Yet who among us would speak up for the right to publish and sell books anywhere, let alone in our schools, if they advocated, for example, incestuous or paedophilic relationships, or advocated racism, terrorist acts or domestic gender-based violence?
“The clash over books is not new, but the tactics are changing. Once spurred mainly by concerned parents, book removals are increasingly powered by organized groups, elected leaders and legislation targeting titles that don’t align with their values, PEN America found.”
“You either choose to stand by the ethics and the foundation of the profession and defend intellectual freedom rights, or risk your job and your personal safety.”
Quotes above are from the Los Angeles Times, in a must-read article.
The deteriorating situation in the US should deeply worry everyone, everywhere.
Mission-creep censorship is subverting constitutionally protected freedom of expression and publication by ensuring published content cannot reach its intended audience.
But we who rightly oppose this politicisation of book-bans to further interests that have little to do with protecting society, need too to acknowledge there is no clear line in the sand when it comes to censorship of this nature.
Who among us would speak up for the right to publish and sell books anywhere, let alone in our schools, if they advocated, for example, incestuous or paedophilic relationships, or advocated racism, terrorist acts or domestic gender-based violence?
Nothing of which should detract from what is happening in the US right now, where the delicate balancing act of protecting freedom of expression against protecting society has been hijacked by elements which care for neither.
#censorship #freedomofexpression #freedomtopublish #linesinthesand
