Book bans are symptoms, not the disease

A recent Newsday cover headline read: "Book ban attempts skyrocket."

The story inside shared the page with a more ominous headline: "Survey says antisemitic attacks rose 36% last year."

Like the canary in the coal mine, a record number of attempts to ban books, as reported by the American Library Association, is a warning. The 3,697 assaults, harassments and vandalism recorded by the Anti-Defamation League, the most since it began keeping records, doubles down on that warning. These are signs of a deeper ailment: a dramatic increase in antidemocratic actions and policies aimed at denying basic human rights. When we extend these limitations to educational settings through local school board politics, we strike at the heart of our democracy.

There is a direct link between censoring reading material and discrimination based on religion, race, nationality or sexual identity. Restricting exposure to “other” restricts the ability to understand and appreciate the value of all cultures and results in the denial of human rights. This is especially dangerous when embedded in our educational system.

PEN America, a nonprofit that monitors literature and writing, has tracked over 300 bills since 2021 it categorizes as “educational gag orders.” These bills — some already law — limit what can be taught in grade schools and higher education, restricting the ability of educators to help students learn how to critically analyze controversial views and topics. Catchy phrases like anti-woke or culture wars attempt to mask censorship. So-called culture war politics have the potential — and often the intent — of limiting human rights.

The confrontation between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the College Board over the content of an Advanced Placement African American Studies course is an obvious attempt to limit a full understanding of the African American experience. At the other end of the political spectrum, students at Stanford Law and Yale Law disrupted conservative speakers, while students and some faculty at MIT got a famous geophysicist disinvited over his controversial comments about affirmative action. Such actions limit what students will read, hear or see. History has demonstrated time and again that similar practices and limitations lead to discriminatory behavior and the limiting of human rights.

How does this bode for this month's elections for local school boards and budgets? Once again, those for and against will pack board meetings. But the battle lines have changed. No longer are skirmishes about tax hikes and tax caps. Opposing trenches are no longer occupied by tax-weary seniors vs. young parents. No, the new battle lines are drawn around culture wars. It’s the loud vs. the woke, and hate speech will drown out legitimate debate.

When “woke” is viewed as breaking down barriers of discrimination and challenging limits on free speech, an aggressive reaction, as has occurred, should not be a surprise. It’s critical to see these reactions — bans and censorship — as more than cultural differences. Attempts at viewing American history through a single lens are not simply “anti-woke.” They must be seen as attempts to justify discriminatory practices that limit human rights.

All of this, accompanied by a large dose of hate speech, will now play out in school board meetings and elections. The temperature around culture wars in politics and how this affects education will only be lowered if we return our attention to reading books, not banning books. If not, the casualties once again will be our students, nationally and here on Long Island.