Texas school district agrees to remove ‘Anne Frank’s Diary,’ ‘Maus’ and 670 other books after right-wing group’s complaint ( forward.com )

Conservative activists, led by a local pastor and outspoken Israel advocate, pushed the district, Mission CISD, to excise books mostly about gender, sexuality and race. Their demands represented an extreme version of a nationwide culture war over books that has played out in recent years — and ensnared a number of books with Jewish themes.

In Mission, the long list of books on the chopping block includes a recent illustrated adaptation of Anne Frank’s diary; both volumes of Art Spiegelman’s Holocaust graphic memoir “Maus”; “The Fixer,” Bernard Malamud’s novel about a historical instance of antisemitic blood libel; and “Kasher in the Rye,” a ribald memoir by Jewish comedian Moshe Kasher.

andrewta ,

Diary of Anne Frank? Really?! Dumb shits

Tattorack ,
@Tattorack@lemmy.world avatar

It's very difficult to avoid comparing right wing America to fascists when they have this much of a problem with Maus.

Philharmonic3 ,

Fucking yikes

paddirn ,

Wouldn't want people learning from history, now would we? How else are we supposed to repeat it?

Spazz ,

Fucking conservatives

Vaginal_blood_fart ,

Shit states gonna shit state

StinkySocialist ,

I hate this dumb fuck country 😔

Neps ,
@Neps@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

I swear this shithole takes every chance it can get at doing some of the most stupid shit ever its insane.

HawlSera ,

Visibly concerned

didntbuyasquirrel ,

"Jewish themes"...like in the Bible?

pyre ,

i cannot believe how openly anti-nazi some books are! we should burn these intolerant books!

FlyingSquid ,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

Yeah, but the New Testament says everyone who doesn't worship Jesus is going to burn in hell forever, so that kind of lessens the whole Jewishness of the first half.

AncientFutureNow ,

This is infuriating.
This is hate.
This is danger.

Juigi ,

Texas full of whiny bitches seems like

kerrypacker ,

Everything is bigger in Texas, especially the whining snowflakes.

fine_sandy_bottom , (edited )

I just can't understand how someone could think that banking books is a good idea.

edit: sorry banning not banking

CableMonster ,

So you think that all books should be available to all kids in public schools?

cows_are_underrated ,

It isn't about them being available. Its about discussing the content and the deeper meaning. I would be totally fine with reading Adolf Hitlers - Mein Kampf in School, as long as the content gets discussed and why what he wrote wasn't good.

CableMonster ,

Nothing is going to be discusses it would just be sitting on the shelf and available. So I think we should all agree that censorship of books in public schools makes sense. I personally am fine with siding on the side of being more cautious and having kids less able to get books people think are not acceptable, and catching books that probably should be available in schools.

ThePyroPython ,

You do realise that there's a version of Mien Kampf that's four times as long because there's several experts annotating and debunking Hitler's ideas right there on the page.

CableMonster ,

Thats fine, what would be so bad if a signficant part of the population dont think its appropriate so its not provided to kids at a public school?

todd_bonzalez ,

What would be so bad with...

...checks notes...

...informing young people about the most horrible decisions made throughout history, why they were flawed, and how not to repeat the same mistakes today?

Hmm....

Just take a look at the world around you. That's a fucking start...

CableMonster ,

That is not what is happening...

PapaStevesy ,

No, history never repeats itself! Just like that old expression says, "Those who forget history are doomed to a life of happiness and prosperity."

CableMonster ,

I agree, but that is not what these book removals are about

ThePyroPython ,

History is uncomfortable. Revising it to tell lovely stories is all well and good for building a national identity.

However, sugar-coating, ignoring, or even flat-out erasing parts of history benefits no one. People started writing events down accurately because the orators of old never intended paint an accurate picture of the past. And therefore lessons learnt from the failures of humanity (lost causes, preventable catastrophies, perspectives of people on the wrong side, genocides, etc.) were also lost.

History should be uncomfortable, so we can collectively learn and have a chance to do better the next time.

CableMonster ,

You are believing the propaganda not what the real critique is.

ThePyroPython ,

I literally said the opposite. How did you come to that conclusion?

CableMonster ,

You didnt say the opposite, you repeated the propaganda that is an attack on people that want to censor books. The books that are getting censored are not due to them being about history or learning.

ThePyroPython ,

the propaganda that is an attack on people that want to sensor books.

How is this propaganda?

Also you are completely incorrect. Those books are ABSOLUTELY are about history and learning.

Anne Frank's Dairy is a first hand historical account of life an oppressed and genocided group under facism. Maus is another recollection of first-hand historical accounts of a polish Jew being interviewed by his son but shown visually in a cartoon graphic novel to make the context more visually palatable for a younger audience without avoiding the horrific events of history.

What next? Are you going to claim the Horrible History books are neither educational or historical as well?

CableMonster ,

Its propaganda because you are literally believeing something false, you comment proves that it works. They are not removing the book we all read in school "The Diary of Anne Frank" they are remvoing "Anne Franks Diary" because "they objected to the book as it contained a 'graphic scene' in which Anne Frank asks a friend to expose themselves to each other."

The part about them wanting to remove lessons of history is just bullshit, they are wanting to remove typically things with sexual content in them. Why are you fighting for books that have sexual content in them so kids can read them?

ThePyroPython ,

From the article, talking about the complaints citing the Moms for Liberty rating system:

“Anne Frank’s Diary” and “Maus” both rate a “2” on BookLooks, with the site’s objections to the latter described as “hate involving antisemitism and racism; violence; nonsexual nudity; and mild/infrequent profanity.”

Would you look at that: non-sexual nudity, oh the shock and horror, children might learn that underneath clothes people are naked 😱

As shown by the complaint quoted in the article they're removing these books because they discuss historical horrors, violence, and hate, therefore your argument holds no water at all.

CableMonster ,

I looked at the page, its about sexualizing whom I assume is Anne Frank. Why are you okay with one minor asking another minor to expose themselves to one another?

Do you undestand yet that the book was not banned due to anything but sexual content?

solidsmoke ,

Don't clutch your pearls too hard.

FlyingSquid ,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

A significant part of the population doesn't think it's appropriate for a picture book about two male penguins that adopt a chick to be in a public school.

In fact, a significant part of the population doesn't think white kids and black kids should go to the same school. And have found ways to do things about it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segregation_academy

Why should we cater to these significant parts of the population?

VARXBLE ,

You're a fucking troglodyte.

Melvin_Ferd , (edited )

Censoring books due to reasons like "these books provide a point of view I'm not comfortable exposing my kids too" is usually a bad reason to censor books.

Problem I see is its all a pendulum on these issues where the reaction swings wildly back and forth the more energy were putting into it rather than having it settle the fuck down.

For instance these books being removed aren't produced in spite of this issue. But for sure if we dig into censorship topic then pro censorship groups start bringing out books to be edgy cunts and prove a point.

Every issue has edge cases and we live in a time where people are so willing to be right they will make every edge case the center of an issue. Like in order to keep Maus on shelves we will now need to have a copy of Bomb making 101 or a book were one of these people wrote FUCK a million times just so they can get anti censorship people to say "hey that isn't cool guys" but also the problem is I often find people are so militant in our beliefs that we have a hard time saying "that isn't cool" when faced with something not cool but also that grinds against our moral beliefs

CableMonster ,

What you are saying makes sense, I just dont see an issue if XX% of people dont want a book to be in PUBLIC schools, then I am okay with restricting it unless there is some kind of cultural significance, and within reason. I am probably okay with Maus from what I have heard, but I dont see it as an issue to take it off the shelf if people feel strongly and there is some level of logic.

Honytawk ,

If kids are only exposed to kid friendly stuff, then they will never learn anything and stay kids long into adulthood.

CableMonster ,

I guess so, but if kids are exposed to adult things their mind is not ready for it will harm them.

drunkpostdisaster ,

They already deal with the fact that someone can just go in and shoot them the middle the middle of class. Those books are nothing compared to that

CableMonster ,

Two different discussions.

Croquette ,

Not really. Kids have active shooter drills, but you get your panties in a bunch because they might read Anne Frank?

You don't really care about kids, you are just an hypocrite.

CableMonster ,

Prove they are trying to remove Anne Frank from the libraries, it might be true, but I think that sounds like propaganda.

And yes they are two different things. The big problem here is that people like you dont realize how to stop school shootings, and even if you did, you are unwilling to take the actual steps to do so.

nomous ,

Prove they are trying to remove Anne Frank from libraries.

Do you even read the titles before you come here saying dumb shit?

It might be true, but I think that sounds like propaganda.

Yeah obviously you have problems distinguishing truth from propaganda, we're all aware.

CableMonster ,

Maybe you should read beyond the titles... A quick google tells me they are not removing anne frank, they are removing a book with anne frank in it because "it contained a 'graphic scene' in which Anne Frank asks a friend to expose themselves to each other." If accurate, why do you want books about minors exposing themselves to one another to be available to minors?

nomous ,

includes a recent illustrated adaptation of Anne Frank’s diary; both volumes of Art Spiegelman’s Holocaust graphic memoir “Maus”; “The Fixer,” Bernard Malamud’s novel about a historical instance of antisemitic blood libel

No it seems to be the Diary of Anne Frank and 600+ other books.

why do you want books about minors exposing themselves to one another to be available to minors?

Have you read the book because that definitely "sounds like propaganda" and we've already established you have problems discerning the difference between that and reality.

But hey, why do YOU mindlessly parrot talking points put out by far right Latino zionists like
Luis Cabrera? Jk we all know the answer, dumb little tankie parroting a fucking evangelical, fuck off.

https://www.au.org/the-latest/articles/texas-pastor-book-bans24

CableMonster ,

No, the Diary of Anne Frank is not the same as Anne Franks Diary. I have read the one that they dont object to, it was a good book.

Why do YOU mindlessly parrot talking points put out by far left?

ClamDrinker , (edited )

On the odd chance you aren't completely trolling.
Anne Frank was a girl going through puberty. She had a crush on her friend and like any normal young person had to deal with scary, unknown, but very normal human feelings and desires of intimacy and love.
It's her own fucking diary, she didn't self censor herself for prudes in 2024. She had a war and death hanging over her head at any moment.

And if you actually go look at the book, there is nothing graphic about it. To these prudes having these normal feelings and describing them in a diary is what they consider to be graphic.
Here's a Dutch talkshow host absolutely clowning on these people just by showing the passage the controversy is actually about (with English subtitles)

SLVRDRGN ,

"Anne Frank's Diary, too sexual? That sounds like 'Tucker Carlson, too athletic'"
I lol'd.

CableMonster ,

You can not agree with it, but do you understand how they are objecting to sexual material in the book not that it has to due with history?

ClamDrinker ,

There is no such sexual material in the book. An innocent teenage girl asked a raunchy question to a friend she had a crush on because that's the kind of behavior teens display while they grow up and develop themselves. And she got shut down. Nothing graphical was ever shown. It's showing only what was written by that same normal girl disconnected and hidden from the world as they hide from murderous tyrannical nazi's. Raw and unfiltered thoughts and feelings of a normal developing teen, as the girl wrote it for herself, not us. As the Anne Frank Foundation said in the video "A book written by a 12 year old can be read by 12 year olds."

ThePyroPython ,

Literally the article.

CableMonster ,

Literally misleading.

Croquette ,

The article states first that a Texas district banned Anne Frank's diary. Don't play dumb.

Every fucking other countries don't have mass shootings pretty much everyday. Only in the US. In Australia, when they banned gun ownership after a mass shooting in 1996, the shootings dropped drastically.

The school shootings are a multi-faceted problem which requires many changes, one of which is the gun culture.

There is a toddler every two weeks that shoot someone in the USA, how are guns not the problem?

You know where this doesn't happen? Everywhere else in the world.

Ban guns for pretty much anything that is not hunting. Fund social services to provide quality mental health treatments to anyone that needs it. That should get you started in the right direction.

drunkpostdisaster ,

Do you realize how many books are in a literary? The odds they will chance on one particular book are really small. And ig they do it's far from the worst thing that can happen to them in a school

Snowclone ,

All books ever!!! The Necromomicon! Solomon's Demonology! THE ANARCHIST'S NOTEBOOK!! PEPPA PIG GOES TO HELL!! !

aodhsishaj ,

No gods, no masters, no borders, no censors.

Xanis , (edited )

Which books do you believe shouldn't be provided in a classroom setting?

No copouts. I don't think anyone expects a bunch of 3rd graders to have a discussion on 50 Shades of Grey.

CableMonster ,

I think the opinion as to what shouldnt be in public schools is reasonable, and I am cool if we are overly restrictive if there is a reason that is good and is supported by enough people.

Xanis ,

You didn't answer my question. Let's try a different one. Once again without copping out: Give us a couple good reasons for why a book should be restricted in education.

CableMonster ,

Books should be restricted from education if a significant portion of the adults dont think its appropriate for children. This could include any variety of reasons they dont think its appropriate.

Croquette ,

Will each book be voted on individually? How does that work in your head? I doubt that people read minimally an excerpt of each book to decide and ban them.

CableMonster ,

Probably do it on a complaint basis. Each school district could have a diverse board and they could look at the books that people dont like and if X out of Y think it should be removed, then remove it. Does that work for you?

Xanis ,

I don't suppose you've heard what's happened with the trans bathroom tip line in Texas? Cause I got bad news for you...

Croquette ,

So Librarians have a bias, but not a board of old crusty people in a school district?

You are trying to fix a non-problem because some old christo-fascists cunts get their feelings hurt when they get told they are christo-fascists.

Melvin_Ferd ,

Only if these books are inscribed on the side of a Glock

Valmond ,

We had like everything, from childrens books to engineering stuff. It's filed differently so your fragile mind won't need to see "adult" books if you don't want to I guess.

CableMonster ,

My fragile mind doesnt want minors to see things they shouldnt see till later. That should be a pretty obvious thing that everyone wants for children...

drunkpostdisaster ,

So remove them entirely? It's not like the kids are going read one by chance and if they are seeking them then they are ready

Jank ,

I like how this argument assumes schools are just regularly stocking school libraries with your Literotica history.

CableMonster ,

I didnt say they were. If its not happening very often why are you guys so against books being removed?

Croquette , (edited )

If it's not happening often, why are you hellbent on banning books? They are edge case, but your ilk act like every school library is chuck full of inappropriate books.

CableMonster ,

I am hellbent on protecting children from adults that will do them harm. If its only edge cases then why are you hellbent on putting rules in place to remove questionable books?

Donkter ,

Because the rules are in place and curated by professionals. What I don't want is every semi-educated group of extremists to have the ability to whine enough that they get important books banned.

CableMonster ,

Ah yes, "professionals". After covid you guys should have learned how experts are not so expert. I dont want children to see books with sexual content in them, does that make me an extremist?

WhatYouNeed ,

It's quite clear one group of people only want morons dictating what people can do, as opposed to those who listen and trust experts (who have often spent their entire life's acquirung knowledge in their area of speciality).

After all, who wants a doctor with 20yrs experience operating on their spleen, when Harry the butcher could do it.

CableMonster ,

You are right, I want to dictate that state funds cant be used to show sexual materials to children. I am guilty!

Jank ,

Pray tell- what is so sexy about The Diary of Anne Frank or Maus?

Donkter ,

This is called a motte-and-bailey. We were discussing a group trying to ban books about the Holocaust, and the larger concept about groups of parents being able to ban anything by whining about it enough. You put forward a different argument you think is bullet proof about banning sexual content with the implication that this argument defends the much weaker argument about banning Holocaust books or whatever books the mob may choose.

Just pointing that out. It's a common fallacy and one that feels right, it isn't necessarily done intentionally.

The freakout about sexual content is fabricated and designed to play to emotions. School libraries already ban sexual content. There's no smut or erotica at them. The small handful of books that people wanted to ban were either educational or were similar to many books that were not targeted by those parent groups and the sexual situations were not the focus of the book. The main similarity was that they were about LGBT sexualities.

CableMonster ,

Why was that book about Anne Frank objected?

Jyek ,

You'll protect children right until it affects your wallet. It's not about children, it's about control. Always has been.

WhatYouNeed ,

Get rid of anything that mentions rape, prostitution, genocide, or god forbid SODOMY?

Out goes the bible then. No one under 18 should read it.

CableMonster ,

The difference between the Bible and other more modern books is that the Bible is the most influential book in western civilization. If you want to have a censored on that removed those exact passages then that seems like a reasonable compromise.

wildcardology ,

Just like all christians do, they just want to pick the ones that fit their agenda and ignore the rest.

CableMonster ,

What "the rest" are we ignoring?

wildcardology ,

How about selling your daughter to slavery. why aren't christians doing that?

Jyek ,

I didn't know, all the passages they don't like talking about. Do you know about 2 Kings 2 23-24? I'll tell you, even in context it makes God look like a psychopath. God literally sends a bear into a village to maul 42 children to death because they made fun of a delicate man's bald head. That's not even twisting the story.

maniclucky ,

Fuck that, the wretched thing doesn't deserve special treatment. There is nothing about the contents of the bible that are worth granting exception for. You want to ban adult themes? I can think of nothing more deserving of such a ban than the oldest book to incorporate rape, divinely ordained murder (all over the place), instructions on how to perform an abortion, incest, and the severly mixed message of "god loves everyone, unless you don't worship them, then you get tortured forever".

CableMonster ,

Like it or not the Bible is the most influence book in western history, so yes it gets special treatment. But again, if you want to make a censored version for kids that takes out those parts, it seems like a reasonable compromise.

halowpeano ,

Nah, you're just some Christofascist. The correct and moral thing to do is ban you, from society.

CableMonster ,

I guess so if that includes not showing sexual things to kids.

JackiesFridge ,
@JackiesFridge@lemmy.world avatar

Fun fact: the events in Anne Frank's diary and Maus actually happened. They are far more valuable than the Goat Herder's Guide to the Galaxy.

CableMonster ,

The book that was objected to what not Anne Franks diary...

maniclucky ,

What you're not getting is that it being that influential is a bad thing and that it's time to pull it from its podium. It's just a religious text and if you're censoring any religious texts, you should censor all of them.

Blackmist ,

Unironically yes.

wildcardology ,

Incest. Don't forget incest.

thedirtyknapkin ,

the world is hard and kids need to be taught about us in a controlled environment like a school.

cammoblammo ,

I’ve worked in school libraries.

The funny thing is that kids will only read things that are of interest to them, and if they’re interested in it, they’re old enough to read it. If they borrow it because they like the cover or all their friends have apparently read it or some such reason, you can be assured it’ll be returned after they get through the first page.

TankovayaDiviziya ,

Books discussing about the horrors of the Holocaust is "adult", I guess.

Lmao

chilicheeselies ,

Yes

BruceTwarzen ,

Yes, so 4 year olds can read mein kampf

cammoblammo ,

If you put that book in a kindergarten library, I can guarantee none of the kids will read it.

The only two reasons not to have it are 1) budget and 2) space. Use the room and money for books the kids will read.

FlyingSquid ,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

We have these people who go to college and get specialized degrees so that they can do things and work in school libraries and figure out what books are appropriate for the school.

You might have heard of them. They're called librarians.

Deciding what books do and don't belong in a library is literally part of their job. I know, because I'm married to one. She used to work in a school library, now she works in a public library. It was a Catholic school (she's an atheist, they didn't discriminate) and they trusted her to figure out which books were appropriate for their kids because of her degree. What does that tell you about librarians?

SPRUNT ,

It tells me that they are obviously evil because they don't blindly support a white Christian authoritarian regime.

/s

FlyingSquid ,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

The funny thing is that I know for a fact that there are Trump supporters who work in the library where my wife works (one is a cis woman with a mustache who must be mistaken for trans regularly, which surprised me), and they also don't approve of this shit. I mean yeah, they're total hypocrites, but they still don't support these book bans.

ILikeBoobies ,

Like a library?

fine_sandy_bottom ,

sorry I meant banning not banking

exanime ,

well the USA was circling the drain after Trump's first win... they are now at the toilet gargling stage

EatATaco ,

This isn't the USA. It's one school district in one state. I know you aren't bright enough to separate the two, but it would be like saying because the far right has made inroads in French election, then all of Europe is in the toilet.

Yawweee877h444 ,

Conservatives continue winning elections. Trump, of all people, actually became president. He has a non zero chance of being voted in again. Supreme Court is far right conservative. House of reps is republican controlled. Many Democrat elected officials are arguably, conservative.

This is the USA. This is who the conservatives are, and they win often.

Until the people show us by continually electing democrats to take the senate, house, and exec branch over and over and over again (not gonna happen), this type of shit is VERY USA.

slackassassin ,

Texas thanks you for your service.

EatATaco ,

You propose legitimate criticisms of the us as a whole. I was responding to the claim that this one school district being dumb is what makes the whole us dumb. It's terrible logic, and I think you understand that, which is why you didn't attempt to defend their argument, but pulled in tons of other points to justify their conclusion.

SuperSaiyanSwag ,

You’re not paying attention to any news if you think this type of thing is only happening in one school district. There has been big surge in the last year

Draedron ,

You can say france is in the toilet when they start banning books. But europe is a continent.

EatATaco ,

Sorry, meant to say "the EU" which is a political entity.

todd_bonzalez ,

This isn't the USA.

Texas is, believe it or not, the USA. Since 1845 even.

I know you aren't bright enough to separate the two

Big words from a pathetic person.

it would be like saying because the far right has made inroads in French election, then all of Europe is in the toilet.

Imagine existing in 2024 and not yet noticing the global trend towards Fascism in a world with increasing economic unfairness that's about to experience a worldwide climate disaster that will displace a billion people, handing a massive opportunity to the far right to take control.

But no, the right wing is no big deal. Just ignore what's happening in Texas and France (and everywhere else), it's not important.

EatATaco ,

Texas is, believe it or not, the USA. Since 1845 even.

No, Texas is part of the USA. It is not the USA. You even responded to the part about how I discussed parts of Europe...and you still fucked this up. Amazing.

But no, the right wing is no big deal.

Who said it wasn't a big deal? I'm all for calling this out, but using this one school district doing something dumb to claim the entirety of the USA is garbage is...well, completely fucking moronic.

Snowclone ,

It's not one school district is a nationwide effort, you're minimizing it either through ignorance or malice.

EatATaco ,

I'm sure there is some effort in every corner of the globe to have some books banned. You're minimizing it either through ignorance or malice.

Snowclone ,

Next time just say ''No U'', all this is doing is convincing me you don't know what these words mean.

cows_are_underrated ,

For it being "just one state" I read about book bannings way to often.

Snowclone ,

If you read the article you'll find that this is a nation wide movement, they are all copying ban lists from Booklook, a website that used to be a Mom's for Liberty site. Which is why these clowns keep blindly removing books that make them look like anti-semetic racist idiots. They are those things, but one would guess they'd be a little subtle, also most school districts don't allow blanket book banning, you have to find the book in their libraries and have a formal meeting about removing it. A lot of these books aren't even in school libraries.

But my point is. It's not one school district in one state it's happening all over.

EatATaco ,

There are people all over the globe who want to ban books, I'm sure there is plenty of trying. The fact that they haven't been successful across the country, but won in this one podunk district in a very conservative state, kind of reflects well on the US as a whole, no?

drunkpostdisaster ,

It's spreading though and will get worse if trump gets elected.

Snowclone ,

It's not just one place. I feel like you already understand this but you just need to argue a point for dumb reasons. It's not one place, it's a clear, obvious, nation wide effort with central organization. Why would you think that isn't significant OTHER than arguing a point for no reason beyond your ego?

UpperBroccoli ,

'Never again' is now.

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