The concept of banning books is not new. In the 17th and 18th centuries in the U.S., books criticizing Christianity were taboo. In the 19th century, Southern states banned books that were critical of slavery. A few decades later, moral crusaders objected to books containing references to sexuality or birth control. This led to a national law being passed in 1873 banning obscene or immoral texts.
The books most frequently targeted today, at least in schools, are those about gender, sexuality, or race. Parents who accept only straight people do not want their children exposed to books or discussions about LGBTQ issues. Many parents are also strongly opposed to any teaching that shines an unfavorable light on our country's misdeeds, past and present, such as our treatment of Native Americans and people of color.
In 2021, 35 states introduced bills dictating how teachers are allowed to talk about race and gender issues. The governor of Texas - defending the need for these restrictions - stated that teaching about inequality in our country can undermine the values America upholds.
School boards are elected by local voters and have considerable power, with broad control over school budgets and the curriculum. Now, parents are showing up at school board meetings to demand that books and discussions on race and gender be banned from classrooms. Whereas in the past, there was little interest in these proceedings, many are now actively recruiting and supporting school board candidates who they feel are sympathetic to their views.
The result is that teachers, who are trained educators and generally see the value of exposing students to a wide range of opinions and topics, are being prevented from doing so. School board members are not required to have a background in education, which means that the people making decisions about what is best for students are often not qualified to do so.
Packing school boards with conservative activists who decree what students can and cannot be taught seems to me to pose a grave danger to our democracy, which is based on the ideals of freedom of speech and diversity of thought.
If children are exposed to only one point of view, with no opportunities to question that point of view or even discuss certain topics, it's hard to see how they can develop into informed and thoughtful citizens - which a democracy needs to survive. It's far more likely that they will simply believe what those in power tell them and follow their bidding, with no questions asked. We have already seen that happen.