The First Amendment!

It seems to me while the Republicans worship the Second Amendment that they are totally ignoring the First Amendment.

Librarians voice concerns after proposed rule would limit access to certain books

News-Press NOW 

By Monica Dunn

October 23, 2022

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a top Republican prospect for governor, proposed a new rule that would prevent state funds from going to libraries that purchase books that might appeal to the “prurient” — meaning sexual — interests of minors, among other things. Ashcroft told News-Press NOW this rule would protect children and ensure parents are in charge, but librarians are calling it a move toward censorship and removing that power from some parents.

What does the rule do?

The proposed rule requires libraries across the state to abide by six elements to receive state funding, which is given through the Secretary of State’s office.

The first element calls for libraries to have a written, publicly accessible policy explaining how a library selects material to add to its collection. The policy must include how the library determines what material is appropriate, considering a minor’s age and maturity level.

Both the St. Joseph Public Library and the Rolling Hills Consolidated Library have these policies currently available to the public. The St. Joseph Public Library has it on its website.

And what do libraries think about this? As you might expect…

St. Joseph’s libraries’ directors are calling the proposed rule censorship.

“This is sending a message that our state government wants to limit materials in public libraries,” said Mary Beth Revels, St. Joseph Public Libraries director. “Censorship is not what the United States is about; censorship is not what public libraries are about.”

Rolling Hills Consolidated Library director echoed Revels’ sentiments.

“I believe that this is a step on that slippery slope of censorship,” Mears said. “As soon as one group or authority is trying to decide what’s appropriate for some other group to access or not access is when censorship really sort of rears its head.”

The Republicans want to control your mind, they don’t want thinking people to vote. They want to control what you read, what you see, and what you think, hmm… where else do they do that?

DeSantis upped the ante!

Florida's Official New Book-Banning Council Was Quietly Packed With MAGA Moms

A newly appointed State Board of Education council is staffed with right-wing mothers determined to uphold Gov. Ron DeSantis’ censorship laws.

Jezebel

By Rodlyn-mae Banting

October 24, 2022

In an effort to implement Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) so-called “curriculum transparency” agenda, the Florida State Board of Education has hastily assembled a council tasked with creating new restrictions for public school libraries and retraining its librarians, according to the Daily Beast. But how the group came to be is, ironically, a lot murkier than it has let on: Government emails obtained by the organization Democracy Forward reveal that a handful of parents appointed to the group are MAGA moms who were handpicked by right-wing activists hellbent on banning books.

[…]

The emails reveal that another seat holder, Jennifer Pippin, was unofficially nominated by a member of the group “Florida Citizens Alliance,” which has fought against public schools’ “cultural Marxism” and “LGBTQ values.”

“Mamas for DeSantis” member Jamie Merchant also nabbed a spot on the council. The fan club read Crimes of the Educators togther for their book club this past summer—a manifesto written by two conspiracy conspiracy theorists calling for the downfall of American public schools. Some non-MAGA parents who’d applied to be part of the working group were never interviewed, while others simply never heard back.

[…]

The Board of Education is clearly forging ahead with its increasing violations against student privacy in favor of the so-called “parental rights” that DeSantis signed into law this past March. In addition to these new book bans, officials decided at the meeting that parents must be notified about their children’s locker room and bathroom usage, should they stray from the spaces that align with the sex they were assigned at birth.

Notice these are all far right-wing organizations on the committee, it is not “Community Standards” it is the bigots who are hand picked by other far right-wingers.

Here in Connecticut our Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski has called for “parental rights” according to the CT Mirror…

With a proposed “parental bill of rights,” Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski stepped Tuesday into the culture wars over transgender rights and how students are taught about race, sex and gender identification.

This is the Republican code word for allowing discrimination. And it is not just a few books but over 1500 books are on the list!

The Guardian writes,

More than 1,500 book bans have been instituted in US school districts in the last nine months, a study has found, part of a rightwing censorship effort described as “unparalleled in its intensity”.

[…]

The report shows the striking impact of the ongoing effort by conservatives to censor literature in schools. The bans have largely targeted books that focus on race and LGBTQ issues, and a large number of the banned books are written by non-white or LGBTQ authors.

Lets see where else they are banning books?

Russian Lawmakers Propose Ban On So-Called “LGBT Propaganda” In Films, On TV And Online

Deadline

By Tom Tapp

July 19, 2022

Legislation introduced yesterday in the Duma — the lower house of the Russian parliament — would classify media content determined to be “promoting” LGBTQ relations as “propaganda” under federal law.

The bill would broaden a controversial 2013 law banning the “promotion of nontraditional sexual relations” to minors, which is widely referred to as the “gay propaganda” bill. According to the Moscow Times, that 2013 ban allows for a fine of up to 1 million rubles — $17,200 — or up to 15 days in jail for violations. In December a Russian court fined Meta Platforms Inc. – i.e. Facebook — 4 million roubles, which equates to $177,000, under the 2013 law for failing to delete posts that contained what the court deemed “LGBT propaganda.”

In an article on the NPR,

Lawmakers in Hungary passed legislation Tuesday that prohibits sharing with minors any content that portrays being gay or transgender, something supporters said would help fight pedophilia but which human rights groups denounced as anti-LGBT discrimination.

The conservative ruling party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban introduced the legislation, which is the latest effort to curtail the rights of gay men, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people in the central European nation.

Gee they are all dictatorships!

And the Republican party is following in the footsteps of authoritarian dictatorships!