In the past year we've seen an epidemic of book banning in Red States.
And typically these are books that are written by authors who
are people of color.
Members of the LGBTQ Community, but
one school in Texas is actually looking to ban a novel
adaptation of Anne Frank's diary and even the bible.
So let's get into the details, all right.
So why might these books, by the way the bible?
Have you read the bible?
Have you read Deuteronomy?
Deuteronomy?
Just saying if we're gonna open Pandora's box and we're gonna go in this direction.
Republicans better be careful.
Now, ahead of the first day of school, The Keller independent school district
is removing all books that were challenged last year within the school district
including the Bible, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, and a Graphic Novel
adaptation of Anne Frank's, The Diary Of A Young girl or Young girl.
Okay let's pause for a second.
So I think it's really funny that they're doing this in some ways
because they're just doing a massive advertisement for these books.
And nothing makes kids want to do something more than adults telling
them they can't do it.
So like, this is great.
I guarantee you more kids are gonna end up reading these books and
checking them out of the library,
as a result of all the attention that's now being directed toward these book bans.
Attached to the email was a list of 41 book titles to be removed, 41 guys,
41 book titles to be removed, including all versions of the bible and
"Gender Queer: A memoir" by Maria, I'm sorry, Maya Kobabe,
which depicts her journey of gender identity and sexual orientation.
Apologies if I mispronounced the last name there.
So how does the challenging work, exactly?
Well, The Keller school district allows parents, employees and
district residents to file formal objections, or challenges,
to books and instructional materials used in schools.
A committee then considers whether whether the materials are educationally
suitable and makes a decision on whether the material will remain in schools.
So, we'll get into what's really driving this push to ban books in just a moment,
but was I'm curious what your thoughts are about this,
because the left gets a lot of flak for its censorship of unsavory individuals.
But I feel like there's no attention ever paid to the very real censorship
that's taking place with the right wing.
>> Yeah, obviously this is just a stupid idea on its face.
It goes against everything we allegedly stand for
in this country when it comes to arming our citizenry with education and
knowledge, it goes against all of that stuff.
But I would think his parents man, honestly, unless you're gonna turn your
kid into some trust fund kid where it doesn't matter.
If they're gonna compete out there in the world as future employees,
whatever people who are hirable, you're putting them behind the eighth ball here.
They're just gonna be less dynamic than their counterparts,
which I just think is a mistake.
You shouldn't be doing this to your kids cuz other kids are gonna learn about
a whole bunch of other stuff.
They're gonna know how to communicate and deal with a whole range of other people.
And your kids are just gonna be these cloistered,
sheltered people, who are useless.
>> No, you're absolutely right.
I didn't think about that, but you're so right about that.
>> I mean, and just to put it like this whenever you watch those
cult documentaries or I escaped polygamy and all of that, and they're like,
yo we get out into the world and we're not prepared, right?
>> Yeah. >> Like, it takes a lot for
us to get acclimated to the real world, because we were so sheltered and
so we're basically behind the eighth ball.
That's what these people are voluntarily doing to their kids.
It's ridiculous.
>> It's absolute is ridiculous.
I mean, everyone loses in this censorious environment,
including the children, you're right about that.
And look, I haven't read the Novel adaptation of Anne frank's diary.
But I did read Anne frank's Diary when I was either in fourth or fifth grade,
it was assigned to us in class.
And look, teaching elementary school kids about the holocaust
is not an easy thing to do and what I appreciated about Anne
frank's diary is, it helps you understand it without.
Yeah, it is, there are parts of it that are graphic, but it's you're old
enough to understand what those things are, because you're of a similar age.
Like, you know what I'm saying?
>> Yeah. >> And so
it's not like you're reading something, my God,
this is, I'm learning about the human body for the first time in my life and that.
But what it does is it helps educate you and helps you understand
,what this meant on a very personal level for children.
During the holocaust, like it's it was the introduction for
a broader curriculum on the holocaust.
And I think it was an important part of my education and my experience in school.
The idea of taking certain books away from kids just like blows my mind because
you're right.
They won't be well informed, they won't know much about the world around them and
they'll just exist in this weird, black and
white world that like conservatives, desperately want to exist in.
Now since the committee, If you're wondering,
how is this all happening, right?
Like what's the push, what are the factors influencing this behind the scenes?
...since the committee met and recommended keeping some challenged books, three new
conservative school board members, all recipients of a Christian political action
committee's donations, were elected to the district seven-member board trustees.
And according to the school district,
all 41 challenged books are now to be reviewed again by campus staff and
librarians to see if they meet a new board policy approved last week.
That pack by the way is called the Patriot Mobile Action.
And here's an excerpt from their website.
This is what they believe.
We believe; To save America we must save our schools, of course by banning books.
Every child in America should be educated
with the values of American exceptionalism.
Look, I gotta be honest if someone went to public schools in California,
we're already there folks, okay?
And that's in blue California.
We're already there.
Critical race theory and Marxist policies have no place in schools or government.
>> [LAUGH].
>> Well, don't lose sleep over that because that didn't exist in our public
schools either.
Didn't learn about Marxism until I was in college.
Voting is a civic duty and responsibility to maintain our constitutional republic.
Okay, I can get behind that.
And in our First amendment freedom of religion,
get this freedom of speech and to peaceably assemble.
Okay, you don't really believe in freedom of speech because you're banning books.
You're funding school board members who banned books on your behalf.
That is what you're doing.
>> We did a segment recently on rebel HQ, about like these weird ABNB
fees of slave quarters and Mississippi and all of that stuff.
And I was making the point that I feel like a lot of black people,
I think wrongheadedly, still carry the shame associated with the atrocities of
slavery and I'm just like, I don't know why black people internalize this shame,
being descendants of slaves is not shameful.
The shameful part of that history was carried out by the white people quite
frankly, right?
But I feel like throughout my life when I hear black people talk about slavery with
this shame and it's like, I'm still wearing the stain of slavery even though
I'm a doctor who makes like 500,000 year.
And whatever that's neither here nor there, but
I do feel like in recent years white people are carrying this day damn shame.
Then this is the sort of backlash to that.
These people really do feel that the acts of slavery was shameful and
they want to disassociate with it,
to the extent that they don't even want their kids to know about it.
Like it's kind of crazy to watch this stuff play out.
>> Well, I mean, I just think they're worried about their kids learning about
the reality of the historic elements of race relations in the country,
and I think they're afraid that their kids are going to judge them.
>> Mm hm. >> I think that's what it's really about.
>> Mm hm.
>> I think they do to some extent feel shame, but
I think they're more concerned about their children questioning them or
maybe even questioning their ancestors their heritage?
I think that's what it's really about.
>> Mommy did you ever swim in an all white swimming pool?
[LAUGH].
>> I mean, depending on her age, she probably did.
I mean, think about it.
>> Yes. Of course. >> The civil rights movement wasn't that long ago.
>> Of course, of course, all that segregation stuff wasn't that long ago.
And I will say this, just this is the final note on this end, at least they're
being consistent because, My God, so much violence and sex in the bible.
I mean, forget about fire and Brimstone [INAUDIBLE], This guy Abraham had so
many kids, so much sex, you wouldn't even believe it.
So yeah, I'm glad they're banning that cuz we don't want the kids to be fruitful, and
try to multiply.
We gotta stop that.