On banning books
Book banning, at first glimpse, might seem like a way to protect our innocent children, but it is far more dangerous than the ideas it seeks to suppress. What we lose in such badly conceived policies, such as the fear-driven Florida book-banning, is the opportunity to converse and learn from each other. Book banning throws up a wall of unknowing, it separates us when we most need to come together, it weakens the strength we find in diversity, it reverses the advantages we gain as an informed electorate, and as such, it ultimately threatens democracy. We are seeing a lot of that kind of behavior these days.
Look at what is happening in Russia. Putin has banned all media that would offer even a glimpse into the true cost of his war; instead, feeding misinformation to his faithful, who, in their ignorance, are learning to hate the Ukrainians. This “dummying down” of Russian citizens has served Putin well, but it comes at a huge cost to humanity. Banning is a characteristic of authoritarian systems of governing, and the resulting ignorance fosters intolerance, hate and violence.
Similarly, banning books essentially “dummies-down” our education system. Schools should be encouraging intelligent discourse about the stories that differ from our own. Children of all ages respond to thoughtful and compassionate dialogue, and they learn so much from conversations about differences. Skilled teachers are well-versed in age-appropriateness, and they can guide conversations into safe and productive channels of discovery. Whether exploring what it is like to have two mothers, or wear a hijab, or have classmates with special needs, or be a boy who dreams of ballet, there is no threat if there is understanding. What better opportunity to develop the mind when a child realizes that everyone has something to teach, and that judging others only reveals our own ignorance. To perceive such teachable moments as a threat rather than an opportunity to expand our world view and tolerance for differences is to choose to live in the dark ages, cloaked in the ignorance that is feeding so much hate and division in the world today.