Publishers and authors sue over Florida book ban law

[ownedbycats]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93pe9p5479o

Major book publishers have sued the US state of Florida over a law that allows schools to ban certain books from their student libraries.

The lawsuit, filed on Thursday by publishers including Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, argues that Florida’s law violates First Amendment rights to free speech.

The suit names several books that have been removed from school libraries under the law, including works by renowned authors Maya Angelou and Ernest Hemingway.

Florida officials responded to the lawsuit by calling it a “stunt,” and have denied that the state has banned books.

Let's try to keep this thread relatively nonpartisan, please.

[DNSB]

Of course, the state of Florida has not banned books. Florida HB 1069 allows anyone to object to a book that they consider pornographic or inappropriate and it must be removed from school libraries until such time as the convoluted review process has been completed— if it is ever completed. After all, the state only empowered members of the public to make those objections and so the state of Florida can proclaim "Our hands are clean".

From the comments I've seen, the review process is overloaded and even the Florida government from several reports that I've read is taking steps to reduce "frivolous complaints" to quote DeSantis.

From other reports, books that were replaced on library shelves after the review process were promptly removed when another complaint was made and the whole review process had to be started again. No double jeopardy for books.

Though I had to love a quote from Sydney Booker who is a talking head for the Florida education department. He refers to the publishers’ lawsuit “a stunt”, and claimed “there are no books banned in Florida. Sexually explicit material and instruction are not suitable for schools.”

Gee, Judy Blume wrote sexually explicit books? The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is pornographic? The Diary of a Young Girl is sexually explicit material? Has he actually looked at the list of books about which complaints were made?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Of course, the state of Florida has not banned books. Florida HB 1069 allows anyone to object to a book that they consider pornographic or inappropriate and it must be removed from school libraries until such time as the convoluted review process has been completed— if it is ever completed. After all, the state only empowered members of the public to make those objections and so the state of Florida can proclaim "Our hands are clean".

From the comments I've seen, the review process is overloaded and even the Florida government from several reports that I've read is taking steps to reduce "frivolous complaints" to quote DeSantis.

From other reports, books that were replaced on library shelves after the review process were promptly removed when another complaint was made and the whole review process had to be started again. No double jeopardy for books.

Though I had to love a quote from Sydney Booker who is a talking head for the Florida education department. He refers to the publishers’ lawsuit “a stunt”, and claimed “there are no books banned in Florida. Sexually explicit material and instruction are not suitable for schools.”

Gee, Judy Blume wrote sexually explicit books? The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is pornographic? The Diary of a Young Girl is sexually explicit material? Has he actually looked at the list of books about which complaints were made?

Some of these parents who are having books removed are very much racists hence books like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer being banned.

We have many people in Florida who should never have been allowed to have kids.

[John F]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Some of these parents who are having books removed are very much racists hence books like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer being banned.

We have many people in Florida who should never have been allowed to have kids.

Do you think child services should step in and take the children?

Or do you think forced sterilization, or maybe permits to have children?

[gbm]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

We have many people in Florida who should never have been allowed to have kids.

So you have not looked in a mirror for several years.


bernie

P.S.
I will be passing by the Governor Mansion next week, be sure to stop by and let them know of your concern.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by DNSB

From the comments I've seen, the review process is overloaded and even the Florida government from several reports that I've read is taking steps to reduce "frivolous complaints" to quote DeSantis.

tbh, that part kinda cracked me up about specifically dismissing the complaints about the Bible and such — you'd think perhaps they'd take it as a sign, but nope. I think Texas also once accidentally banned every marriage while trying to target specifically same-sex ones.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Though I had to love a quote from Sydney Booker who is a talking head for the Florida education department. He refers to the publishers’ lawsuit “a stunt”, and claimed “there are no books banned in Florida. Sexually explicit material and instruction are not suitable for schools.”

Definitely, of course human biology instruction should be limited to "mummy and daddy's special hug". No details! No explanation! *headdesk*

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by meeera

Definitely, of course human biology instruction should be limited to "mummy and daddy's special hug". No details! No explanation! *headdesk*

I never had "human biology instruction" in school and managed to have six kids. I guess I'm a "walking miracle."

[rcentros]

So publishers and authors are trying to force school boards to buy their books? Seems a bit like a conflict of interest here.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by rcentros

So publishers and authors are trying to force school boards to buy their books? Seems a bit like a conflict of interest here.

No, they are suing because libraries were forced to remove books they had already bought because as few as one person complained.
Apache

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I never had "human biology instruction" in school and managed to have six kids. I guess I'm a "walking miracle."

Perhaps with some instruction, you might have managed fewer children? After all, in this area, quite a bit of sex education concentrates on safe sex, healthy relationships, knowing when to say no, etc.

On a more serious note, the declining use of condoms by high school students and the concomitant increase in STIs is more than a little worrying. On the bright side, the decline in teen pregnancies is continuing.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by rcentros

So publishers and authors are trying to force school boards to buy their books? Seems a bit like a conflict of interest here.

Not quite right. They are suing to have books already purchased by the schools not be removed when as few as 1 person complaining that the book violates the guidelines.

However since you in past have been in favour of removing books from student access, could you explain the logic of banning The Diary of a Young Girl based on the diary kept by Anne Frank while her family was hiding from the Nazis occupying the Netherlands as either sexually explicit materiel or instruction?

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Apache

No, they are suing because libraries were forced to remove books they had already bought because as few as one person complained.

Either way, the object of the law is an attempt to keep material out of schools that parents think are inappropriate for their children.

Whom do you think should make these decisions? The publishers and authors who sell the books?

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Not quite right. They are suing to have books already purchased by the schools not be removed when as few as 1 person complaining that the book violates the guidelines.

If that's the case, then obviously the law needs tweaked. But it's still the majority of parents who should be making these decisions. Not the school librarians or publishers of the books.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by rcentros

If that's the case, then obviously the law needs tweaked. But it's still the majority of parents who should be making these decisions. Not the school librarians or publishers of the books.

A better approach is to keep "objectionable" books in a secured area. Then make parents who object to those books place their children on a No Read list. Librarians will then prohibit entry to that area to any child on the list.

This way, parents on both sides of the issue keep their parental rights intact.