Books by Margaret Atwood, Judy Blume, Rupi Kaur, and Sarah J Maas are among 13 titles that the state of Utah has ordered removed from all public school classrooms and libraries.
The law requires the books to be disposed of, so they will likely be thrown into the trash rather than given to willing readers.
One book was a finalist for the prestigious National Book Award. One topped a nationwide list for “Best Fiction for Young Adults.” Another has sold 3 million copies and been adapted into a popular Netflix series.
Most titles they have flagged focus on race or the LGBTQ community.
The books on the list were prohibited under a new law requiring all of Utah’s public school districts to remove them if they are banned in (1) three school districts or (2) two school districts and five charter schools.
Utah has 41 public school districts in total.
So, a small number of idiots can trigger the banning of books statewide.
Thus minority rule is in effect. Very popular among people whose ideas have no purchase in mainstream America but nevertheless wish to foist them upon the masses.
The Electoral College is an excellent example of this. George W. Bush and Donald Trump — the only two Republican Presidents elected in this century — failed to secure the popular vote but still won the Presidency because of the Electoral College’s arcane rules.
Of the 13 books banned by Utah officials this week, 12 were written by women.
So the patriarchy also appears to be at work here.
Meanwhile, 53% of American children have a smartphone by age 11.
Over 95% of teens ages 13 to 17 years own a smartphone.
But this is apparently not nearly as dangerous as books by Judy Blume, at least according to the good folks of Utah. Early, unfettered access to the hazards of social media, pornography, and online predators is perfectly acceptable for children, but Judy Blume is not.
However, even some of those fans of minority rule don’t always think so.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson installed “accountability software” on his smartphone and laptop to help him abstain from internet pornography and other unsavory websites. The software works by sending a report to an accountability partner about the websites he has visited, thus encouraging him to avoid anything nefarious, embarrassing, or otherwise harmful.
Mike Johnson’s accountability partner?
Jack, his 17-year-old son, who can apparently access any dark corner of the internet on his phone—thus the need for an accountability partner—but he cannot read Judy Blume or Margaret Atwood in school.
Political theater is so stupid. It seeks the public spotlight via ridiculous, meaningful, and frequently detrimental means.
It seeks to appeal to a politician’s base, even when that base holds an extreme, bigoted minority view.
Adults who engage in political theater are so stupid.
