Banned Books Week Book Censorship Update

Some good and bad news for you today, folks, on the fifth day of Banned Books Week…

First the good news:

In Pennsylvania, Downingtown West High School followed model procedure in addressing a challenge against Laurie Halse Anderson’s Twisted.  We are please to report school officials and parents resolved the issue amicably through discussion.  For more information click here. Also be sure to check out NCAC’s Book Censorship Toolkit which includes model complaint policies and procedures.

Also in PA, Principal Hatala reportedly received the Kids’ Right to Read Project’s official letter and after considering its message decided to remove the expurgated copies of The Glass Castle from the curriculum. We are still waiting to hear whether the books will be replaced.

and now for the bad news…

Happy Banned Books Week!

It’s Banned Books Week, and to celebrate we are asking for a little interaction from our readers…

We would love to know which banned books are your favorites — please post your comments below and stay tuned for more Banned Books Week news!

Kids’ Right to Read Protests Efforts to Censor YA Author Ellen Hopkins

Its Banned Books Week and yet efforts to censor books in the U.S.A continue. In fact, just this past week, Ellen Hopkins, author of the Banned Books Week Manifesto was censored in Norman, Oklahoma. According to Ms. Hopkins,

“I was supposed to do a school visit at Whittier Middle School. A parent went in complaining about content in CRANK and GLASS. GLASS was pulled off the shelves for review. I understand that there is necessarily a review process if a parent complains about “age-inappropriate content.” However, the parent went on to say she didn’t want me to do my school visit because, and I quote, “I don’t want ANY children to see Ellen Hopkins speak.”

KRRP is proud to report Ms. Hopkins did not back down…

“The school superintendent decided I couldn’t speak at any school in his district, so I instead did a talk at the Hillsdale Baptist College (great irony, huh?). Some 150 kids, parents, teachers and librarians showed up. But not one member of the book review committee, or the superintendent, or the worried parent bothered to come listen to my message, which is basically, “the choices you make as young adults will affect you for the rest of your life.” To read the full story as told by Ellen Hopkins, click here.

The actions of Norman Public School’s superintendent serves only to deprive the entire student body of an opportunity because of one parent’s objections. To deny all students access violates the rights of all of those students, and their parents, who have the right not to have their own child’s education restricted.

To read KRRP’s official response, click here. Also check out KRRP’s recent interview with Ms Hopkins here.

The Kids’ Right to Read Project Confronts Censorship in PA

On Monday, we reported on the Kids’ Right to Read Project’s response to a challenge in North Pocono High School against Laurie Halse Anderson’s book Speak.  We have since learned North Pocono is not the only place in PA where Ms. Anderson’s writing may be censored. Her novel, Twisted, which tackles serious teenage concerns about sex, alcohol, grades and family in an honest and realistic way, is facing a challenge in Downingtown, PA after some parents objected to the sexual content in the book. In response, KRRP sent an official letter. Additionally, KRRP is joining Ms. Anderson in asking readers of Twisted and supporters of free speech to speak up in support of the right to read.

Also in Pennsylvania this week, KRRP is protesting Panther Valley Middle School’s new rating policy for books. This policy established to “prevent school violence” actually gives undeserved credence to the bogus argument that “the books made me do it,” suggesting students can escape responsibility for their actions by using books as excuse. In response KRRP sent this letter.

In the past individuals and groups who support free speech have responded in numerous ways to book bans and challenges, including by creating Facebook groups, petitions, organizing marches and ‘read-ins’ and tweeting to spread the word.

UPDATE: Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel Twisted is also being challenged in Montgomery County High School in Mount Sterling, Kentucky. One parent objected to “inappropriate” content in her book as well as in Jo Knowles’ Lessons of a Dead Girl and Neal Shusterman’s Unwind. In response, KRRP sent an official letter.

Update: The Kids’ Right to Read Project is pleased to report that Twisted will not be removed from Downingtown West High School’s reading list after a decision was reached amicably through discussion between school officials and parents. Downingtown district followed policy in addressing the challenge to Twisted and is a model for how such incidents should be addressed.

The FCC Favors Net Neutrality

On Monday, FCC Chair Julius Genachowski announced the commission’s support of net neutrality, a principle which holds that Internet Service Providers (e.g. Comcast, Verizon, Time-Warner, AT&T) should not be permitted to discriminate against specific online content or applications and privilege other content with higher quality service.

In introducing the National Broadband Plan, Genachowski, described some of the threats to an open internet posed by the absence of a strong net neutrality policy:

We have witnessed certain broadband providers unilaterally block access to VoIP applications (phone calls delivered over data networks) and implement technical measures that degrade the performance of peer-to-peer software distributing lawful content. We have even seen at least one service provider deny users access to political content.

The new policy goals also require that ISPs make transparent to the public their network management policies.

Opponents of net neutrality have claimed that many wireless service providers do not have the capacity to move all data (including the download of large video files) indiscriminately and that if the FCC’s policy goals become law, ISPs would experience increased burdens on bandwidth, and be restrained in how they could manage these burdens thus leading to a degradation of service.

However, the growth of demand for new services and innovative applications can stimulate investment in increasing broadband capacity. As the CEO of Skype, the most popular VoIP application, puts it: “applications like Skype can grow the entire broadband pie,” he said. “We’re saying, let’s look at the investment incentives for everyone in this ecosystem, not just carriers.” (The new rules would make it impossible for Apple phones operating through the At&T network to block competing applications like Skype.)

The FCC has provided information on its policy and invited commentary from the public through its new openinternet.gov website.

A bill supporting net neutrality was introduced in Congress last month by Reps. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009 (H.R. 3458).

Additional coverage of Genachowski’s speech is available here.

KRRP Protests Book Censorship in Pennsylvania and California

The Kids’ Right to Read Project is urging the general public to speak out against book censorship at two high schools, one in Pennsylvania and the other in California where Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak and Jeannette Wall’s The Glass Castle are being challenged. KRRP is calling on supporters of free speech to advocate for students’ right to read everywhere, especially in light of this year’s upcoming Banned Books Week. These stunning books are eminently appropriate for high school students as they enlarge students’ knowledge of the world and prepare youth to face the real challenges in life.

For more information and to read KRRP’s official letter to the Temecula Valley Unified School District click here.

Click here to read KRRP’s official letter to North Pocono High School.

To find out what you can do, click here.

Presidential speech treated as R-rated movie

Under an onslaught of vocal protests that President Obama’s “stay in school and study hard” speech was a means to “indoctrinate” children into “socialist” values and the President’s political “agenda” schools and whole school districts decided not to show the speech. For a partial list of schools and school districts that have canceled the speech click here.

Nobody equipped with the slightest amount of common sense would argue that one speech, however eloquent, would turn kids into unthinking slaves of ideas their parents hate. At most, it will make them aware that there are other views and beliefs in the world.

But this may be precisely what parents fear: not that their child will fall into the grip of Obama’s alleged “socialism” but that their own grip on their children’s minds may slip a little. They fear that they will fail in their attempts to instill in their children particular beliefs. They fear losing control over how their children live their lives. They fear the critical examination and possible rejection of their deeply held beliefs.

Most parents want the best for their children. Some are convinced that means their children must adhere to their views and follow their dictates. However, they are misguided if they think they can achieve this result by keeping their children from reading certain books, hearing certain speeches, or learning what scientists think.

Worse, by imposing the fears of a few parents on whole school districts they take away the rights of other children to see the speech and develop their understanding of civics, as well as the rights of other parents who want an open school environment where a Presidential speech is not treated as an R-rated movie.

Parents who have concerns about their children’s exposure to a democratically elected president have the right to guide them and explain their disagreement with the President’s policies, but not to interfere with the choices other parents make for their children.

Author of the Banned Books Week Manifesto Censored!

Ellen Hopkins, author of numerous Young Adult titles as well as most recently, the Banned Books Week Manifesto is being censored in Norman, Oklahoma. Hopkins was scheduled to speak at Whittier Middle School on September 22nd about her experiences as an author writing about real life issues facing youth today. However, her talk was reportedly cancelled by the district’s superintendent one day after he received a complaint from a parent. The parent also filed a formal challenge against Hopkins’ book, Glass, which features a strong anti-drug message, calling for its removal from the school’s library. Glass will be reviewed according to district policy.

The Kids’ Right to Read Project recently interviewed Ellen Hopkins about the creative process behind the Banned Books Week Manifesto as well as about experiences with censors over the years. A fabulous reading of the Manifesto can be found here.

There are many effective ways to respond to censorship challenges. In the past individuals and groups who support free speech have raised awareness about specific incidents and overarching trends through social network groups and causes, including Facebook and Twitter. Individuals have created petitions, organized marches and held ‘read-ins’ of banned materials at local public libraries.

“Doomsday” budget may shut down Philadelphia Library system

As Benjamin Franklin rolled over in his grave, the Pennsylvania State Senate discussed Wednesday night whether all of Philadelphia’s 54 libraries will have to close on October 2.  Mayor Michael Nutter’s Plan C, or “Doomsday,” budget will start to go into effect on Friday unless enough state senators vote to pass a 1% sales tax hike.

The plan, which the mayor describes as “devastating,” calls for all library employees to be laid off, and for all branches to cease operations.  A sampling of the library services that will no longer be available:  after-school programs for children and teens, computer classes, library visits to schools and community centers, and classes for job seekers and test-takers.  The city Records department will also have to reduce public access to public records.

Where to begin?  The shutdown of all the libraries in a major U.S. city would indeed devastate its population.  In a sample letter to legislators, the Free Library of Philadelphia writes that the libraries provide needed homework help and a safe environment for students, as most Philadelphia public schools have no libraries.  Job seekers and senior citizens use the library computers to conduct searches and access information about federal benefits and social security.  Most of this information is now only found online, and for many Philadelphians, the library provides their only web access.  Disadvantaged citizens will be most affected by these changes.

The library is the site where our freedoms of inquiry and expression are most respected, legally and symbolically.  That Philadelphia has to consider closing its libraries’ doors is a shocking sign of the times–but only in Bizarro-Philadelphia should this really have to happen.  The state legislature  has until October 2 to vote on the tax hike bill that would prevent the five-year Plan C budget (which also removes all funding from the Arts Commission and cuts a total of 3,000 jobs) from taking full effect.  But layoff notices will go out on Friday unless the Senate reaches a decision today.

Take action!  Write a letter to the editor, blog, or twitter today to get the word out about this under-reported story.  If you live in Pennsylvania, contact your state senators and representatives.  The Philadelphia Free Library website has a link to their contact information, plus a sample letter.

UPDATE 9/18:  The Senate did pass HB 1828 yesterday, allowing the libraries and other important services to remain open!  However, Pennsylvania remains the only state that has not passed its budget; libraries in Philadelphia are still in serious danger of losing up to 55% of their funding.

Youth Film Contest Deadline Extended to October 23rd

The deadline has been extended for our contest Free Speech in Schools: Does it Exist? Students 19 and younger are encouraged to film their response in 4min or less for the chance to win up to $1000 and a scholarship to the  New York Film Academy.    See more details on our website www.ncac.org or even apply online now!

According to the Knight Foundation, “Nearly three-fourths of high school students either do not know how they feel about the First Amendment or admit they take it for granted and more than a third think the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees.” The YFEN film contest offers young people an opportunity to think critically and creatively about these issues. Winning films are made available on our website and are used in workshops as part of a larger effort to foster youth voices and to educate the public about young peoples’ rights.

And to help you get started, here’s a video, shot and edited by Kyle Graffam, that captures highlights from last year’s Youth Voices Uncensored event as participants discussed the contest topic: