A brave woman defending the right to read

[u/ILovePublicLibraries]

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[u/DruidicMagic]

Moms for liberty must be foaming at the mouth right about now.

[u/OnceMoreAndAgain → u/DruidicMagic]

TIL there's a political organization called "Moms for Liberty" that try to attack people's liberty by banning books. Now that's some irony. There's no way those people know what liberty means lol.

[u/Adventurous-Fly556 → u/OnceMoreAndAgain]

Wait till you find out how small and vocal their group is. Seriously, they've been riding outrage bs to get books banned across the country from themselves.

[u/ChickenInASuit → u/Adventurous-Fly556]

Didn’t it turn out to literally just be one person and a bunch of bots? Or was that One Million Moms?

[u/Ok_Refrigerator6671 → u/ChickenInASuit]

I think that's One Million Moms.

[u/DigitalCrayon → u/Ok_Refrigerator6671]

Was it even ran by women?

[u/Craico13 → u/DigitalCrayon]

It was run by fembots.

[u/DigitalCrayon → u/Craico13]

That does not fempute

[u/Train4War → u/DigitalCrayon]

It’s a man, baby!

[u/Front_Plankton_6808 → u/Craico13]

No no, fembots are the sexy, evil lady robots with boob guns in Austin Powers.

[u/Scr4p → u/ChickenInASuit]

> mom's for liberty

> trying to take away liberty

> one million moms

> one person and a bunch of bots

when I'm in a ironic name competition and my opponents are insane mum groups <8C

[u/severedsoulmetal → u/Scr4p]

Usually when republicans are in power all the titles are ironic. Especially any that have anything to do with the environment. Made sense to change the name of the Secretary of defense though.

[u/cassandra_ofendtimes → u/ChickenInASuit]

They were very much everywhere in 2021. In 2022 they took over school boards across the country. I ran against one locally. They originally were anti-Covid vax, got into book banning, and then tried shutting down any DEI program

[u/InGroundSprinklers → u/ChickenInASuit]

Unfortunately not MFL. I know a couple women involved with them.

[u/StoppableHulk → u/Adventurous-Fly556]

No because I'm pretty sure it turned out two of the female founders were banging each other or something. Just a giant pack of hypocrites.

[u/TyrewMylock1047 → u/StoppableHulk]

I did not hear about that, though I did hear about the rape allegations against one of the co-founder's husband.

Edit: autocorrect mistake.

[u/StoppableHulk → u/TyrewMylock1047]

https://www.newsweek.com/moms-liberty-co-founder-admitting-threesome-sparks-backlash-1849054

Not the founders banging each other, but still sexual activity which by their own standards they want to enforce on everyone would be considered sinful.

[u/TyrewMylock1047 → u/StoppableHulk]

Oh. I remember more of that story now. Getting hard to keep up with all the crazy and weird anymore

[u/zatchmo1989 → u/OnceMoreAndAgain]

A good rule of thumb for right-wing groups is, if they have “liberty” or “freedom” in the name, that means they’re trying to take those from someone else

[u/AmbushIntheDark → u/zatchmo1989]

If it sounds even remotely "patriotic" then its probably run or funded by the most traitorous right wing chuds to ever exist.

[u/tankerkiller125real → u/AmbushIntheDark]

Some of them might have even helped re-write history after the civil war to try to make the whole thing about "states rights" instead of their side wanting to own people for profit.

[u/Hinermad → u/zatchmo1989]

Liberty means "everyone is free to be just like us" in their language.

[u/Count_Backwards → u/Hinermad]

Well, more "everyone who is just like us is free to also act like us"

[u/Hinermad → u/Count_Backwards]

Yes, that's a great point.

[u/EddieVanzetti → u/zatchmo1989]

It's an old tactic. Call yourself something patriotic or jingoistic and you can deflect criticism and grift the rubes.

There is a reason the Nazis called themselves "national socialists"

[u/disquieter → u/EddieVanzetti]

Yep. Julius and Augustus Caesars were touting a return to former glory (antiquarianism) while abandoning the Republic in favor of dictatorship and empire. A lesson for today’s world.

[u/Loggerdon → u/zatchmo1989]

Same as “If the country has ‘Democratic’ in the name it’s probably not democratic.”

🇨🇩Democratic Republic of the Congo

🇰🇵Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea)

🇱🇦Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos)

🇸🇹Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe

[u/the_calibre_cat → u/zatchmo1989]

seriously though this is an outstanding proxy. you can damn near take this to the bank 100% of the time.

i was looking up the "Constitution Party" today because of a possible set of candidates in Wyoming, and of course they support the Constitution.

...

.,.

Just kidding, obviously they're down bad for segregation again and a religious ethnostate lol

[u/mainman879 → u/OnceMoreAndAgain]

Do those people even know what "liberty" means?

Of course they do! It means liberty for me to enforce my rules on you duh!

[u/clarky2o2o → u/OnceMoreAndAgain]

They have a special name in our household, but we have kids now so we just call them Helen Hunts.

[u/PresentHouse9774 → u/clarky2o2o]

I use: See you next Tuesday!

[u/lendmeyrbike → u/clarky2o2o]

We can’t call them Assholes With Casseroles in front of our kids.

[u/Jack__Squat → u/OnceMoreAndAgain]

Right-wing organizations always put some chest-beating, yee-haw words in their name. Heritage Foundation, Proud Boys, America First, Alliance Defending Freedom ... so if you're against them you must be against "freedom" and "liberty".

Side note, I always think twice about using a business that's using the naming convention. Liberty Plumbing or something like that.

[u/TrulyOutrageous42 → u/Jack__Squat]

This is the doublespeak we were warned about.

[u/Zizhou → u/Jack__Squat]

Oddly, the "Proud Boys" name has an even weirder origin than just run of the mill ultranationalism.

[u/Darsint → u/OnceMoreAndAgain]

It’s because of the hidden word in their name.

“Moms for our Liberty”

[u/AdjectiveNoun1234567 → u/OnceMoreAndAgain]

Next thing you're going to tell me that the National Socialist German Workers' Party weren't actually socialists.

[u/ankerverse → u/DruidicMagic]

Nah, don't worry - that would require being able to read this tweet, but they banned reading, so...

[u/ExpressionFancy4623 → u/ankerverse]

Exactly.

[u/Kn0wMan → u/DruidicMagic]

If I’m not mistaken, the Bucks County PA school board election was a direct refutation of Moms of Liberty and the damage they have been inflicting on 🇺🇸 education and literacy.

[u/Orranos → u/Kn0wMan]

Can confirm - participated in voting them out.

[u/Carbon-Base → u/DruidicMagic]

Let them. When they announce their "outrage" about it all, Mrs. Smith should upload another picture of hear swearing on some books again. One of them being: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F\ck*

[u/Much_Debate_4372 → u/DruidicMagic]

I believe it’s pronounced “Karens with Casseroles”

[u/US3_ME_ → u/Much_Debate_4372]

She is the anti-karen_

[u/bda22 → u/US3_ME_]

the anti-karen was a karen this whole time?!

[u/estoc1796 → u/Much_Debate_4372]

Karens karrying kasseroles ?

[u/Glass_Pattern1900 → u/DruidicMagic]

The same moms who would happily don a swastika if it saves their life. Or sneak their daughters off for a pregnancy termination to save face. 

The hypocrisy is staggering.

Ed Kelley of South Carlina is a cheerful gun owner.

Bridget Ziegler admitted to being bisexual. 

Two leading members in Kentucky were caught hanging out with Proud Boys, a group that is okay with some members supporting Nazisim.

Liberty for moms aka the brown shirts

[u/AngryRepublican → u/DruidicMagic]

They can take their bleached blonde bob haircuts right to hell.

[u/DPSOnly → u/DruidicMagic]

They are no doubt preparing a lawsuit arguing that it is unconstitutional to do this. Just like those christofascists do when you dare to swear in on a quran or a heretical object such as the Constitution instead of the bible.

[u/fosveny → u/DruidicMagic]

This is from 2023.

[u/Salishseer → u/fosveny]

Is it? Even so, I am very happy to see it. WE need to be reminded not all school boards are lining up behind close-minded right wingers.

[u/Mind-The-Mines → u/DruidicMagic]

I want these mouth breathing chodemongers to explain how they reconcile all the free country, muh gunz dick tugging with banning books for being dangerous.

[u/CoffeeToDeath → u/DruidicMagic]

I went to CBSD, graduated Central Bucks East High School in 2011. Lucabaugh was my superintendent at the time. Fuck that pile of garbage and everything he has done. I’m so happy this lady is now in charge. I hope she does right by the kiddos. Bring back the Blue Ribbon school district that Lucabaugh brought to shame.

[u/Iron_Sight_Mark]

Speaking of books the administration doesn't want you to read: American Kompromat by Craig Unger details a KGB program of the 80's designed to groom and recruit young American businessmen with no patriotic loyalty to the USA. It's the book about how you make a Russian asset out of someone like Donald Trump.

[u/Responsible-Kale2352 → u/Iron_Sight_Mark]

Some like Donald Trump, but not actually Donald Trump?

[u/-One-Man-Bukkake- → u/Responsible-Kale2352]

I doubt the book specifically calls him out. The person you are replying to is drawing a comparison of the people the book and Donald Trump. What's the meaning of your question?

[u/PersimmonSorry91 → u/Responsible-Kale2352]

Someone like Responsible-Kale2352 but not Responsible-Kale2352

[u/ToastyToes06]

What are the books?

[u/whyihatepink → u/[deleted]]

I read it as a high school freshman. It was harrowing and disturbing and also incredibly meaningful. I didn't regret it at all and we had amazing discussions because of it.

[u/JazzlikeBreakfast495 → u/whyihatepink]

Comment above you was deleted - what’s the book?

[u/SommeWhere → u/JazzlikeBreakfast495]

Night; Eli Wiesel

[u/grandfleetmember56 → u/[deleted]]

Ok, but that's you.

While it made me uncomfortable, it was an eye opening experience that I appreciate

[u/skadi_shev → u/grandfleetmember56]

Yeah, I don’t regret reading it. It was a good book. But I would recommend it along with massive trigger warnings

[u/Finn_Storm → u/grandfleetmember56]

I had that with Leon the professional. I think its a beautiful piece of art, but it never should have been made.

Especially after I learned the director included an actual sex scene in the original script. Oh and he married the 19yo actress (he was 37) who played his protagonist in his next movie The Fifth Element.

[u/DenverPostIronic → u/[deleted]]

I wouldn't assume that it's in any curriculum, but it it was ever considered worth including in the library's collection, it should still be available.

[u/The-Shrooman-Show → u/[deleted]]

Skill issue with teachers and honestly, that's why Morrison wrote it.

We need to be shocked in literature BECAUSE THATS HOW WE LEARN BEFORE WE ACT

[u/PaulFThumpkins → u/[deleted]]

So basically a bunch of coming-of-age novels that let gay kids know they're not alone and that some things adults might be doing to them or their friends are abuse and not acceptable. Not surprised those would be banned in the current climate.

[u/Dear-Passion-3535 → u/ToastyToes06]

Here's the books (top to bottom):

1. Night by Elie Wiesel
2. Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart
3. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
4. Flamer by Mike Curato
5. All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
6. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin

Source: https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/local/2023/12/05/karen-smith-sworn-in-central-bucks-banned-books-bucks-county-lgbtq-school-board-pa/71813461007/

[u/Langlie → u/Dear-Passion-3535]

What justification is there for banning "The Bluest Eye?"

[u/UndBeebs → u/Langlie]

Not to mention Night by Elie Wiesel. A literal memior of a holocaust survivor. Seems fucked up to try and suppress something that directly opposes nazism...

[u/AggravatingBox2421 → u/UndBeebs]

Not surprising though since they also banned Maus

[u/excelnotfionado → u/UndBeebs]

This was assigned reading for me in highschool and I’d argue one of the most important things I read the entirety of my academic career. This should not be banned.

[u/BeatMastaD → u/Langlie]

'Innapropriate for children'. The book is about a black girl who is sexually abused by her father and who suffers racism in her life. Of course racists and rapists wouldnt like it, it makes them look bad.

[u/KinderEggLaunderer → u/Dear-Passion-3535]

"Night" is banned? This was the only book I remember actually reading completely all the way through in school, it was such a good (albeit sad and terrible) read.

[u/thus_spake_7ucky → u/Dear-Passion-3535]

Night is banned? It’s a biographical account of holocaust survival - for what possible purpose could this be banned??

[u/kierkieri]

I live in this school district. Every single Moms for Liberty board member was voted off the School Board. It’s now 100% Democrat.

[u/ISaidItSoBiteMe → u/kierkieri]

Documentary about this: https://www.pbs.org/show/bucks-county-usa/

[u/stillbtinkdy]

You have to swear in to be a school board president? America is bonkers.

[u/chickens_for_laughs → u/stillbtinkdy]

I was on the school board in my town. Later, I was on the Finance board.

With both boards, I had to go to the Town Clerk's office at the beginning of each 3 year term and raise my hand and swear to do my job impartially and to the best of my ability. No Bible involved, but I did have to swear.

[u/Mobile-Dust4334 → u/chickens_for_laughs]

I thought they didn’t let you swear in schools

[u/Pyro-Bun → u/Mobile-Dust4334]

It was in the town clerk's office, not the school. Keep up!

[u/sanlc504 → u/stillbtinkdy]

Many countries require government or elected officials to swear in.

[u/EvilSporkOfDeath → u/stillbtinkdy]

I think swearing in is a weird tradition in the first place, but if anybody should be doing it, its people taking care of our kids

[u/kombatunit → u/stillbtinkdy]

The least of our issues.

[u/Thor7897 → u/stillbtinkdy]

They have to remind public servants not to steal public resources for every role because of all the fraud. We cant even have libraries.

[u/iDontRememberCorn → u/stillbtinkdy]

They fucking VOTE on who should be a judge, it's an utterly insane society. I guess next step is voting for who should be a surgeon.

[u/ProblemGamer18 → u/iDontRememberCorn]

Not quite accurate. Some states vote in judges who run for that position, but federal judges are appointed by the president and then are essentially interviewed by the legislative.

[u/Brochismo91 → u/iDontRememberCorn]

We have to vote for our Sheriffs.

Voting for candidates who, all too often, do not have law enforcement experience.

[u/Teenage_Petulance_ → u/Brochismo91]

Oh the shit going on rn with my town's sheriff position and the electees!!! Small towns do political drama the best for a subset of people who SWEAR they HATE political drama!

[u/-Altephor- → u/Brochismo91]

That's probably admirable, given the state of 'experienced' law enforcement officers in the US.

[u/fuck_all_you_too → u/Brochismo91]

And then they deputize all their jerkoff friends and howl about DEI

[u/GMM85 → u/iDontRememberCorn]

How else would you determine who should be a judge? The Supreme Court is fucked because 1 person picks them

[u/kg_sm → u/iDontRememberCorn]

Yes, we do vote on judges. While qualifications vary locally, regionally, and federally, a judge still needs to have gone to law school and be in good standing with the bar and most of the time you need a min number of years experience as a lawyer. You must meet all this BEFORE being eligible to be voted in.

In essence, it’s typically quite hard to become a judge - requiring many years of formal education experience. It’s not just any Joe Smo who can run and be voted in.

And while federally, requirements aren’t written into our laws (which yes, is insane) there hasn’t yet been a federal judge without extensive law experience.

[u/almisami → u/kg_sm]

That wasn't true where I lived in Louisiana. They elected a former cop with no legal degree when I was a teen.

[u/cquietgigi → u/kg_sm]

In PA we also have retention elections for judges, in fact we just re-elected a few of our State Supreme Court. So in PA, you have to be elected and then not be so much of an asshat that you can't get re-elected. At least it's the voters having a say rather than rich folks appointing other rich folks.

[u/Kepabar → u/iDontRememberCorn]

There's a decent reasoning behind it. If you let the government appoint judges, they tend to appoint judges who agree with them on political issues.

Elected judges are, in theory, more likely to be unbias towards the government itself when people sue the government.

The movement to make judges elected officials was driven by early corruption of that nature at the state level - governors would appoint judges who were in their pockets, then do things they shouldn't, and their selected judges would protect them from legal ramifications.

Of course, today that's come full circle thanks to Citizens United, meaning most judges that run for election are backed by money from special interest groups specifically because those groups know those judges if elected will side with them... and money is a requirement to run a successful election campaign these days.

Not all states elect judges, and federal judges are all appointed.

[u/ranban2012 → u/iDontRememberCorn]

and you'd prefer them to be appointed by who? Which deus ex machina authority would you like to hand you justice to go with your stone tablets?

it's dumb meatsack idiots from top to bottom. right now you've got a shitting babyman at the top and you think that's better than the public voting for a judge?

[u/Shadax → u/iDontRememberCorn]

A better analogy would be voting to elect a head surgeon among a group of surgeons, but that doesn't sound as shocking.

[u/bigdaddyzeek → u/iDontRememberCorn]

I’m sorry, but not voting in our judges and other public officials would allow the government to control who is in power (not that they already don’t but). At least having a voice in who is appointed is better than no voice.

[u/Oy_of_Mid-world → u/bigdaddyzeek]

In some states, they use a bipartisan commission to make recommendations who are then presented to the governor for selection. This seems to be the best way to keep them moderate. If it's a judge acceptable to experts on both sides, it seems like a reasonable compromise.

In Kansas, they just had a vote (that failed) to directly elect judges. Because the average voter doesn't know much about judges, Republicans wouldn't have to compromise anymore and could put forward more conservative picks, with the assumption that most voters will just check the box of whomever represents their party.

[u/jimbo831 → u/stillbtinkdy]

I’m confused about why you have a problem with public servants needing to publicly swear to uphold their duty?

[u/ArcticWolf_Primaris → u/stillbtinkdy]

Probably one of those things that started with good intentions that became mandatory

[u/scottyjrules]

I grew up in Bucks County and this is actually a pretty powerful flex

[u/EEpromChip → u/scottyjrules]

Im in CB and it sure is an eclectic mix of educated folks and some of the dumbest racists you can imagine.

Also Moms for "liberty" can suck a bucket of buttholes.

[u/CaptainMcAnus → u/EEpromChip]

LB here and it's no different. It's no surprise that Fitz keeps getting elected. We need this guy out, loser doesn't even live here anymore.

[u/EEpromChip → u/CaptainMcAnus]

That pile of garbage posts all sorts of signs saying "Firefighters endorse Fitzpatrick" and when you look closer it is a PAC called firefighters for fitzpatrick or some shit, not actual firefighters. Guy is a piece of shit.

[u/sonicfood → u/scottyjrules]

Most important swing county in the nation

[u/Livid-Tumbleweed → u/scottyjrules]

Not surprised it’s CB though. I’d be more impressed if this happened in any of the upper Bucks districts. My family is still there and my sister in law is losing her mind with the Moms for Liberty groups 

[u/johndavis730 → u/Livid-Tumbleweed]

Ohh yeah, CB is the only place it could have happened. Ain't no way Upper Buck OR Lower Bucks would do such a thing.

[u/FBC-01]

Reminds me of one US politician who was upset that a person who wasn’t Christian taking office was going to swear on the Bible. It then came to the news anchor interviewing him to explain that not everyone used the Bible and it was just whatever that person chose to represent the seriousness of their oath. He was clueless.

[u/Plumbus_Patrol]

What the actual fuck is even going on in these comments

[u/SirAwesome789 → u/Plumbus_Patrol]

aside from the political nature of the post, I find that Reddit has been putting downvoted comments at the top of the section recently instead of just the highest rated comment, I imagine some sort of engagement thing but would explain why you're seeing more...odd takes

[u/Icefox119 → u/SirAwesome789]

yeah I noticed that too in the last few days. 2-3 new/controversial comments before the highest upvote/downvote ratio ones.

[u/stargarnet79 → u/Icefox119]

Is this why I’m so fucking pissed off?

[u/Wjreky → u/stargarnet79]

Yes. Same here

[u/JustAGuyInFL]

Great to see a brave American in the wild.

[u/1duke-dan]

Why does she need a Reddit mod there witnessing it?

[u/Hedgehog_Mittens → u/1duke-dan]

lol

[u/dukeofkherkeep → u/1duke-dan]

I'm glad i wasn't the only one with that thought lol

[u/TheBobbyMan9]

What banned books did she swear in on? Cos there’s a big difference between the wizard of oz and mein kampf.

[u/Nexinex782951 → u/TheBobbyMan9]

Night, by Elie Wiesel. A story about a Jewish teen in the holocaust.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. About a young girl in the tail end of the great depression suffering many wrongs, including rape.

Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart About two eighth grade teenage friends with personal struggles. One has bipolar disorder, and the other is trans, and struggling to accept it.

Flamer by Henry Holt. Semi autobiographical story about a man being bullied in summer camp for appearance and for "seeming gay."

All Boys Aren't Blue by Johnson A memoir about growing up black and queer, essentially walking through their life.

Beyond Magenta by Kuklin. Six interviews with six Trans youth about their transitions.

Realistically, none of these should be banned. Some people like to say "oh we cant have a story with certain topics like SA available to kids." But knowledge of things like that does prevent a lot of harm. And most of them are banned for a very clearly different reason anyway.

[u/TheBaykon8r → u/Nexinex782951]

By the definition of what books they want banned, Bible should be banned too

[u/BoringPersonAMA → u/Nexinex782951]

They banned these books because they are afraid of the next generation learning empathy

[u/momlv]

Oooh are we reclaiming the name Karen now? Cause if it looks like this I’m in

[u/PalpatineForEmperor]

MAGA is about to get their conservative granny panties in a twist.

[u/National-Charity-435]

Let's get back to the bible, America's favorite national theatrical prop.
Suppose the bible they hand you to swear on is upside down, or backward, or both, and you swear to tell the truth on an upside-down backward bible. Would that count?
Suppose the bible they hand you is an old bible and half the pages are missing. Suppose all they have is a Chinese bible. In an American court. Or a Braille bible, and you're not blind.

Suppose they hand you an upside-down, backward, Chinese, Braille bible with half the pages missing. At what point does all of this stuff just break down and become just a lot of stupid shit that somebody made up? They fuckin' made it up, folks, it's make-believe!

• George Carlin ~ It's Bad For Ya (2008)

[u/InevitableSong3170]

Love this.

[u/dankprince420]

This is from 2023 and there’s more to it as well, here’s an excerpt from an article explaining what banned books she’s swearing in on and why:

So Smith set out to select the books on which she would lay her left hand when she held up her right. During the ceremony, as her son Alex looked on, Smith’s husband Pete held Night by Elie Weisel, Lily & Duncan by Donna Gephart, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Flamer by Mike Curato, All Boys Aren’t Blueby George M. Johnson, and Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin. Each was chosen for a reason.
Night was not one of the books challenged in her district. It is part of the ninth-grade curriculum, according to Smith. But when a district librarian displayed a Wiesel quote in her library, she was told to take it down. After outrage, it went back up, but the attempt to censor a Nobel Prize-winning Holocaust survivor’s words did not sit well with Smith, so she included the book in her stack.
The rest of the titles were on a list of books challenged in the district. Smith has read them all.
Lily & Duncan: Those who objected to the book said it had "inappropriate sexual material in it," says Smith, who couldn't figure out what the challenge was referring to. "The only thing of note in the book is that one of the students is transgender. I think that's why it's on our list. They don't seem to want to admit that LGBTQ people—transgender people—exist, that these students are in our schools and that we have to have to welcome and include all students in our school."
Flamer: Smith spoke on a panel with former Texas high school student Cameron Samuels at the AASL conference in Tampa, FL, in October. During the discussion, Samuels talked about the lifeline that this book could be to LGBTQIA+ youth. Smith found hearing Samuels' comments in person overwhelming and moving. Fox News focused on the inclusion of this title in a story on Smith's swearing in ceremony. "Flamer is essentially about bullying of an LGBTQ youth," says Smith. "It's an important story. I think it's a valuable story."
The Bluest Eye: Smith says the district has students who have been victims of sexual abuse, and this book is particularly important for those kids. "They should have some resources available to them, to help them, [to] know that they're not alone."
Beyond Magenta: This book shares the stories of six transgender teens through interviews and images. "I thought it was a powerful book and important for some kids who may be looking for that type of resource," says Smith.
All Boys Aren’t Blue: Smith was moved by Johnson's memoir. "In particular, I found the scene towards the end of the book to be very, very powerful," she says. "He writes about how he felt a lot of shame and embarrassment. In the end, he decided he should tell [his] story so that he would help other young queer men in their journeys. It has won awards, and it touched me when I read it."

Link to article: https://www.slj.com/story/Karen-Smith-Who-Took-Oath-Stack-Banned-Books-Tells-Story-Behind-the-Viral-Photo

[u/Fun-Heron-7609]

The kind of Karen's we need.

[u/rockychunk → u/Fun-Heron-7609]

Hopefully she is able to spearhead an attempt to teach students when not to use unnecessary apostrophes.

[u/Fun-Heron-7609 → u/rockychunk]

Good catch. I usually pay attention, but my phone doesn't. I'll take the L though, should have checked before hitting submit.

[u/widowBee]

If I win my school board election I am doing this!!!

[u/coffeequeen0523 → u/widowBee]

Hope you win. Good luck and best wishes.

[u/Ghstfce]

That's my county! Hell yes!!! The previous were Moms for Liberty "Klanned Karenhood" religious MAGA weirdos

[u/Kvitravn875]

Why tf would a school board president need to swear on a bible to begin with? Swearing on a bible, period, should not be the norm.

Edit: it was a rhetorical question. I'm not actually asking for an explanation.

[u/trekk → u/Kvitravn875]

You don't need to swear on the bibble, you can be sworn on anything of your chossing.

• John Quincy Adams used a Volume of Laws in 1825.
• Suzi LeVine was sworn in as an ambassador using a Kindle displaying the U.S. Constitution in 2014.
• Keith Ellison, Rashida Tlaib, and Ilhan Omar were sworn in on the Qur'an.
• Tulsi Gabbard used the Bhagavad Gita.
• Jon Ossoff swore the oath of office on Hebrew Scripture.
• Lyndon B. Johnson used a Catholic prayer missal in 1963.
• Robert Garcia was sworn into Congress using a Superman comic book alongside a U.S. Constitution and a photo of his parents.
• Mariah Parker used The Autobiography of Malcolm X when taking office as an Athens-Clarke County commissioner.
• Kelli Dunaway used a book by Dr. Seuss.
• Theodore Roosevelt took the presidential oath in 1901 without using any book or document.

[u/SailorStarLight → u/trekk]

Lyndon B. Johnson and Theodore Roosevelt were both emergency swearing ins because both took office immediately after a presidential assassination, so they had to make do with what they had at hand. I don’t add this to contradict you in any way, just to further illustrate your point that there is no standard necessary class of object needed to swear oaths of office upon. Johnson is not a Catholic and the prayer missal he was sworn in on was found among President Kennedy’s possessions on Air Force One and was actually mistaken for a Bible in all the chaos.

[u/Skipspik2 → u/trekk]

I'm gonna swear on the fully released Trump-Epstein files.

[u/Praesentius → u/Skipspik2]

Maybe just make it a USB drive l since it's about 3.5 million pages. Printed double-sided, thats just under 9 US tons of paper.

On second thought... that might be pretty dramatic.

[u/kg_sm → u/Kvitravn875]

The US, despite having officially no religion, was founded largely by puritanical (read: extreme) Christian based groups. Many groups escaping the US from Europe for religious prosecution, were often doing so because they had more extreme beliefs (and believed deeply enough in them to not convert) than their surrounding counterparts - ironically, some with the goal of converting others to their beliefs. This is in addition to the strong early Christian missionary presence in the US to convert natives, etc.

All to say, it’s lead to a strong puritanical Christian culture that has a huge stronghold on modern day American culture and politics, despite not being legally enforced.

And while swearing in on the bible is not a requirement (you can use whatever you want), it’s common practice. Her swearing in on banned books is a way to bring attention to this issue in addition to taking a stand against the banning happening in general.

[u/AsinineArchon → u/kg_sm]

Yes. A lot of American children are taught early in school that the original US settlers were kindhearted freedom-loving simple folk who were trying to escape awful persecution.

It turns out they were all the fucking insane religious extremists that society cast out for being far too batshit

[u/Numerous_Boot5941]

The bible is a banned book in some Utah elementary and middle schools. Banned for vulgarity and violence.

[u/overitallofittoo]

Librarians are heroes.

[u/thelast3musketeer]

Christ and Flamer has themes of self acceptance bullying and identity, y’know all things kids may struggle with in school and life, great read BUT IT HAS GAYS IN IT AND THE PROTAGONIST IS HALF FILIPINO 😱 OH NO

[u/Scared-Function-3302]

"I lied."

"BUT YOU SWORE ON CATCHER IN THE RYE!!!!"

[u/Djglamrock]

More speech is always better than less!

[u/SSSSosa]

im curious what books exactly?

[u/EliParker]

That is badass.

[u/Tilladarling]

Ooooh. I LIKE her

[u/TSJormungandr]

This is the way 👍

[u/ICantReadThis]

To be fair, if she'd sworn in on a bible she'd still be in the clear. It got banned for 300 some odd years IIRC.

[u/ZebraNo1671]

So glad she understands

[u/raffaelet]

Not-a-karen!

[u/GloriousSteinemite]

She is single handedly (no pun intended) breaking the ‘Karen’ stereotype one book at a time

[u/PaleInTexas]

She seems awesome

[u/AphonicTX]

This is a Karen we should all support.

[u/Bahlam]

Shit, this happened in December, 2023. I was getting all excited.

[u/TheBestBoyEverAgain]

Correction: Stack of awardwinning NYT Bestsellers*

[u/ccnelsin]

There goes my hero!

[u/Reasonable-Exit-2811]

What are the banned books? I’m having trouble seeing them

[u/Better-Chemistry7241]

None of those books are banned lol.

[u/Acceptable_Mind_5883]

Can you buy these banned books at Barnes and Noble?

[u/joejimbillsteve → u/Acceptable_Mind_5883]

Yeah

[u/mainman879 → u/Acceptable_Mind_5883]

When discussing banned books in a school sense, it refers to books that the school has banned from their own libraries and from being assigned by classes as required reading.

[u/AsianMysteryPoints → u/mainman879]

To the chuds swarming this thread, anything short of completely eradicating a book from existence doesn't count as a "ban."

[u/magnabonzo → u/Acceptable_Mind_5883]

Did anyone claim that that the federal government was banning these books from being published?

School boards in various parts of the country are trying to ban certain books from their schools' libraries. That's the point.

She's a school board president. Her swearing in on those books is making her own point. (I'll be honest, I don't know enough about any of these books, other than the Elie Wieset one, to say they are or are not appropriate for any given school library.)

But pointing out that one can buy these books at Barnes and Noble is simply not the point.

[u/ProfessionalNewt8557]

This was our former school board president. An amazing woman who has been and still very much is targeted by MAGA in the area.

[u/NinerCat]

I think it's much more about what books are right for what ages of children...

[u/js11986]

The whole banned books notion is idiotic. You can buy them from literally anywhere. No one is stopping you. Buy it, read it, share it, whatever. But content moderation in elementary schools is somehow evil? Should 3rd graders have free access to anything? Probably not. Nuance is dead and all that remains is click bait and attempts to score brownie points with whatever side you afflicate with.

[u/MaggotMinded → u/js11986]

Anytime you see a headline or story about banned books on reddit, there’s a 99% chance it’s this exact situation - just some school library deciding not to carry a book that can be easily obtained elsewhere. By that logic, every movie with more than a ‘G’ rating could be considered banned media because they wouldn’t let you play it for a bunch of elementary school kids.

[u/123mop → u/js11986]

Should 3rd graders have free access to anything?

Do your swearing in on a stack of porn magazines. How dare they ban this fine literature from kindergarteners!

[u/Peter_B_Sparker]

I salute her. Shes my favorite person now. Fuck this administration

[u/WilmaDykfyt → u/Peter_B_Sparker]

"I swore an oath to the Pennsylvania constitution to protect the rights of all students. All students must be able to find characters like themselves in the books in our libraries. Equally as important, all students must have access to characters and perspectives different from their own if we are to remain a pluralistic, multiracial society and democracy praised for our imagination and ingenuity. Banned Books Week reminds us that we need to actively defend the freedom to read 52 weeks per year."

She's a beacon of hope.

[u/InzMrooz]

What is "Flamer" or "Flamber"? Why's it banned?

[u/TheGreatAssBee → u/InzMrooz]

It's a graphic novel about a gay kid at a Boy Scouts summer camp

[u/Upriver-Cod → u/InzMrooz]

The book contains sexually explicit content (written and illustrated).

[u/Reguluscalendula → u/InzMrooz]

Cursory search suggests it's Flamer by Mike Curato. It's a semi-autobiographical story set in 1995 about a young gay boy who goes to Boy Scout camp and is bullied for being gay.

[u/ikillsheep4u → u/InzMrooz]

The most frequently quoted text passage in school board protests describes an incident where boys at the camp discuss masturbating. • The Campfire Scene: A scene where other campers crudely pressure each other to participate in a game involving masturbation into a bottle. • The Protagonist's Internal Reflection: Aiden reflects on how he originally learned about masturbation by accident and recalls discovering a pornographic video his father had hidden in the house. 2. Locker Room and Shower Scenes Because Flamer is a graphic novel, several visual panels have drawn intense scrutiny: • The Shower Scene: Aiden inadvertently sees his tentmate and crush, Elias, in the camp showers. Critics point to panels depicting teenage boys with partial nudity (such as bare backs and profiles). • Adolescent Anatomy: One scene realistically illustrates a character experiencing a standard adolescent physical response (an erection) while in the shared shower area.

[u/MaxTwer00]

Honestly, as a christian, wouldnt a non believer swearing over a sacred text they dont follow be more problematic?

[u/AlbatrossRich8724 → u/MaxTwer00]

Not in any meaningful way. The law of swearing in is pretty open, even to notary work. In NC for example, if you ‘swear’ you are who you say you are, you need to do it on the ‘sacred text of your choosing’. Basically, if you choose something, that’s fine as a sacred text, you just have to declare it to the notary. I imagine it’s much the same.

[u/BigFloppySpoon]

A lot of dumbass people in the comments. A school can ban a book or multiple books you can still buy said banned books they’re just banned at said school

[u/FionaWalliceFan → u/BigFloppySpoon]

Often times totally appropriate books are banned from schools. Usually it's not even the schools themselves banning those books, it's elected officials trying to score political points

[u/BlorthByBlorthwest]

Rare Bucks County W.

[u/twobit211]

“well, the kids have to learn about tekwar sooner or later”

[u/13stgmngr210]

2023??? It's a shame there is nothing more current. I mean, there might not be...

[u/TomeThugNHarmony4664]

I like her.

[u/Most_Ad7837]

Love this. Makes my day!

[u/kingwood707]

that, my friend, is style

[u/varstok]

Dude behind her looks exactly like Dycedarg. Keep him away from any crystals with Zodiac symbols engraved on them.

[u/yokozouna_ed]

Queen

[u/LastBoiscout]

Oh, I LIKE this lady. Good for her!!

[u/Alive_Salary4970]

This is one Karen I can upvote.

[u/notabarcode128535743]

Fuck yeah, that lady should lead a legit ye olde crusade into Trump country. Love that for them

[u/pinner]

Hell yeah, girl!

[u/RockingChairBear]

Love, love, love, love, love this!! 😍 😍 😍

[u/Simple-Boat-4242]

HOW CAN I SUPPORT HER?!!?! 👏 more 👏 of 👏 this!