Utah Bans 13 books from state schools

[pdurrant]

ABC reports that Utah has passed a law banning certain "objective sensitive material" from state schools.

"Objective sensitive material" is defined under the law as an instructional material that constitutes pornographic or indecent material, which is further defined in Utah law as depicting or describing sex or nudity while also lacking "serious value" for minors.

The Utah State Board of Education has now released a list of titles that must now be removed from state schools in Utah.


The list currently consists of 13 titles,

A Court of Rose and Thorns by Sarah J. Mass
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Mass
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Mass
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Mass
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Mass
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Mass
What Girls Are Made Of by Elana K. Arnold
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
Forever by Judy Blume
Tilt by Ellen Hopkins
Fallout by Ellen Hopkins
Blankets by Craig Thompson
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood



Please try not to stray into partisan political comments in this thread. There's a thread on this story that's been moved into the P&R forum.

[jackm8]

I can see why Oryx and Crake was banned, I've no knowledge of the rest of them.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jackm8

I can see why Oryx and Crake was banned, I've no knowledge of the rest of them.

I cannot see why any of the books were banned. I'm sorry you can see their side of things.

[DiapDealer]

Wow! Sure looks like a we-have-to-add-a-few-other-titles-to-the-list-so-it-doesn't-look-like-we're-starting-a-Sara-J-Mass-vendetta situation to me!

Morons.

[DiapDealer]

Moderator Notice
pdurrant clearly requested no partisan political comments. One such has been deleted. More may result in disciplinary action

[tubemonkey]

Kids still have access to these books from their public libraries or several out-of-state libraries via Books Unbanned

Books Unbanned is a United States library program that issues library cards nationwide from regional libraries in order to give electronic access to the library's digital and audio collections to teens and young adults living in U.S. locations where books are being challenged. Initially established by the Brooklyn Public Library, it was created in response to a wave of book challenges against schools and libraries in 2021 and now encompasses five libraries across the United States.

Participants

• Boston Public Library -- ages 13~26
  
• Brooklyn Public Library -- ages 13~21
  
• LA County Library -- ages 13~18 -- California residents only
  
• San Diego Public Library -- ages 12~26
  
• Seattle Public Library -- ages 13~26

.

[jackm8]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I cannot see why any of the books were banned. I'm sorry you can see their side of things.

I really like Oryx, my favourite Atwood book by far. But it's not children's book, it's very far from it. If censorship is needed for it to be removed for school libraries, then perhaps the problem is not censorship, but those that put it into school libraries in the first place.

[DiapDealer]

High School students are not children. The book has been removed from ALL state schools in Utah.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

High School students are not children. The book has been removed from ALL state schools in Utah.

Most high school students are, by law, defined as minors (children). It looks to me like these books were basically pornographic. (I found and quickly scanned through one of the Sarah J. Mass books, and it's something I wouldn't read and definitely something I would not want my under age child to read.) The new law in Utah bans these books in school libraries for "Objective sensitive material."

"Objective sensitive material" is defined under the law as an instructional material that constitutes pornographic or indecent material, which is further defined in Utah law as depicting or describing sex or nudity while also lacking "serious value" for minors.

Parents have the right to decide what books they believe are inappropriate for their children.

Would you condone school libraries carrying magazines like Playboy, Hustler or Penthouse? What's the difference if it's in pictures or descriptions?

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by jackm8

I really like Oryx, my favourite Atwood book by far. But it's not children's book, it's very far from it. If censorship is needed for it to be removed for school libraries, then perhaps the problem is not censorship, but those that put it into school libraries in the first place.

Agreed.

[Karellen]

And most of these parents will have the internet at home, and children will have their essential smart phones, with pornography a few clicks away.

Strange how one medium can be banned while another more easily accessible medium proliferates and serves up more graphic content.

[Aleron Ives]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Parents have the right to decide what books they believe are inappropriate for their children.

Yes, but they don't have the right to decide which books they believe are inappropriate for other people's children, which is essentially what book bans allow them to do.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Parents have the right to decide what books they believe are inappropriate for their children.

You do realize that teens can get public library cards without parental consent and are then able to check out the banned books.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Would you condone school libraries carrying magazines like Playboy, Hustler or Penthouse? What's the difference if it's in pictures or descriptions?

Teens don't need libraries for that kind of material when graphic porn videos are just a few keystrokes away in the privacy of their own bedrooms.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Most high school students are, by law, defined as minors (children).

I'm not going to quibble over whether or not Minor == Child. There's no real answer there. One is a legal construct and the other is a social one. I just don't personally know anyone who would call a 17 year-old a "child." But if you want to, have at it. You're allowed to be wrong.

Just out of curiosity: when do they become adolescents, or young adults, if they remain "children" until after secondary school?

For the record... I don't have a problem in the world with parents trying to control what kind of books their kids are exposed to in school. I just don't approve of them attempting to control what books EVERYONE'S kids are exposed to in school using legal nuclear options. It's presumptuous, and it's overreach.