Parents across the country are expressing serious concern about what their children are being exposed to in schools and libraries. Despite being slandered as “domestic terrorists,” racists, and “extremists,” parents are not backing down. But this fight itself reveals the ugliness of what’s going on.
At Tuesday’s Senate hearing on “banned books,” Sen. John Kennedy used some of his time to read to the witnesses directly from some of the books that parents are concerned about. As he read the passages out loud, including the graphic descriptions of gay oral and anal sex, the awkwardness was palpable, leading one of the leftist witnesses, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, there to promote these books being allowed to remain in children’s spaces to say, “the words you spoke are disturbing.”
Giannoulias drafted the recently passed law in Illinois banning book bans. The first-in-nation law requires the state adopt the American Library Association “bill of rights” opposing “attempts to ban, remove, or otherwise restrict access to books or other materials.”
But that statement reveals the shocking dishonesty of the left. They admit that these books are inappropriate and uncomfortable when read in public, but still insist children should have access to them.
Another recent episode highlights this phenomenon even more starkly.
The American Accountability Foundation, a non-profit devoted to holding leaders accountable, posted some images of the extremely graphic sexual content found in public libraries on X, formerly known as Twitter. There was nothing subtle about these books. They contained explicit images of male and female genitalia. But as The Federalist reported, AAF’s account was immediately punished by X. It has been shadowbanned. Now, if you search for “American Accountability Foundation” on X you will not find it suggested, and all posts containing images, videos, or even a link with a graphic, are hidden behind a “sensitive content” warning.
While in a sane world it might be expected that such graphic imagery would be censored, in this situation it really is astounding. Our librarians and lawmakers claim these images are perfectly safe for kids in schools, but then they are censored on social media. We can’t help asking, which one is it? Are these books perfectly safe, even for children, or are they too explicit for the public square?
What is especially astounding is that in this context, children are less protected from inappropriate sexual imagery than adults. It’s completely upside down. We are living in a world where Twitter is a safer place for children than the classroom.
It is also ironic that this comes as the left claims they are fighting “banned books.” They don’t seem to have a problem with these books being “banned” from social media. Their “outrage” is strangely limited to when they are removed from kids’ public libraries and classrooms.
Giannoulias made another statement at Tuesday’s hearing that reveals the dark truth about the left. When challenged to explain his true agenda, Giannoulias said “We are advocating for random parents not to have the ability, under the guise of keeping kids safe, to try and challenge the worldview of every single manner on these issues.” We would ask, what exactly are “random parents?”
There is no such thing as “random parents.” Parents take on the most difficult — though rewarding — task imaginable, raising the next generation of Americans. Parents give all of themselves to their children. They know what’s best for their kids and should never be belittled or ignored.
With this slur, reminiscent of Hillary Clinton’s famous “deplorables,” Giannoulias said more than perhaps he imagines: To them, “random parents” means not deserving of respect, dignity, or to be heard.
Giannoulias let slip his contempt for normal American parents who want to protect their children. He revealed his true feelings and the feelings of the rest of the elite establishment he works for: We are just “random parents.”
