This commentary is by Bob Stannard of Manchester, an author, musician and former state legislator and lobbyist.
“Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it.” — George Orwell, “1984”
“All I want is some truth. Just gimme me some truth” — John Lennon
On July 19, I had the privilege of being asked by Vermont’s Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman to join him at the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, Vermont. He is touring Vermont, bringing attention to the banning of books.
Thus far, over 2000 books have been banned in schools and libraries across the country. Here is a list of the most banned books of 2022-‘23.
Lt. Gov. Zuckerman read from a banned book titled “And Tango Makes Three.” This book is based on a true story of two male penguins who were able to raise a baby penguin named Tango with the help of the Central Park Zookeeper, Mr. Gramsay.
Notwithstanding the fact that is true and that in nature it’s not unheard of that two animals of the same sex could and would raise a young one, there were those who were freaked out by this book. For some parents, the argument is that this book promotes homosexuality or serves to “groom” kids to be gay.
The fact is that being gay is something that you are, not something that one is persuaded to be because of a book — but let’s not let facts get in the way.
It’s more than just banning books. Look at what’s happening in the state of Florida right now. From The New York Times’ Sarah Mervosh: “After an overhaul to Florida’s African American history standards, Gov. Ron DeSantis, the state’s firebrand governor campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination, is facing a barrage of criticism this week from politicians, educators and historians, who called the state’s guidelines a sanitized version of history. For instance, the standards say that middle schoolers should be instructed that ‘slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit’ — a portrayal that drew wide rebuke.”
From Heather Cox Richardson: “Taken as a whole, the Florida social studies curriculum describes a world in which the white male Founders of the United States embraced ideals of liberty and equality — ideals it falsely attributes primarily to Christianity rather than the Enlightenment — and indicates the country’s leaders never faltered from those ideals. Students will, the guidelines say, learn ‘how the principles contained in foundational documents contributed to the expansion of civil rights and liberties over time’ (p. 148) and ‘analyze how liberty and economic freedom generate broad-based opportunity and prosperity in the United States’’ (p. 154).”
It takes only one person to complain to a school board or a library that they find a certain book offensive for the fight over the banning of a book to begin. In Florida, it takes only one authoritarian governor to impose his will onto others by rewriting history.
The justification for the Florida Board of Education to push through changes to whitewash our history is that telling the truth about our past, and about slavery, will hurt the feelings of white people.
Apparently what’s driving this bus of madness is that some folks really dislike other folks who identify as LGBTQ and they live in fear that maybe one day their own children might identify as LGBTQ. But isn’t the larger question: Who cares what your kids decide who they want to be? Will you love your child less because of who they are? If you really want your child to be a doctor, but they end up being a welder, would you abandon them? If so, then the problem is not with your child.
After raising two children and now the proud grandparents of four grandchildren, I’ve come to learn that all that matters is that you try as hard as you can to just love your kids unconditionally. Your kids are going to grow up and be who they’re destined to be. As a parent, you can and should offer guidance, but in the end your kid will decide who they want to be and what they want to do on their own.
Overreacting to books will serve only to assist in your worst fears coming true. Taking a more tolerant approach would be a better option. Let your kids learn about the world around them, and the world that came before them, and let them figure out for themselves what is right or wrong.
Kids are rebellious by nature and the more you try to oppress their rebellious nature, the more likely things will go south.
We could learn a lot from penguins.
