Help keep our democracy functioning: Vote for the Right to Read

By Mary Bartling | Categories: Benefits of Humanities, On Censorship, The Art of Reading

A
ccess to diverse books is not only essential to a strong education and a free mind, it’s critical to a healthy democracy.

Reading is more than merely the decoding of texts. It’s the main road to basic information exchange, personal development, and the foundation of life-long learning.

More importantly, however, reading is our most powerful tool for developing analytic and critical thinking. It expands our conceptual capacities. It trains perspective-taking and cognitive empathy – social skills indispensable for informed citizens in a democratic society.[1]

But, we’re currently in the midst of a book banning crisis.

Well-funded pressure groups are mandating the removal of books from library and school shelves. They’re pushing state governments to impose educational gag orders on teachers and staff.

These laws silence discussion about race and gender in America, as well as difficult issues like poverty, domestic abuse, and drug addiction.

In doing so, they isolate and discriminate against LGBTQ+ students and students of color. They leave victims of abuse feeling detached, alone, and blaming themselves for what they have suffered.

They give us the impression that the cycle of poverty is easily broken, or that only people who are morally deficient suffer from addiction.

And… they cast a long and shameful shadow of censorship across our libraries and schools.

Polling repeatedly shows that communities across our country agree that families should be able to decide for themselves what their children can and cannot read. Not another parent. And certainly not a politician. At their core, these laws are anti-family, anti-freedom, and anti-American. [2]

Put a stop to these policies at the ballot box.

These pressure groups won’t quit pushing for anti-education policies. Nor will state and local legislators refrain from introducing such bills until we put a stop to it at the ballot box. Like in the election that’s coming up in November.

So, we must use our votes up and down the ballot to demand that our policymakers protect students, public servants, and especially our right to read. That means voting for legislators who support the belief that our public institutions must serve diverse communities and remain a hallmark of a free people.

It means voting for lawmakers who will put forward legislation like the Books Save Lives Act and the Fight Book Bans Act, rather than the Don’t Say Gay bill or the Stop the Woke act – which impose educational gags, and undermine what libraries are all about.

HERE’S A VOTER CHECKLIST TO ENSURE THAT WE DO JUST THAT:

PREPARE FOR THE ELECTION.
- Register or confirm your voter registration.
- Know what’s on your ballot.
- Go to this site for state-by-state election information.
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ADVOCATE WITH THIS ACTION TOOLKIT from Unite Against Book Bans.
- Share the candidate questionnaire.
- Or use it to ask key questions during public forums.
- Review talking points, contact media, and more.

ORGANIZE YOUR COMMUNITY.
- Use your personal influence to help friends, family, and other community members prepare for elections and turn out to vote.
- Check out these resources for library professionals, educators, faith groups, students, parents, and authors.
  .
SHOW UP & SPEAK OUT.
The freedom to read is a non-partisan, American value. Let’s mobilize our communities to vote in every election – for pro-library, anti-book banning candidates.
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MOST IMPORTANTLY, GET TO THE POLLS AND CAST YOUR VOTE![3]

Because a democratic society – which is based on informed multi-stakeholder consensus – can only succeed with resilient readers. As Margaret Atwood points out in her oft-quoted warning:

If there are no young readers and writers, there will shortly be no older ones. Literacy will be dead, and democracy… will be dead as well”.[4]

#on censorship #The Books Save Lives Act

Endnotes:

[1] The Ljubljana Reading Manifesto: Why higher-level reading is important. October 20, 2023. International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. https://www.ifla.org/news/ljubljana-manifesto-on-higher-level-reading-launched-at-frankfurter-buchmesse/

[2] Take the Voter Pledge. Unite Against Book Bans. https://uniteagainstbookbans.org/vote/

[3] Take the Voter Pledge. Unite Against Book Bans. https://uniteagainstbookbans.org/vote/

[4] The Ljubljana Reading Manifesto: Why higher-level reading is important. October 20, 2023. International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. https://www.ifla.org/news/ljubljana-manifesto-on-higher-level-reading-launched-at-frankfurter-buchmesse/