Booksellers and libraries are actively engaging in a modern-day "book burning" campaign that has far-reaching consequences — especially for young authors with a compelling point of view.
Here are a few examples:
Amazon removed Ryan T. Anderson’s "When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment" from its digital bookshelves. The book is critical of the current transgender craze, especially among young people.
This is just the latest of many. But it’s not just its book catalog. Amazon’s streaming service is coming under fire as well.
Justice Clarence Thomas is the only Black justice sitting on the U.S. Supreme Court today. He’s only the second African-American ever to be elevated to that position. But he’s also one of the high court’s two most conservative jurists.
This month, Black History Month, Amazon removed a PBS documentary from its streaming service titled, "Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words."
The Federalist reported that when the title is selected, a message reads, "This video is currently unavailable to watch in your location." Other publications across the country report receiving the same message, so it’s apparently unavailable everywhere.
Booksellers other than Amazon are also removing titles.
In November, a Target customer complained about Abigail Shrier’s "Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze That’s Seducing Our Daughters." The customer claimed that “the trans community deserves a response … as to why they are selling this book about the "transgender epidemic sweeping the country."
The following day Target complied, and responded, "Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention. We have removed this book from our assortment."
Shrier commented on Amazon’s removal of the Anderson book, as well as others.
"We're really not making a big enough deal of the fact that @amazon has begun deleting books," tweeted Shrier, adding that the e-bookseller "now claims the right to bar all books that are 'inappropriate or offensive.'"
She argued that all books of merit are "inappropriate or offensive" to some but not to others, and referred to one still on Amazon’s list that describes sexual acts performed by young children.
The problem, she said, is "the power of scale" that Amazon exerts. Because Amazon accounts for 83% of all book sales, "books Amazon disfavors will never be published in the first place — which is exactly what the book banners want."
She concluded that "NOW is the time to get upset. For the moment, while we can still express this on @twitter, NOW is the time."
She added, "Writers are being dropped by agents and refused by publishers *right now* because of Amazon's move. Time is running out."
The 21st century book burning has reached the point of lunacy, and now targets the classics — children’s classics.
Dr. Seuss’s birthday, March 2, has been celebrated in grade schools across the country as Read Across America Day for decades, a tradition started by the nation’s largest labor organization — the National Education Association.
But not this year, at least not in one Virginia school district. In response to demands made by Learning for Justice — a left-wing teachers organization — that Dr. Seuss be cancelled, Loudoun County Public Schools is doing exactly that.
They claim that these classic children’s books contain "racial undertones" that are not suitable for "culturally responsive" learning.
"Realizing that many schools continue to celebrate 'Read Across America Day' in partial recognition of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, it is important for us to be cognizant of research that may challenge our practice in this regard," the notice said.
"As we become more culturally responsive and racially conscious, all building leaders should know that in recent years there has been research revealing radical undertones in the books written and the illustrations drawn by Dr. Seuss."
Learning for Justice cited a study from St. Catherine University that claims Dr. Seuss’s books are filled with "orientalism, anti-blackness, and white supremacy."
"How The Grinch Stole Christmas" is obviously anti-green people, but the rest is pretty much a stretch.
Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity board member Vivek Ramaswamy, who also authored the forthcoming book "Woke Inc.," made a smart observation about 21st century book burning.
"Name ONE time in human history when the group fighting to ban books and censor speech were the good guys," he said.
"I’ll wait…"
He’s still waiting.
Democrats and liberals demand diversity in all things—except thought—and their actions make that more clear every day.
Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and has been a frequent contributor to BizPac Review and Liberty Unyielding. He is also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and an enthusiastic Second Amendment supporter, who can often be found honing his skills at the range. Read Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.
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