I don’t remember the first time I read a sex scene in a book, but I do recall that scenes of a more intimate nature than I was used to began popping up occasionally during middle school. This was a pretty rare occurrence, though, when they did appear they were vague, closed-door references to characters “sleeping together.” One might have described a night full of steamy passion, a new set of muscles causing feelings a main character had never experienced before. Nowhere, not in my school, library, or afterschool activities, was I exposed to the kind of sexual content that conservative lawmakers like to prop up as average examples of the kind of books being censored.
I say all of this because this should be a non-issue. It’s 2025 and as a human race we should be above this book-banning nonsense already. Book bans are a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. No one, I repeat, NO. ONE. wants to force your child to read a book that you have deemed inappropriate. Schools take parental consent very seriously and none of them want the kind of backlash that would come from sending inappropriate books home with children.
“My child brought a book home from their school library and I don’t approve of the content.”
That is absolutely your right! Feel free to send it back with a note for the librarian. Or email and ask that they help your child select something your family approves of. Help them by suggesting topics your kiddo is interested in.
“But schools shouldn’t offer this content that I don’t approve of!”
Just like you don’t want your child’s school to force a book on them, you do not have the right to REMOVE books that other families DO want their children to read. We don’t have to agree on the specifics of every book to agree that we don’t want other people dictating what our kids read, right?
“My child’s teacher ASSIGNED them a book to read that I disapprove of.”
First, I’m going to hope that you’ve read the book yourself before making that kind of judgment and not just relied on online propaganda to justify your choice. Assuming you have, I’d encourage you to consider the teacher’s lesson. Ask for the details! What are the expected learning outcomes? Why was this particular book chosen? Are there assignments associated with the text that would benefit your child or other children in the class?
If you’ve taken those steps and you’re still dissatisfied with the book choice you’ll be happy to know that the Supreme Court recently ruled that parents can legally opt their children out of lessons containing topics they deem antithetical to their religious values. I’d strongly caution you to keep in mind that this causes extra work for the teacher and if you’re going to take this route please be willing to suggest well-researched alternatives to both the book and any related assignments.
“What’s wrong with not carrying certain books at schools? If their parents want them to read them they can take them to the library!”
Children don’t all have access to libraries. Those with disabled parents, working two jobs parents, rural parents, etc. should not be prevented from reading books they would otherwise have access to simply because you don’t like the subject matter. Additionally, states like conservative, gerrymandered Ohio are also working to ensure certain kinds of books are harder for children with library cards to access.
That’s the real issue, right there. Yes, of course we can all agree that we don’t want our seven-year-olds reading graphic adult content, but books like that are NOT in elementary school libraries. The insidious nature of these challenges isn’t restricted to books with scenes like that. The majority of books being challenged are those dealing with race, gender identity, and LGBTQ+ topics that are considered by conservative people to be, ahem, WOKE.
No one’s asking you to agree with those topics, in fact, I’ll fight you on them every goddamn day. I’m not asking you to be woke, or to allow your kid to be. I’m not even asking you to let your kid read “woke” books. Just stop trying to take them away from mine.
All I want during this Banned Books Week is for you to please, educate yourself about censorship. Let’s fight about other stuff while the kids read.
briennedaugherty.com 