Staff Reports
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce recently held a subcommittee hearing to address the explicit content found in children’s school libraries. While some individuals on the left have claimed that this is an unjustified “book banning” campaign, witnesses at the hearing argued that it is actually an issue of pornographic material being distributed to American schools.
Representative Aaron Bean, Chairman of the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee, explained in his opening statement that the hearing was necessary to address books that contain inappropriate and explicit content. He highlighted specific examples, such as a father being silenced for reading an explicit book during a televised School Board meeting and a late-night television ad featuring explicit language being rejected.
Bean emphasized that this issue is significant on a federal level because the Biden administration is attempting to dictate what is appropriate or inappropriate for school library shelves. He argued that this violates the principles of federalism and undermines the rights of states and local districts.
What's at stake, said Friedman, is “whether we can live in a diverse society that upholds our traditions of freedom and democracy for us all. Or whether we want to allow a vocal minority with a discriminatory intent to narrow our students’ educational horizons.” (2/3) #Censorship
— PEN America (@PENamerica) October 19, 2023
During the hearing, Lindsey Smith, chair of the Montgomery County, Maryland chapter of Moms for Liberty, expressed her concerns about explicit content in her son’s school library. She emphasized that this is not a political issue or an attempt to ban books, but rather about protecting the innocence of children. Smith described sexually explicit materials accessible to children as young as three years old and called for stronger measures to protect children from pornography.
Max Eden, a research fellow for the American Enterprise Institute, discussed how left-wing media distorts language to create a false narrative of “book banning.” He conducted a study that found that the majority of books alleged to be banned were still present in school libraries. However, he noted that the books that were actually removed often contained explicit content about sex.
It is crucial to recognize the importance of providing a safe and appropriate learning environment for children. While some individuals may argue that these efforts are an attack on free speech or an attempt to promote a specific agenda, the focus should be on safeguarding children from explicit materials. Parental involvement and local decision-making should play a significant role in determining what books are appropriate for school libraries.
