hit the news in February 2020, who had his life destroyed for nonchalantly telling a TV interviewer, If I get corona, I get corona? If only wed listened to him instead of Fauci!

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Ann Coulter: The real anti-vaxxers | Opinion | havasunews.com - Today's News-Herald