The Orlando Sentinel published a two-page print spread Thursday listing 673 books that have been removed from classrooms in Orange County in 2023 due to fears they violate the state’s new laws banning “sexual conduct” from public schools.

Teachers with any of the 673 books on their classroom shelves have been instructed by the school district to remove them, the newspaper said, also noting that the Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) staff will review the list of rejected books once again, so it’s possible the books will eventually be returned to the classroom. The district began compiling the list over the summer.

The list stems from two Florida laws signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis ®, who is also running for president. They require media specialists to review books in libraries and classrooms, and to exclude books that include sexually lewd material or pornography. The legislation also aims to give parents greater ability to raise objections to their children’s education.

    • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      I think it’s pitiful to defend the censorship of books considered generally harmless for decades. Shame on you, honestly.

        • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          That is an absolute strawman that has never happened and you fucking know it. But go ahead, simp for fascism

        • Bartsbigbugbag@lemmy.ml
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          11 months ago

          Dumbest argument I’ve ever heard. You really think there’s Hustler and Playboy in school libraries? Or are you unable to distinguish between pornography, literature, and educational content? Was I looking at porn when I saw bare tits in the encyclopedia at 7? Should we ban encyclopedias? Should Judy Bloom books be banned because they gasp discuss puberty and masturbation?

    • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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      11 months ago

      Alcohol isn’t banned you just need a license to sell it. The analogy doesn’t work though because it’s not like beer is allowed everywhere but wine isn’t. They are making objective decisions about the content of different versions of the same product.

      Also a huge number of those books have been available for decades or even a century so why are they suddenly a problem now?

    • Custoslibera@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      If you support this book banning policy you are a fascist.

      The reason is because the subordination of individual interests for the ‘good’ of the nation/race is a fascist hallmark.

      You may think it’s a huge leap between book bans and gas chambers but Fascism was a legitimate political party that took many policy decisions long before people realised it was a bad idea.

      If it makes you uncomfortable to think that you support the people that were on the losing side of WWII then I implore you to reconsider how you’ve arrived at this position.