JimBlue.com

STATE REP. CANDIDATE JIM BLUE COMMENTS ON LIBRARY BOOK BANS TO CHARLOTTE CO. SCHOOL BOARD - Tues., June 11, 2024

 

My name is Jim Blue.  I live in Charlotte County.

 

I first spoke to the school board about book bans last October. At that time, the district had reacted to the state legislature’s “Don’t Say Gay” bills by pulling dozens of books from school libraries. The Board’s lawyer cited “erring on the side of caution” as the reason. Librarians could be charged with felonies if they didn’t comply with Florida’s extreme legislation. I expressed my outrage and so did many others.

 

Fast forward to tonight –  the last board meeting of the school year. My wife Kay, a retired English teacher, and I wanted to find out where our district stands now. So we sent a Freedom of Information request to the District’s Public Affairs office. They sent a  summary of Media Specialist reviews, the latest from last March. I’ve put the March list of banned books on my website: JimBlue-dot-com https://jimblue.com

 

How many books are now banned from Charlotte County schools libraries?

 

Forty-seven! – Yes! Forty-Seven! 

 

Many of these books were bestsellers and noted for excellence. Many are award-winning.

 

They include: The book Forever by Judy Blume –  a Time Best Young Adult Book of All Time Award from 2021.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower has been an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults since 2000.  The Kite Runner has an American Library Association Alex Award for appealing to ages 12-18.  The Hate U Give earned a Printz Award for literary excellence in young adult literacy.  These titles sound like the kinds of books that SHOULD be available for our students. They represent the best of the best, especially for young readers.

 

It could be worse. And last Autumn it was worse. 

 

At that time some books dealing with gender identity and sexual orientation were also banned. Since then, some were restored. Or, they were moved from elementary and middle school to high school access. But the books that are banned now, even in high school, are books that the district says violate the Florida definition of “sexual conduct” in the same section of law defining pornography and obscenity.

 

I can’t accept that the 47 books on the banned list are porn.

 

Well, there is hope. Another review of the District’s banned list is scheduled for late summer, before regular classes resume. And some Florida parents are asking the courts to provide ways to review bans and potentially restore books. 

 

Many of us – who support our schools, our students and yes – you, our school board – will be watching and hoping for a better solution than banning books.

 

Thank you.