Substitute while the actions of the article are loading
The Republican-led Tennessee legislature passed a bill Wednesday that would require public school librarians to submit a list of book titles to the state for approval, as a Republican lawmaker proposed burning books deemed inappropriate.
During a controversial debate on the bill in the House of Representatives, U.S. Attorney John Ray Clemens (D) asked U.S. Attorney Jerry Sexton (R) what he would do with books he and the state deem inappropriate for libraries.
“Will you take them outside?” To light them? Where are they going? ”Clemens asked.
“I have no idea, but I would burn them,” Sexton said.
That’s what I thought, Clemens said.
Librarians will now have to provide the state with a list of each title on their shelves for approval. But what about books that are considered inappropriate?
“I have no idea, but I would burn them.” pic.twitter.com/C09qOpE8MX
– Ilene J. Gould (@producerilene) April 27, 2022
The burning of books is emblematic of authoritarian regimes, especially in Nazi Germany. One of the most striking examples in history occurred on May 10, 1933, when students at German universities set fire to more than 25,000 books that were considered “non-German.” according to the US Holocaust Museum. The action came after about 40,000 people gathered to hear Josef Goebbels, the Nazi party’s chief propagandist, deliver a statement declaring “No to Decline and Moral Corruption,” according to the museum.
Under the Tennessee House bill, which was also approved by the U.S. Senate, librarians will have to submit to the state commission a list of book titles in their collections for approval. The bill is now being referred to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) for signature as law.
At a White House event on Wednesday in honor of teachers, President Biden condemned politically motivated efforts to focus on books he said made teaching even more difficult.
“There are too many politicians trying to earn political points by trying to ban books, even math books,” he said, referring to Florida’s latest moves. “Have you ever thought when you teach that you will worry about burning books and banning books because it is not in line with someone’s political agenda?”
According to Fox 17 Nashville, Sexton defended the measure, saying that at the moment “there is no clear direction… how these books get there.”
The bill, according to Sexton, will also allow parents to mark books on librarians’ “dislikes” lists, allowing them to “appeal” to the authorities about the future of books on shelves.
Democrats and educational organizations fought against the measure. In a statement Tuesday, the Tennessee School Librarians Association called it a “gross government exaggeration” and not in the best interests of state students.
“History has not looked tenderly on those who ban books or those who burn books. “I’m not sure this is the person we want to be involved with,” said Republican Gloria Johnson (D).
After the Tennessee House voted to pass the bill, Clemens said he was “silent.”
“This is the last vote on the Republican Party Burn Book,” Clemens tweeted. “I can refer to the account with that name, because the sponsor of the bill literally just said that he would burn the books taken out of the bookshelves. And he said it on the floor of #TN House.
The Tennessee bill comes amid “historic efforts” by conservative groups across the country to ban books and study materials they find undesirable, often publications that affect racism, gender, politics and sexual identity, according to the American Library Association’s annual report. for censorship of the book.
“These groups sought to retrieve books from the shelves of schools and public libraries that share the stories of people who are gay, trans, black, local, black, immigrants and refugees,” the ALA report said. “But we know that banning books will not make these realities and experiences disappear, nor will it erase our nation’s struggles to realize true justice, diversity and inclusion.
The ALA said it had tracked 729 attempts to remove library, school and university materials in 2021, leading to 1,597 challenges or book removals – the highest number recorded since the association began tracking the phenomenon 20 years ago.
Hannah Nathanson contributed to this report.
Add Comment