Just Another Republican Stunt - And Response (2)

  • Friday, March 24, 2023

When avoiding competing in an exchange of ideas, progressive Democrats often resort to hyperbole and then they default to “this is just another Republican stunt.” They wore it out with the House hearings at the southern border and now they‘re at it again with the Parents Bill of Rights (H.R.5) currently being considered in Congress.

As for hyperbole, I heard Rep Ted Lieu, D-HI say, “ there are radical extreme provisions in this bill and will destroy student’s privacy.” I watched as Rep Jim McGovern, D-MA said, “Republicans are going on a censorship spree that would make the CCP blush.” Rep Susan Wild, D-PA said, “It prioritizes right-wing politics over parents, weakens the voices and prerogatives of local communities.”

How is it censorship to keep young children from reading something so sexually explicit that FL TV stations cut away when Gov De Santis revealed a video of the contents of such books in question in Florida? How would pornographic books being revealed are in school libraries somehow destroy student’s privacy? That one really has me puzzled.

How can it weaken voices and prerogatives of local communities when this bill requires by law more transparency letting parents know the contents of books that their child’s school is making available? And, then, what specific “community” does this progressive Democrat fear will lose access to young school children?

Rep Virginia Foxx, R-VA responded by saying, “there’s not a single requirement in the bill banning books.” You won’t see Rep Foxx on the leftist run news media. Instead you will see the defenders of pornography and profanity for children eventually default to their tired old cliche, “it’s just another Republican stunt.”

Ralph Miller

* * *

In 2015, the historian Todd Gitlin published an article in The Tablet in which he wrote the following:

"Has anyone taken a look at the Old Testament recently? Lot's two daughters slept with him in order to continue his line (Genesis 19). Joshua slaughtered 12,000 Canaanites in one day (Joshua 8) and soon thereafter 'smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: He left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel commanded' (Joshua 10:40).

Even though Hamilton County's elective Bible in the Schools program maintains an approach of "viewpoint neutrality" and "non-sectarianism," does Mr. Miller think these examples of incest and genocide should be taught to people of middle school and/or high school age?

By the way, there are schools in this country that now offer elective courses on banned books, which at one time were considered pornographic or too violent. If some parents object to their children reading particular books, they can opt out and not have their children read those books. Parents' preferences, however, should be for their children only, not those of other students.

Michael V. Woodward, Ph.D.

* * * 

I find it exceptionally ironic that Mr. Ralph Miller begins his letter with “When avoiding competing in an exchange of ideas. . .”  Yet when the Democrats articulate their reservations about H.B.5, Mr. Miller will not accept the fact that the Democrats are responding with their “ideas” about the bill. While Mr. Miller posted only some of Democrats' comments, and probably what the right wing media thought were the most offensive, the Democrats “ideas” are that there is no need for this bill since there are existing laws.

He admitted seeing the Democrats' comments broadcast by the right wing media. Based on his letter, that broadcast must have been to foment anger, rather than inform the public of the bill’s merits or lack thereof.  Is that why he sent his letter?

I read the bill; his allegation of pornographic books in a school library destroying a student’s privacy is factually wrong.  His implication calling Democrats “defenders of pornography and profanity” is patently malicious.

Don’t the Republicans know there are already two layers of government affecting education, the States’ Boards or Departments of Education, and local school boards?  If the parents are so adamantly concerned about pornography and profanity (a lot of the profanity is learned on the playground, at home, elsewhere, but not likely in classrooms), can’t they already complain to their local school administrators? 

Are the Republicans the Party of Smaller Government, most recently lavishly praising the Supreme Court for making abortion rights a State issue? If so, why are they now trying to further expand the federal government’s reach to all local school systems to satisfy the demands of constituents in a small number of congressional districts? 

To me, that's just another Republican stunt.

Joe Warren



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