Dystopian Novel or Missouri’s Reality?
From Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, to George Orwell’s iconic 1984, high school and college students have had to identify many characteristics of totalitarian and oppressive societies. Although it may be obvious in these pre-developed and nicely packaged dystopian novels, people are turning a blind eye to the real censorship happening in their own communities.
In the past few years, but especially in the last, Missouri has taken intense steps towards this reality through their “book ban bills.” Not only do these actions impede on people’s First Amendment rights, but they also target a specific (and already oppressed) group of people. The most recent and controversial bill was introduced in January, 2020 by Ben Baker as the “Parental Oversight of Public Libraries Act.” This act had the ability to fine and even jail librarians who did not comply with the bill’s regulations. These regulations prohibited libraries from allowing children to borrow books that the committee deemed “inappropriate.” Not to mention, the libraries could lose all funding. Now, Missouri doesn’t have the right to simply bring in their representatives and rip books off shelves, but they get as close as they can to doing so. In the proposed bill, Baker suggested making a committee of elected community members who evaluate library materials and deem their merit and appropriateness. While there are many problems with this proposal, the most serious is that it completely excludes librarians from being a part of this board. There are no educational or training requirements to be on this board except that one must live in a town in Missouri and not be a librarian—pretty low stakes. This completely excludes the professional voice of librarians and amplifies the less informed. Missouri’s employed librarians are required to have a master’s degree and go through training; why would we ignore the opinions of the most educated people on this subject?
It is completely understandable to match students with age-appropriate content, and I believe that many librarians would agree with this. It’s not like librarians are going around putting random books on the shelves; they take their jobs very seriously. While the “book ban bill” may sound like it’s trying to enforce this, it’s really targeting a different goal: minority groups. The bill’s stated goal is to evaluate books that contain “age-inappropriate sexual material,” but LGBTQIA+ positive content has received more attention from lawmakers than any containing the sexually explicit. Not only does this repress the voices of minorities, but it validates students’ worries of not being accepted, being less than, and being wrong. Books containing important lessons on sexual assault and race inequality are also on the chopping block. At the most confusing and impressionable time of their lives, the only stories students are required to read are those with a white savior plot.
Missouri’s employed librarians are required to have a master’s degree and go through training; why would we ignore the opinions of the most educated people on this subject?
While this is beyond problematic on the state level, local high schools are taking intense measures in censorship as well. A high school in the Springfield School District completely banned the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson because parents and the administration claimed that it contained “pornographic material.” This led to heated conversations between members of the school district, considering that the book addresses the experience of a sexual assault victim. While there were people fighting against the school’s decision to ban the book, there was too little support to overturn the ban. This book shares a lesson about victim shame and why speaking up can be such a difficult thing. Yes, this is a sensitive topic, but in no way should it be avoided; it may be more problematic to not address this issue considering sexual assault is a problem most high schoolers will encounter in some way (whether they be victims, perpetrators, bystanders, or allies to victims). Librarians have the knowledge needed to determine this boundary. This is just one example of the several books that have been banned from high school libraries. Other titles include, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Hate U Give, Gay and Lesbian History for Kids, and Mythlopedia: Oh My Gods!
While censorship and anti-intellectual philosophies are nothing shy of common in today’s society, we must not overlook the ways this could affect the education of children. The fact that this is simply an idea in legislators’ minds is absolutely frightening. Apparently, their lack of diverse education has taken an impact on the greater good. In all seriousness, this is pure dystopian censorship. There must be a point, or rather, a boundary, that is too far for any person. What level of anti-utopia will it come to before people realize they are living the life of Guy Montag?