Those books under screwed in two with scontt and many of those titles written by members of the lgbtqia community. En it comes to book fans, certain titles andchools, is that something you suppo oppose or perhaps you are not sure. If you say you support these bands, 202 7488000. If you oppose them, 202 7488001. If you are sure, but want to give us your thoughts, 202 7488002. You can text us at 202 7488003. Post on facebook and on x. You can also follow on instagram. The American Library association on their website highlights what technically evolved when what is involved when books are up for review for content. What is the difference between challenge or banning. Challenging is an attempt to remove or restrict materials based on the objections of a person or group but banning is the removal of those material to reach challenges do not involve a person expressing a point of view, rather they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others through parents, teachers, students, and other citizens. Most challenges are successful in both materials are retained in the school click School Curriculum or Library Collection. They also publish under their challenge and right books are usually challenged with the best of intentions to protect others, protect children from difficult ideas or information. That is from the American Library association which also published some top books that were under consideration to be pulled from Library Shelves. They include a book called jen your queer, a member a memoir, all boys are blue by georgia johnson, a book called framer by mike dear otto which was also tied for looking for alaska by john green and the perks of being wallflower and he goes on from there. You can find that at the ala site. When it comes to this idea of pulling books because of content, where you stand on that . Do you support or oppose that . If you support the effort and want to tell us why, call in 20 748, 8000. If you support that, if you support that, 202 7488000. If you oppose it [indiscernible] npr asked many things along the topic of library content. One of the questions they asked were to what extent if all do you support or oppose each of the following. Under individual School Boards betting certain books and removing things from classrooms, 6 show supporting that, 15 somewhat supporting it, 20 percent somewhat opposing it and 45 strongly opposing it. When it comes to parents asked about School Boards betting certain books, 8 of parents supporting that, 36 strongly opposing that. Then it asks the question about state lawmakers, if state lawmakers were passing laws that ban certain books, removing them from classrooms. Only 5 of those responding strongly support that versus 50 strongly opposing that. When it comes to parents of students from k12, 6 of those parents saying they approve or strongly support state lawmakers moving to ban certain books, 42 opposing that movement as well. You can find that at npr. When it comes to book fans, it was the subject of a Senate Judiciary hearing that took place this week. You can find the whole hearing on our website at cspan. Org. But it was during the hearing that the illinois secretary of state was there to talk about not only his concerns over bands but how legislatively had state was dealing with it. Here is of the full portion of his testimony. [video clip] our libraries have become targets by movein that disingenuously claims to pursue fruit him freedom but is moaning authoritarianism. Authoritarian regimes ban books, not democracies. Tragically, our libraries have become the thunder domes of controversy and strife across our nation. The likes of which we have never seen before. These radical attacks on our libraries divided our communities and our librarians have been harassed, threatened, and intimidated for simply doing their jobs. The need to stand up and fight for our freedoms and libraries, especially at this perilous time for our democracy, is why i initiated house bill 2789 in illinois. This legislation, the first of its kind in the United States of america, is a win for First Amendment rights and most importantly a great victory for future generations to come. Under this legislation, illinois libraries will not be eligible for state funded grants if they ban books. This right to read legislation will help remove the pressure librarians tragically had to endure over the last couple years. This legislation is important because both concept and practice of banning books contradicts the very essence of what our country stands for and our democracy was founded on. It also defies what education is all about. Teaching our children to think for themselves. If the book banners care to, they can go to our librarys and check out the federalist papers, the u. S. Constitution, and Supreme Court cases on the First Amendment. What they will learn is our democracy depends on the marketplace of ideas. The market place of ideas will not function if we ban books because we will be banning ideas and preventing our children from thinking for themselves and having the ability to debate and to learn and understand different specters as we will be banning knowledge, culture, empathy, understanding, and diverse and differing worldviews. Host the full hearing is available on cspan. Org. It featured a lot of different perspectives when it comes to the topics of book fans. We are interested in hearing what you think about it, whether you support or oppose them. If you support, 202 7488000 is the number to call. If you are opposed, 202 7488001. Perhaps you are not sure, 202 7488002. You can always post on our social media sites as well and text us. One from california texting us saying he supports book banning of unnecessary material that most kids dont understand in the first place. There will be plenty of time to be an adult, why rush it he adds. From mike in woodberry, minnesota with the word oppose totalitarian states ban books he writes. From our Facebook Page, Tricia Kessler saying she supports the many books sexualizing our young books has no business in school. Quite disgusting she adds. Then sharon cap with our Facebook Page says she opposes it. Book fans are way to control people. It is the fascist playbook, another on thought control. You can add into the mix including texting us at 202 7488003. The same npr poll took a look at the idea of passing laws and making moves on book hands by Political Party when respondents were asked about state lawmakers passed passing laws, only 12 of republicans say they support the move, 24 somewhat supportive of it, 20 say they somewhat oppose and 31 saying they strongly oppose it. Democrats less than 5 saying they strongly oppose that and 70 say they strongly oppose it. When they talk about individual scoreboards School Boards banning books, republicans 12 of them saying they strongly support that move, 29 strongly opposing it, democrats saying about 6 of those supporting that, 55 opposing it. That pole was conducted by npr. If you want to find online, it is npr. Org. Your thoughts on socalled book fans, if you support or oppose them. Judy in maine on our oppose line. Good morning. Caller good morning. It is rudy. Host rudy, i apologize. Caller no, thats ok. I oppose it with one caveat. You must play senator kennedys remarks last week of him reading from two of the books. If you do this, right now, on cspan, i am against it. Otherwise i am for it. Host i dont understand your reasoning there but can you clarify . Caller sure. Senator kennedy read from two of the books. If you can read from two of the books on the senate floor, why cant you . If you cant, then im for banning them. So i recommend you read them so everyone can hear some of the content of those books. It had to be bleeped out online on Network Television because of the content but you dont want to ban them. Host if you want to go to the website, our cspan website, we aired that hearing, senator kennedys comments included for anybody to hear, go to our website at cspan. Org. A lot of different perspectives when it comes to the topic. You can add yours to the mix on our support, oppose, or not sure line. On our up se line, this is ralph in michigan. Hi. Caller yes, what prompted me to call was the clip you had of the man talking about book banning and authoritarianism. I have to agree wholeheartedly with the idea that we have an authoritarian movement, which to me is the Trump Movement basically. There is an authoritarian movement in the United States in the Republican Party. So much so that my feeling on the Republican Party is no longer what i would call traditional republican. Host lets apply it to book ban specifically. Why do you oppose them . Caller the problem is that is the first step toward an authoritarian state. Correct . So lets go back to hitler and not and nazi germany. One of the first movements of the hitlers Political Party, i cant remember it, the national socialist, right . The nazi party was to ban books. To me, it is an initial step toward an authoritarian thing. And i think they are doing this in florida and florida is banning books and words, so it was my understanding that in florida, what is the governors name . Ron desantis headband the phrase Climate Change from any government Florida State document. Host troy is next in maine on our support line. Caller hello . Host you are on. Troy, from maine, go ahead. Caller ok. Im watching tv. Anyway, i dont think books should be banned. I think everybody should be able to read whatever they want. Host you are calling in on our support line, why is that . Caller im watching cspan right now. Host you are calling in on the wrong line. We have labeled it out if you support book hands it is book bans is 202 7488000. If you oppose it, 202 7488001. If you are not sure, 202 7488002. One of the people pushing back against some of the ideas secretary of state brought up at the scene hearing, a gentleman with the American Enterprise institute talked about what his thoughts are on what ban means and if it is occurring in the United States. Here is a portion of his comments. This conversation focuses on School Library availability. If ban means made unavailable, virtually every book every publisher has been effectively banned from School Libraries. But that is not even what this word means. Indeed a book can be both banned and available in School Library. That is because the media expanded the definition of ban offered by penn america. If a book has been taken off the shelves, reviewed, and placed on the shelves, it has according to penn been banned. If a School Places a per mentor parental permission requirement on a book, it has according to them has been banned. If a school moves a book to a Guidance Counselors office, it has according to them been banned. Their report banned in the usa draws parallels to these two nazi germany. My public School Library did not carry mein kampf. Was it banned . I dont know but i know i have read a few books and so far missed the part where the nazi party forced schools to relocate books to Guidance Counselors offices. An honest account, the heritage foundations j green and i set out to assess how many of 2005 under 32 books in the 2022 report banned were removed from School Libraries. We did this with one trick, we checked the card catalogs. Nearly three quarters of the books labeled as banned were still in School Libraries. A careful analysis relies the claims that books are being banned for race or lgbt issues were penn america labeled the black lives matter inspired the hate you give as the fifth most banned book, we found it available on every School Library in question. When the Washington Post examined 1000 review requests by parents, less than 7 mentioned lgbt without also containing the word sexual. Although those requests may have contained words like pornographic or obscene. That is what this issue is really about. The provision of sexually explicit material to children by public employees. Host there were a lot more perspectives from the hearing. We will continue to show you them as we go on. Your idea or your thoughts when it comes to this idea of book manning, you can call on the line and post on social media. The report mentioned can be found online at the aei website, aei. Org, and the report is called the book ban mirage if you want to read some of those findings for yourself. Stony brook, new york on our opposed line from janet. Go ahead. Caller hi, pedro. Nice to talk to you. I am a librarian and i work in somewhat conservative Public Library district. I am not sure if we have the book on the shelves because im an adult librarian but i did listen to the hearing and although the passage was upsetting, i have to say from all boys dont wear blue, the woman who was i believe she was from arkansas, she was saying that she was a victim of sexual abuse and if you read the entire book then you would know that that scene depicts sexual views. I think that is part of the problem in society and the press is everything is taken out of context. Now theres a soundbite of kennedy reading that which is fine but if you read the entire book you would know that that was meant to warn a child or somebody in a new relationship that that is not ok what was happening. Host you said you are a librarian and you work with adult but do you know if your library has a process of dealing with books that parents or other people may want to challenge . Caller we absolutely do. What happens is somebody would have to write something in writing, and emailer letter, then the book is examined. I do not think that our children or librarians are putting things they deem inappropriate on the spot so i dont thing this happens very much. We do have a parent correction so only some 18 or older can take it out so another word the parent would condone the child reading the book. There is a lot of ways you can make sure like a sevenyearold is not reading that. Host lets hear from sam in massachusetts, supporter of these efforts. Caller hi. I support the book and because i do not believe that pornography should be taught to Young Children by democratic liberals. Im a christian and i strongly support the kind of book ban. That is all i have to say. Host from penn america, which you heard the previous person at the hearing say they keep track of socalled bands that have been taking place. This is from Education Week if you want to find it online, book fans and regional. Since 2021, penn america tracked more than 1000 instances of book challenges and bands during the sixmonth period. It charts it from july to december 22 anyone, 1383 instances from january to june 2022. 1140 nine instances. From july to december, 2022, 1477 instances. That is found at the Education Week and they include some of the illustrations of book bands that, over the years, the titles under consideration we have already mentioned and you can read that online. Kevin joins us on our not sure line. Hello. Caller hello. The reason im not sure is because who would be determining look its on the shelves and what doesnt . Because some people are out of their minds in either direction. Host if there were an outside body else out of the library and outside of ahrens, i guess who would you like to see make these kinds of decisions . Caller parents should be able to make it. I wouldve loved to have got my hands on the anarchist cook look in fifth grade. My parents, not so much. You know what i mean . That is my point. There you go. Host our next is in boston on our opposed line. Caller good morning. I was thinking there are two separate things. Theres age appropriateness versus the topic of the book and what is discussed in it. There is also another differentiation here. There is a book ban or a regulation of topic and what is taught in school. I cannot believe it is 2023 and weve got a listen to sam from massachusetts call in to say i support book bans in the usa. What the hell is that . I dont care if you are christian, i dont care what father figure in the sky you look up to. I dont care. Host specifically, why do you oppose it . Caller why do i oppose the book ban . Its almost everything that america stood against. It is unconscionable that we have people, especially older people, calling in supporting a book ban like it is nazi germany. Moved to iran. Host that is ted in boston. Some of the perspectives on this topic an oped form have appeared. It was earlier this year that the education secretary cardona weighed in on his thoughts. You can find his thoughts on line in the oped but he reads in part it is just as deserving as some politicians want limit our childrens freedom to read over the last year, 4 Million Students have har Reading Center and book bans with the major bands centerinies of colored americ imagine being a parent whose kid has never re single book in like theres. A family who looks censorship is not only against our values as a nation, it makes it for makes it harder for children to learn. The families i met want more not fewer books on the shelves of their school and their local libraries. That is Miguel Cardona with his thoughts. Also giving their thoughts on the matter was martin swain of e ll streetal Editori