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"I think we should throw those books in a fire"

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  • "I think we should throw those books in a fire"

    Censorship and suggested book burning. Hardly the most enlightened of attitudes.





    https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-brief...ould-be-burned

    A Virginia school board member suggested that "sexually explicit" books removed from the school library should be burned.

    During a Spotsylvania County School Board meeting on Monday, a parent raised concerns about books containing "sexually explicit" material being available at Riverbend High School in Fredericksburg.

    The mother said that she was initially alarmed by “LGBTQIA” fiction in the library, but said she found other books that were even more upsetting.

    She cited the book "33 Snowfish,” which details the life of three homeless teenagers attempting to escape from situations involving sexual abuse, prostitution and drug addiction.

    During the meeting, board member Rabih Abuismail suggested the board approve a library audit in all district schools to review what books are made available.

    Fellow member Kirk Twigg suggested that books deemed offensive be kept "in the back" where parents can still examine them.

    However, Abuismail said he "didn't even want to see them," adding “I think they should be thrown in a fire.”

    He later said he would accept Twiggs suggestion "for the sake of them [the books] being out the schools."

    Darnela Sims, director of teaching and learning for the district, said officials have already been looking into the situation and asked the board for time for staff to review existing processes for vetting library books.

    Abuismail shot the idea down, saying he doesn’t like the idea of the books being on school library shelves for one more night, saying having them in the library showed the schools “would rather have our kids reading gay pornography than about Christ.”

    He also criticized Superintendent Scott Baker for not being proactive on the issue. “Dr. Baker, you saw this coming from Northern Virginia — did it not occur to you to check what is on our libraries?” he asked.

    However, board member Baron Braswell expressed skepticism about the matter, saying he wanted to consider both sides of the issue. He noted that what one person finds offensive, another might not.

    “We have to be clear on what is offensive and should not be in our schools and what should be,” he said. “You can’t do an audit of books without developing screening criteria and you have to have facts in order to do that.”

    In the end, the board voted 6–0 on the issue, ordering the removal of “sexually explicit” books this week and receiving a report next week on how many books were removed.



    "It ain't necessarily so
    The things that you're liable
    To read in the Bible
    It ain't necessarily so
    ."

    Sportin' Life
    Porgy & Bess, DuBose Heyward, George & Ira Gershwin

  • #2
    Yes, censorship is not an enlightened attitude. I'm certain we can agree that censorship of opinions you don't like is unenlightened.

    Source: https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/17/opinions/york-pennsylvania-school-district-book-ban-parini/index.html


    But banning books is not just the product of right-wing intolerance. Many liberal parents don't want their children to encounter the N-word anywhere, not even in what is in my view the greatest American novel, "Huckleberry Finn," by Mark Twain. And so they fight to ban a novel that eloquently and passionately attacks racism in 19th-century America.
    "Of Mice and Men," an important short novel by John Steinbeck, is also frequently challenged because of its supposed racial stereotyping, even though it's a profound and humane book that raises issues every teenager should be asked to consider.
    The popular SkippyJon Jones books by Judy Schachner -- a whimsical series about a flamboyant cat who dresses up as a chihuahua -- has also been on the condemned list. SkippyJon calls himself a "bandito" and sometimes puts an "o" at the end of English words to sound Mexican. Some liberal book banners call this stereotyping, and because Schachner isn't Mexican, they accuse her of "appropriating" things from a culture that isn't hers.
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    Book banning is a bipartisan game, a point nicely made by Jonathan Zimmerman, a self-described liberal who wrote in The Dallas Morning News: "When conservatives try to ban a book, we liberals get up in arms. But when the threat comes from our own side, we often sit on our hands."

    © Copyright Original Source

    Comment


    • #3
      “Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings.” - Heinrich Heine
      “I think God, in creating man, somewhat overestimated his ability.” ― Oscar Wilde
      “And if there were a God, I think it very unlikely that He would have such an uneasy vanity as to be offended by those who doubt His existence” ― Bertrand Russell
      “not all there” - you know who you are

      Comment


      • #4
        Even librarians can be book burners

        Source: Activist 'C-Grimey' fired from Chattanooga Library following book-burning video


        Local activist and rapper Cameron "C-Grimey" Williams was fired from the Chattanooga Public Library on Wednesday after allegedly burning library books by conservative authors.

        Williams, known for his role organizing protests last year against police brutality, was placed on paid administrative leave from his role at the library in December after video surfaced of him apparently burning books by then-President Donald Trump and conservative commentator Ann Coulter.

        Williams, a part-time library specialist who worked at the downtown library for two years, was fired after a hearing late last week, according to a news release from a library spokesperson.

        "The City of Chattanooga Human Resources Department completed its investigation of an allegation that books were removed from the Chattanooga Public Library's Main Branch on Dec. 1, 2020," the release states. "The investigation determined that [Williams] violated City and Library policies by improperly removing items from the Library's collections."

        In a video posted temporarily on Instagram, Williams appeared to burn copies of Coulter's "How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must)" and Trump's "Crippled America" in an outdoor fire, spraying each with lighter fluid. "FDT," a Trump protest song by YG and Nipsey Hussle, played in the background.

        "The City of Chattanooga has policies in place to protect the public's interest, and we follow those directives," Library Executive Director Corinne Hill said in the release Wednesday.

        A spokesperson for the library said in December that removing library books based on personal feelings violated the library's policy against censorship.

        Williams told the Times Free Press Wednesday that he did remove the books in question, but that he didn't violate any policy in doing so.

        Still, Williams said his attorney tried to work out a deal with the library where he could return books still in his possession and refund the money for those that "could not be returned," but the city declined. Williams believes his firing is a show of political retaliation and racism from the library and the community member who reported him.

        "That wasn't good enough, which leads me to believe that this had nothing to do with the books being missed, and had to do with whatever reason they were looking for to get rid of me," he said.

        "I really believe that this was political. It's definitely a perpetuation of white supremacy. None of this would have never ever ever been a problem if someone who doesn't believe in me speaking for equality for Black people wouldn't have reported it."



        Source

        © Copyright Original Source



        Interestingly the WaPo reported that he claimed he was told that he was told to "comb through the shelves of his branch in Chattanooga, Tenn., looking for books that were damaged, outdated or untruthful" and that "branch managers told employees they could bring home any weeded-out titles."

        Weed out "untruthful" books? Excuse me if I find that unlikely.

        And of course the only reason he was fired as a result of his actions is because of racism.






        I'm always still in trouble again

        "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
        "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
        "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

        Comment


        • #5
          Liberals in southwestern Ontario have a book burning party destroying 4700 books because they were deemed to contain racist stereotypes. .

          Source: Book burning at Ontario francophone schools as 'gesture of reconciliation' denounced


          A book burning held by an Ontario francophone school board as an act of reconciliation with Indigenous people has received sharp condemnation from Canadian political leaders and the board itself now says it regrets its symbolic gesture.

          The “flame purification” ceremony, first reported by Radio Canada , was held in 2019 by the Conseil scolaire catholique Providence, which oversees elementary and secondary schools in southwestern Ontario. Some 30 books, the national broadcaster reported, were burned for “educational purposes” and then the ashes were used as fertilizer to plant a tree.

          “We bury the ashes of racism, discrimination and stereotypes in the hope that we will grow up in an inclusive country where all can live in prosperity and security,” says a video prepared for students about the book burning, Radio Canada reported.

          In total, more than 4,700 books were removed from library shelves at 30 schools across the school board, and they have since been destroyed or are in the process of being recycled, Radio Canada reported.

          Lyne Cossette, the board’s spokesperson, told National Post that the board formed a committee and “many Aboriginal knowledge keepers and elders participated and were consulted at various stages, from the conceptualization to the evaluation of the books, to the tree planting initiative.”

          “Symbolically, some books were used as fertilizer,” Cossette wrote in an email.

          The school library, she said, is constantly updated, and the library books on shelves have “positive and inclusive messages about the diverse communities within our schools.”

          “We regret that we did not intervene to ensure a more appropriate plan for the commemorative ceremony and that it was offensive to some members of the community. We sincerely regret the negative impact of this initiative intended as a gesture of reconciliation,” Cossette wrote.

          Asked about the book burning, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said it’s not up to non-Indigenous people “to tell Indigenous people how they should feel or act to advance reconciliation.”

          “On a personal level, I would never agree to the burning of books,” Trudeau said.



          Source

          © Copyright Original Source



          Leave it to the left to turn the destruction of books into a ritualistic ceremony where the participants can experience self-righteous smugness for doing it. And Trudeau's wishy-washy response is pitiful.

          I'm always still in trouble again

          "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
          "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
          "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
            Liberals in southwestern Ontario have a book burning party destroying 4700 books because they were deemed to contain racist stereotypes. .

            Source: Book burning at Ontario francophone schools as 'gesture of reconciliation' denounced


            A book burning held by an Ontario francophone school board as an act of reconciliation with Indigenous people has received sharp condemnation from Canadian political leaders and the board itself now says it regrets its symbolic gesture.

            The “flame purification” ceremony, first reported by Radio Canada , was held in 2019 by the Conseil scolaire catholique Providence, which oversees elementary and secondary schools in southwestern Ontario. Some 30 books, the national broadcaster reported, were burned for “educational purposes” and then the ashes were used as fertilizer to plant a tree.

            “We bury the ashes of racism, discrimination and stereotypes in the hope that we will grow up in an inclusive country where all can live in prosperity and security,” says a video prepared for students about the book burning, Radio Canada reported.

            In total, more than 4,700 books were removed from library shelves at 30 schools across the school board, and they have since been destroyed or are in the process of being recycled, Radio Canada reported.

            Lyne Cossette, the board’s spokesperson, told National Post that the board formed a committee and “many Aboriginal knowledge keepers and elders participated and were consulted at various stages, from the conceptualization to the evaluation of the books, to the tree planting initiative.”

            “Symbolically, some books were used as fertilizer,” Cossette wrote in an email.

            The school library, she said, is constantly updated, and the library books on shelves have “positive and inclusive messages about the diverse communities within our schools.”

            “We regret that we did not intervene to ensure a more appropriate plan for the commemorative ceremony and that it was offensive to some members of the community. We sincerely regret the negative impact of this initiative intended as a gesture of reconciliation,” Cossette wrote.

            Asked about the book burning, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said it’s not up to non-Indigenous people “to tell Indigenous people how they should feel or act to advance reconciliation.”

            “On a personal level, I would never agree to the burning of books,” Trudeau said.



            Source

            © Copyright Original Source



            Leave it to the left to turn the destruction of books into a ritualistic ceremony where the participants can experience self-righteous smugness for doing it. And Trudeau's wishy-washy response is pitiful.
            Somehow I don't think this thread went the way she wanted it to.

            I'm sure we can all agree that the woman's call for burning books in the OP was uncalled for.

            Comment


            • #7
              bookburn660.jpg
              San Jose State University's Dr. Alison Bridger holds a lit match beneath a book that they don't like because it asserts that global warming is natural awhile assistant professor Craig Clements holds the book for her. The image was actually posted on the university website over the caption "Drs. Bridger and Clements test the flammability of the book" until someone figured out that posting images of academics burning a book on a university website might not be the smartest idea. I don't know if they actually burned the book but their actions are a ringing endorsement of such behavior.

              I'm always still in trouble again

              "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
              "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
              "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by CivilDiscourse View Post

                Somehow I don't think this thread went the way she wanted it to.

                I'm sure we can all agree that the woman's call for burning books in the OP was uncalled for.
                Book burning is not something that typically has widespread support and for good reason.

                I'm always still in trouble again

                "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
                "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
                "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by CivilDiscourse View Post
                  Yes, censorship is not an enlightened attitude.
                  I quite agree

                  Originally posted by CivilDiscourse View Post
                  I'm certain we can agree that censorship of opinions you don't like is unenlightened.
                  Are opinions automatically considered to be one and the same as books?

                  "It ain't necessarily so
                  The things that you're liable
                  To read in the Bible
                  It ain't necessarily so
                  ."

                  Sportin' Life
                  Porgy & Bess, DuBose Heyward, George & Ira Gershwin

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
                    Book burning is not something that typically has widespread support and for good reason.
                    Which makes the comments by the school board members all the more disturbing.
                    "It ain't necessarily so
                    The things that you're liable
                    To read in the Bible
                    It ain't necessarily so
                    ."

                    Sportin' Life
                    Porgy & Bess, DuBose Heyward, George & Ira Gershwin

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Hypatia_Alexandria View Post
                      I quite agree

                      Are opinions automatically considered to be one and the same as books?
                      What would make the censorship of one worse than the other? Do you feel that an opinion expressed in book form to be significantly more important than one merely stated?

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Hypatia_Alexandria View Post
                        Censorship and suggested book burning. Hardly the most enlightened of attitudes.
                        They are just following your example...

                        mc-xpm-2013-05-10-mc-burning-books-in-nazi-germany-wuerth-0510-20130509.jpg.crdownload


                        Atheism is the cult of death, the death of hope. The universe is doomed, you are doomed, the only thing that remains is to await your execution...

                        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbnueb2OI4o&t=3s

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by seer View Post
                          Firstly, precisely how old do you imagine me to be? Secondly are you condoning the suggestion that books deemed unsuitable by some should be burned?

                          Thirdly, did you not recognise this image?

                          "It ain't necessarily so
                          The things that you're liable
                          To read in the Bible
                          It ain't necessarily so
                          ."

                          Sportin' Life
                          Porgy & Bess, DuBose Heyward, George & Ira Gershwin

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Hypatia_Alexandria View Post
                            Which makes the comments by the school board members all the more disturbing.
                            Likewise the ACTIONS of the Tennessee librarian, Ontario school board, and the pair of university professors.

                            I'm always still in trouble again

                            "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
                            "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
                            "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Hypatia_Alexandria View Post

                              Firstly, precisely how old do you imagine me to be? Secondly are you condoning the suggestion that books deemed unsuitable by some should be burned?
                              You as in your people. And I certainly believe these books need to be removed from school libraries. What they do with them later is immaterial.

                              Thirdly, did you not recognise this image?
                              Nope...

                              Atheism is the cult of death, the death of hope. The universe is doomed, you are doomed, the only thing that remains is to await your execution...

                              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbnueb2OI4o&t=3s

                              Comment

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