Americans United:
Most parents want their children to be readers. Parents are urged to set a good example by reading to their children and letting their kids see them read. Public libraries sponsor summer reading programs with prizes for kids who read the most books. Public schools extol reading. Celebrities and sports figures often join campaigns urging youngsters to pick up a book. The Reading is Fundamental campaign has been going strong since 1966.
In light of this elevation of reading as a good thing, it’s especially ironic to see stories in the media about how many public school libraries can’t stock enough books these days. It’s not due to budget cuts; rather, the problem is censorship.
We definitely wanted our kids to be readers! We read to our kids before they could read, then encouraged them to read… just about anything! My daughter loved fantasy novels, Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, and would devour not only those but just about any book she could get her hands on. My son was a little tougher case, but I learned that he’d read any sort of gaming magazine cover to cover so, problem solved. I didn’t care what they read — I mean, so long as it was more-or-less age appropriate — just so long as they were reading!
Not surprisingly, the books most frequently targeted deal with LGBTQ or racial issues. But fantasy novels and even history books are sometimes attacked by Christian Nationalists. Several librarians told The Post that students are clamoring for new titles, but the cupboard is bare.
Christian Nationalists would rather our children be indoctrinated than educated. And while they’d be happy for kids to read the Bible, they fear wide reading in a variety of subjects because exposure to a world of ideas leads some people to challenge the narrow religious and political views of Christian Nationalists.
What’s the old saying? Science is questions without answers, whereas religion is answers that you’re not allowed to question. Seems about right.