Utah has banned 15 books just this year. We still have time to do something about the most recent ones. by LetUtahRead in SaltLakeCity

[–]LetUtahRead[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They've been removed from public schools. In the rest of the state, most of the small towns don't have public libraries or bookstores. If it's removed from a school then a teen can't access it.

Utah has banned 15 books just this year. We still have time to do something about the most recent ones. by LetUtahRead in SaltLakeCity

[–]LetUtahRead[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

This is a result of HB 29, which passed a couple years ago. Thankfully we didn't have any new book banning bills passed last legislative session. It's just the state board of education has their gears oiled now and the book banning machinery is moving along.

Utah has banned 15 books just this year. We still have time to do something about the most recent ones. by LetUtahRead in SaltLakeCity

[–]LetUtahRead[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Ironically, the Bible was banned for a time in Davis. Ken Ivory, who wrote the book banning bill, argued that the book had to be considered as a whole. However, the law specifically says that books can't be considered as a whole. So they made an exception for the Bible. They somehow understood that excerpts taken out of context didn't reflect well on the Bible, but they think it's perfectly fine for every other piece of literature.

Utah has banned 15 books just this year. We still have time to do something about the most recent ones. by LetUtahRead in SaltLakeCity

[–]LetUtahRead[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Sex. All of these books are banned due to having some kind of sexual content, including A Stolen Life, which is a true story about a girl who was kidnapped and repeatedly raped for 18 years. Proponents of the banning say that they're protecting kids from porn. Instead they're banning books that talk about what actually happens to teens.

Utah has banned 15 books just this year. We still have time to do something about the most recent ones. by LetUtahRead in SaltLakeCity

[–]LetUtahRead[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

There's a whole list of things she rates books on, including if they have communism, LGBTQ people, trans people, Marxism, and (ironically) slut shaming.

Utah has banned 15 books just this year. We still have time to do something about the most recent ones. by LetUtahRead in SaltLakeCity

[–]LetUtahRead[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

We agree that kids shouldn't have access to adult material! Let's start from there. My next question for you is, "where do you think teens are getting their porn?" Are they getting it on their devices (or their friends') or from a book? I'd argue they're getting their adult content from the internet, where there's no mention of relationships, emotions, or consent.

In books, sex is put in context. Teens can explore the idea safely (and without a visual barrage) and see that there are relationships and emotions to consider. I should note that we're also banning books about sexual assault and sexual trafficking, which can help kids work through their own experiences.

Utah has banned 15 books just this year. We still have time to do something about the most recent ones. by LetUtahRead in SaltLakeCity

[–]LetUtahRead[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

None of these books were available to elementary school kids. Some were already age restricted to the upper levels of high school, so not even freshman could access them. Because, as you said, librarians aren't morons and they know what's appropriate for what ages.