American Library Association Data Shows The Party Of Free Speech Is Doing More Than Ever To Silence Speech

Free Speech

from the party-of-hatred-is-more-accurate-imo dept

We’re increasingly at the mercy of bigots in this country. That’s an upsetting turn of events, considering our history, which includes a long list of enshrined rights as well as the assertion that all people are created equal.

Thanks to the aberration that was the Donald Trump presidency, the worst people in the nation suddenly felt heard. They engaged more freely in hate speech, COVID disinformation, and activities ranging from election interference to straight-up insurrection.

These people proclaimed themselves to be members of the party of free speech. Any social media service reluctant to host hateful speech (which is hardly any service these days), dangerous assertions about an ongoing pandemic, and calls to violently overturn election results was branded a “censor.” These US residents wore each suspension or ban as a badge of honor — a supposed indication of their unbending willingness to tell the “truth.” Self-delusion was presented as fearlessness in the face of (not actually even) censorship.

That bigotry and hatred has spilled over to the public sphere, where actual constitutional violations actually occur. An alarming amount of Americans are now seeking to silence voices they don’t like. Most recently, the voices they don’t like emanate from people who don’t identify as heterosexual.

The opposition to voices representing people whose sexuality doesn’t align with close-minded assumptions about binary sexual identity has escalated since Trump took office and secured the loyalty of similarly small-minded legislators and supporters all over the nation.

It would be nice if the efforts we see mounted day after day by bigots could just be considered ironic. Instead, they’re a very dangerous form of hypocrisy. The same people who brandish weapons while shouting “THE SECOND AMENDMENT PROTECTS THE FIRST” tend to be the same people willing to tread all over the First Amendment rights of people they don’t like, don’t understand, or otherwise don’t agree with.

Fortunately, they’re not getting much help from courts. Even Trump appointees have been unwilling to sign off on First Amendment violations proposed by legislators who think they’re allowed to silence people they’re unwilling to treat as fellow human beings.

The people who support bigoted legislators have become far more active in recent years. Whatever remnants of shame or better judgment have been shed in favor of turning the United States into an anti-LGBTQ nation more aligned with Saudi Arabia, Russia, or any number of nations run by hateful autocrats.

The low-hanging fruit are our nation’s libraries, entities that have been traditionally given considerable First Amendment latitude. These great equalizers of information access are being subjected to constant harassment by spiteful dipshits powered by irrational hate and a complete disrespect for the tenets of the First Amendment.

Here’s how it’s going in the United States right now — you know, the nation regarded as the leader of free world.

There were nearly 700 attempts to ban library books in the first eight months of 2023, according to data released Tuesday by the American Library Association.

From Jan. 1 to Aug 31, the attempts sought to challenge or censor 1,915 titles, a 20% increase compared to the same months in 2022, the organization said. Last year saw the most challenges since the ALA began tracking book censorship more than two decades ago.

But the real numbers may even be higher. The ALA collects data on book bans through library professionals and news reports, and therefore, its numbers may not encompass all attempts to ban or censor certain books.

Most of the titles under scrutiny this year were written by or about people of color or members of the LGBTQ+ community, the group said.

Libraries are, of course, entitled to ignore these requests. But, as publicly-funded agencies, their ability to limit bigots from limiting their book selection relies heavily on the localities that provide their funding.

Those pushing for the silencing of LGBTQ voices are having an effect on local governments, some of which are no doubt more than happy to oblige the worst of their constituents. The ALA’s report shows governments are more than willing to back private calls for content removal with actual demands for censorship. (Emphasis in the original.)

Samuels Public Library (Front Royal, Va.) — A local pressure group called “Clean Up Samuels” held two book-banning BBQ events (“there will be beer and babysitting”) to fill out Request for Reconsideration forms for materials held at the library. Their efforts focused on children and young adult materials with representation of the lived experiences of those who are LGBTQIA+. Over 500 forms were completed for nearly 150 unique titles. At county board of supervisor meetings, group members called for the elimination of the library’s funding over the availability of “And Tango Makes Three,” “Pride Colors,” “Prince and Knight,” “I Love You Because I Love You, Plenty of Hugs” and other LGBTQIA+ titles. In June, the county board of supervisors voted to withhold 75 percent of the budget until the library takes action to “protect our children from sexually explicit material and ensure parents have control over their children’s reading choices.” The library director resigned in August.  

Clinton (Tenn.) Public Library — In February 2023, the library board voted against a proposal to create a special section of their library to house books related to gender identity and sexual orientation. The conversation was spurred by challenges to “Grandad’s Camper,” “It Feels Good to be Yourself” and “Families like Mine” from members of a group that advocates for the censorship of library material with LGBTQIA+ representation. While the books were retained where they were originally shelved, members of the group went on to challenge numerous additional titles with LGBTQIA+ representation, including literary memoirs and sex education titles. The group has recently begun calling for the library director’s resignation and threatening community members who have publicly defended access to these resources. In August, the mayor of Anderson County and four county commissioners asked the sheriff to investigate whether 17 books available at public libraries, including Clinton Public Library, violate Tennessee’s criminal obscenity laws. Prosecutors have not brought charges.   

This is definitely not the sort of thing that should be happening in the United States, which has protected free speech rights almost since its inception. The people backing these efforts tend to cite the First Amendment only when they feel their hatred isn’t being amplified by private companies and their social media services. There’s no “I don’t agree with what you say but will defend your right to say it” going on here. Instead, it’s just people seeking ways to stop people from saying things they don’t like, which is the antithesis of the same First Amendment principles they (mistakenly) believe should force third parties to broadcast their hatred to others.

The people backing these efforts are drowning in their ignorance. Unfortunately, they’re also dangerous because their bigotry is being embraced and weaponized by legislators just as stupid as they are. Hopefully, most of these efforts will be rejected by courts. But courts are no match for hatred that goes not only undeterred, but is actually welcomed, by government officials who think they’ve been elected to office to violate the rights of people they don’t like.

Filed Under: 1st amendment, book bans, free speech, gop, libraries