Elle Reeve, a CNN journalist, explores Florida's new law that has sparked book banning in schools. The podcast discusses the tactics used by conservative groups to remove certain books, the impact on school board meetings, and students' perspectives on the effort to control their access to books.
Conservative groups in Florida are using a new law to remove books from school libraries by reading explicit passages out of context during school board meetings, leading to over a thousand cases of book removals.
The book banning controversy in Florida raises concerns about potential abuse and manipulation, with people from outside the school district participating in school board meetings to read objectionable excerpts without having read the entire books themselves, while students advocate for individual choice and critical thinking in their reading selections.
Deep dives
The Rise of Book Banning in Florida
In response to COVID rules, a group called Moms for Liberty in Florida shifted their focus to the supposed presence of pornography and inappropriate ideas in school libraries and classrooms. They lobbied for a new law that allows books to be immediately removed if a passage is read out loud and deemed offensive by the school board. This has resulted in over a thousand cases of book removals in Florida schools. However, critics argue that reading isolated passages out of context in a public meeting does not accurately represent the themes or messages of the books.
Controversial Book Bans and Outsiders' Influence
The new law in Florida that allows book bans based on offensive passages has raised concerns about potential abuse and manipulation. Critics claim that people from outside the school district, even from outside the county, are participating in school board meetings to read objectionable excerpts without having read the entire books themselves. Organizations like Book Looks further fuel the controversy by providing sheets highlighting the 'dirty parts'. The spectacle created by the book banning discussions has now become policy, as aligning with activist groups has given them a platform in the Florida legislature and even support from Governor Ron DeSantis.
Student Perspectives and Teachers' Challenges
Students interviewed in Florida have expressed confusion as to why adults focus so much on book controversies instead of addressing more pressing issues like infrastructure problems in schools. Students argue that they are mature enough to understand themes related to race, sexuality, and other sensitive topics in literature. They emphasize the importance of individual choice and critical thinking, stating that reading controversial books does not automatically mean they agree or are influenced by the contents. Teachers, on the other hand, face challenges in deciding what materials to present in class and have even removed books from their libraries out of fear of accusations or controversy.
A new state law in Florida is making it easier for conservative groups to get certain books removed from school libraries. It has turned school board meetings into spectacles, with parents and outside voices reading out explicit passages from books without context to argue that they should not be available to minors. In today’s episode, we explore the tactics and hear from students about how they feel about the effort by adults to control which books they have access to.
Guest: Elle Reeve, CNN Correspondent
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