Examining Nuance in the Book Banning Debate

Book Banning

    Recent debates around book banning in schools have become highly polarized and partisan. Conservative parents and politicians calling for certain titles to be removed, often accused of being anti-diversity or censoring viewpoints. But looking closely, the reality is more complex.

    The catch is, regarding books focused on topics of race (or even sexuality), objections rarely focus on diversity or representation. On the contrary, concerns center on ideas that actively call for dismantling existing societal systems and structures.   Books like "Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You" face criticism not for its racial content, but specifically for arguments promoting active socialist policies that counter classical liberalism. The backlash to Critical Race Theory is less about acknowledging racism in history, and more about critiquing deconstructionist philosophies.  

    In contrast, classic novels including To Kill a Mockingbird and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn have been challenged repeatedly not for their ideological messaging, but for containing racial slurs and depictions now considered offensive. The objections to these storied books stem from their language and portrayal of racist attitudes, not the underlying message condemning racism and injustice.  While probably worth a separate blog, it's worth noting similar language becomes acceptable in music - with parental advisories and/or age limitations.

    Recent book removal efforts seem motivated not by suppressing racial diversity in literature, but by rejecting deconstructionist ideologies that confront long-standing systems, norms and power structures in society. One can support representation of diverse races and viewpoints in school materials, while still taking issue with directives to actively tear down rather than improve established institutions.

    Accusing all critics of race-focused books of being "regressive censors" oversimplifies legitimate philosophical differences. There is room for nuance in determining which ideas align with a community's values for their educational curriculum. Book banning should not be imposed lightly nor for partisan purposes. But parents and local districts do have some right to shape learning materials based on their ideals, establishing age/maturity parameter's, and dialing down calls for radical transformation of existing societal structures. A diversity of reasonable political thought on such complex topics should be allowed.

Comments

  1. PhilDecember 7, 2023 at 12:08 PM

    I would add that librarians routinely select a small number of purchases from multiple thousands of options. Obviously, they are using a certain set of criteria. No one argues that they are book banning. So, it doesn't seem unfair for parents to insist that the schools (which they fund) select books with the best interests of their children in mind. (That is their responsibility, after all.) A book in the school library is not only accessible, but in the students' minds bears an implicit stamp of approval.
    Of course, no adults are being stopped from going on the web and buying any book they want--so no books are in fact "banned".

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