Editor,
It’s always enlightening and uplifting to read the columns written by your wonderful, caring columnist Craig Wiesner. His June 1 column made me smile widely, and I had tears in my eyes when I read this sentence he wrote: “If America’s beautifully diverse children, like those at Arbor Bay, walk into a classroom, library or bookstore, why shouldn’t they see themselves, people different from them, and other worlds in the books they can discover on the shelves?”
He also wrote: “Believe it or not, many books about children with disabilities, including Down syndrome, have been challenged/banned.”
How ridiculous is that?
That is why many cities now celebrate “Banned Books Week” when many residents strive to make sure that the excellent/different/special/unusual books that appear on banned book lists are not banned from our school and public libraries — and even, sometimes, from local bookstores.
Please keep writing and promoting diverse books for a diverse country, Craig!
Joanne Engelhardt
Redwood City
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(4) comments
"How ridiculous is that?" you say? Very ridiculous, because it is simply not true, that books about Down Syndrome have been a significant target of "book banning" by anyone in this country. In fact, Craig's list of "banned books" contained many obscure examples of extremely local challenges of books from decades ago. (See my prior comment.) Use ChatGPT or another AI search engine and get back to me with your examples of "banning" of books about Down Syndrome because I found nothing.
And maybe Joanne you can answer me, since Craig would not. Do you think a book that describes graphic sex acts and suggests gay kids use hook-up apps to meet others belongs in a middle school? ("This Book is Gay") Perhaps we can agree, as the BIS principal did, that a book like that is not appropriate reading material for 11-14 year olds. Though, should you wish to hold a bedtime read-aloud with your children or grandchildren, the book has not been "banned" and you are free to order it on Amazon.
Thanks for your letter, Ms. Engelhardt, but if we follow Mr. Wiesners approach, and I’m assuming with your blessing, let’s open up alcohol and tobacco sales, casinos, driving, bars, adult content, etc. to kids. Why shouldn’t children be exposed to the diversity adults can experience, not just in books, but in life?
We have a rather vast home library, with all kinds of books, all available to our two children, if interested. Not even the bible did we hide from them, despite its horrible, inhuman message and all it’s killing commands. Fortunately, our kids never showed any kind of interest in such trash, nor any appetite for made-up church stories.
The "Trash Man" has spoken, pornographic books and other filth that Jorg raised his children with are available at his home library. Yuck!
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