'My heart is broken': Florida teachers ordered to remove, block class libraries or face felony prose

[Initech]

Teachers in Manatee County, Florida, are being ordered to remove or make inaccessible libraries of books inside their classrooms or face possible felony prosecution, as the district responds to legislation Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law prohibiting any books that have not been thoroughly vetted by a credentialed librarian.

The law, which went into effect at the start of this year, “is based on the premise, promoted by right-wing advocacy groups, that teachers and librarians are using books to ‘groom’ students or indoctrinate them with leftist ideologies,” according to Judd Legum at Popular Information.

He puts it simply: “classroom libraries that are curated by teachers, not librarians, are now illegal.”

“My heart is broken for Florida students today as I am forced to pack up my classroom library,” one teacher wrote on Facebook, Legum reports.

Calling it a “travesty to education, the future of our children and our nation,” another teacher lamented they have spent 18 years “dedicated to providing students with quality literature,” and helping them “connect with books and develop a love of lifelong learning,” but now they will have to dismantle their classroom library.

Kevin Chapman, the Chief of Staff for the Manatee County School District, “says that school principals in Manatee County were told Wednesday that any staff member violating these rules by providing materials ‘harmful to minors’ could be prosecuted for ‘a felony of the third degree.'”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/my-heart-is-broken-florida-teachers-ordered-to-remove-block-class-libraries-or-face-felony-prosecution/ar-AA16Faeo?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=6aeea1140a7a43958fe42226dd366655

This is some straight up Nazi shit. Fuck Ron DeSantis, fuck Rupert Murdoch, fuck Tucker Carlson, fuck the Christian right. If there is a hell, it waits for them.

[Walleye]

1. A felony? He couldn't just fire them?

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Reading is illegal in Floriduh!

Great message for kids.

[GB_RN]

35. Get Pulled Over By A Cop...

Cop: Son, have you been reading. (Sees open books on the passenger seat)
Me: I've had a few books officer, but I don't think I'm thunk.
Cop: Step out of the car, son...

No, I didn't come up with this, but for the life of me, I don't remember the comedian's name right now. He was talking about a place in Kentucky, but it works for Florida, now.

[GenXer47]

3. Florida's lost

May the sea wash that fucking place away.

[Deuxcents]

12. I live in Florida as my family has been here over 100 years

And..I have some great dem friends here who are outraged w/ what’s going on. We’re not throwing out the baby w/ the bath wash, as it goes. We’ve gotta get things straightened out n it would help if some qualifiers would run for office n we’d have some support. Hopefully, the National Dems haven’t given up on us.

[certainot]

51. according to fakenewsradio.org, 5 fla universities support 20 desantis/trump/kkk talk radio stations

there are a lot of student groups/students and profs and athletes at that those schools that could be pressuring their schools to start looking for apolitical alternatives. environmental, democrat, women's, abortion, gun control, LGBTQ etc student groups could get together on it and make all their activism a lot more effective

all they would have to do is point to their school mission statements and the inconsistencies and absurd irony that they are using their athletes and associating their brands and credibility to help bring in ad money to pay for global warming denial (in FLORIDA!), racist bullshit, anti gun control, anti-abortion, defunding public ed, attacking teachers and science, yelling about idiotic 'wokeness' and CRT straw men, and supporting one party exclusively.

there is no free speech issue - it's a massive monopoly. how many liberal talk stations do those schools support. and it doesn't' matter what the schools actually do - the public discussion, scrutiny, and possibility they will do something will scare off advertisers, and if one school has those discussions others will. the radio ad industry will have to act to try to change programming on those stations before an exodus of advertisers. if they have to rely on ads for trumpers only they're fucked

if those stations go or have to look 'balanced' and lose their invisibility to the left, desantis, rubio, scott, gaetz have no chance

[Septua]

62. I think you are outnumbered, regrettably.

I heard a pundit remark recently that Florida is no longer a swing state and Democrats may as well accept it as a nonexistent opportunity for future Presidential electoral votes.

DeSantis has done to FL what Trump did to the country...

[3auld6phart]

75. Florida

Is the limp dick state. Looks like a flaccid penis doesn’t it? Goeverned by a throw back to
Cro Magnon man,a total freak intent on dragging the state back to the dark ages.

[johnp3907]

38. And may an earthquake take whatever state you live in.

[keithbvadu2]

4. Yet right wingers get upset about little Kyley Rittenhouse being 'censored'.

Yet right wingers get upset about little Kyley Rittenhouse being 'censored'.

[Initech]

7. It's truly insane what the GOP has become. They've lost their way.

They praise murderes, ban books, and boo the one person who was trying to help. Truly a fucking clown show.

[Jim__]

5. "... children are being told they are not allowed to bring any books from home to school."

From the cited article:

Not only are teachers now packing up their classroom libraries, but children are being told they are not allowed to bring any books from home to school.

Books can be returned to the classroom only after vigorous review by certified librarians, whose official title is media specialist. They are also subject to felony prosecution if they make any errors.

Can you make an error a felony?

[Initech]

11. Totally disgusting. Rupert Murdoch can go to hell for bringing us here.

Yeah this is entirely his fault. This wasn't a thing until Trump lost the White House and Fox News lost their direct batphone to him every night.

[exboyfil]

20. Does that include The Bible

I seem to remember a fake story in which a child was prevented from bringing his Bible to school. It turned out not to be true. Short of obvious pornographic content like Playboy or Hustler, I am not entirely sure of any sort of restraint on what children should be able to bring in terms of reading material. I mean the Bible talks about drinking cups of fornication and justifiable rape and genocide.

[area51]

76. +1

And what about the Song of Solomon?

[exboyfil]

6. I developed my lifelong love of reading by dipping into my 6th grade teacher's library

Ones that left a lasting impression

Tarzan of the Apes
The Cross and the Switchblade
Black Like Me

and a very adult book which I don't remember the title of about the poor in I think Brazil. That one did have some sexual content, but it was in context of telling an important true story about what it was like to live in those conditions. I wish I could remember the title.

Fuck these assholes.

[Irish_Dem]

10. As a teen, I went to the library every week, taking out two bags of books.

On every topic under the sun.

I cannot imagine a life without reading, without books.

[exboyfil]

21. That would be Hell

My dad was a bibliophile, and I married into a family of bibliophiles. This is so sickening.

[Irish_Dem]

23. I was lucky, my parents never restricted my reading material.

Even when I was young. I read everything.

I cannot imagine being told by any one I couldn't read certain books.

Yes my mother and grandmother were readers.
We all had our heads in a book all the time.

[iluvtennis]

42. I've been a library fanatic since i was a kid - read everything. I took my two daughters to the

library since they were two - starting with the reading circles. We went to library just about every weekend and they'd call me out when we didn't go. My Gen Z daughters still love the library to this day.

DeSatan is trying to create a world like was depicted in the book Fahrenheit 451. uggh

[Irish_Dem]

46. Same here, my daughter loved reading.

From the time she was little I read to her every night.
And then we would make up stories.
She loved to write stories too.

As a result she always scored very high on English achievement tests.
But she ended up going into science. She always wrote a lot better
that the other science majors.

I got my daughter a kindle I bought on Amazon Thanksgiving sale.

I know, I just cannot imagine what it would be like not to read books.
I guess it will be like the old days. No books for most of the population.

[iluvtennis]

68. I feel you @Irish_Dem. To take off on Field of Dreams, "If you build the library habits

with kids, they continue them throughout life"

BTW, I tried the Kindle and electronic books, but didn't really like it. There is something therapeutic about flipping the paper pages of a book.

[Irish_Dem]

69. I am so so on the kindle.

Sometimes I have problems with my eyes and I can make the font bigger if need be.

But yes nothing beats the feel of a book.

When I was in college I always made lots of notes, highlights and underlines in my text books.
I really bonded with the text book.

When I took my state boards I lucked out and got a really high score.
People were then calling me wanting to pay any price for my notes and cram material
because I make so many darn notes and annotations.

A friend of mine asked for a personal favor, one of his supervises had flunked his
licensing exam and he was a good guy.

I had pity on his soul and just gave him the material. He did pass then.

I don't know how kids do it today with everything online.

[allnews]

55. Possibly

Was the title “Cry the Beloved Country”? I felt it was excellent portrayal of some life in Africa.

[Wicked Blue]

8. Fahrenheit 451 is becoming more prophetic than ever

[Irish_Dem]

18. Remember when we were young and naive, thought the book was Science Fiction?

I took an elective English seminar in college called Dystopian Literature.

No idea that I would be living what I was reading sometime in the future.

[Wicked Blue]

31. Me neither

A good followup to Bradbury's novel is Ursula LeGuin's novel, "The Telling."

When I read today about Florida teachers ordered to remove books from school libraries, it immediately made me think of LeGuin's book. It's about Christian fascists determined to destroy every written word on a planet except for the Bible.

[Irish_Dem]

36. I could read the book or wait until it becomes reality and watch it on the news. :(

I will look for the book or movie.

[allegorical oracle]

74. Exactly what I've been thinking. Must be some way to stop this policy. Gotta organize. n/t

[SunSeeker]

9. K & R for exposure.

[Elwood P Dowd]

13. Where in hell are the lawyers and court challanges to this?

How can this be constitutional?

[Deuxcents]

15. I'm asking the same questions

[Elwood P Dowd]

25. What about the ACLU?

Last edited Tue Jan 24, 2023, 07:31 PM - Edit history (1)

Is everybody in Washington and Florida just setting on their ass and letting Little Hitler get away with it?

[orangecrush]

29. APPARENTLY YES

[Initech]

22. It's definitely not. It's the product of News Corporation.

Fox News is taking this country to a new level of hell because they lost their nightly batphone to the White House. They can go rot for this.

[Irish_Dem]

24. It is legal to buy assault rifles to kill people, but illegal to read books.

[ruet]

63. Where The Hell Are The Teachers?

"My heart is broken" doesn't seem to cut it.

[Irish_Dem]

14. Will some teachers defy the law and go to jail? Civil disobedience?

Last edited Tue Jan 24, 2023, 08:40 PM - Edit history (1)

At some point we are going to have to fight back.

[exboyfil]

16. Mr. Scopes

Where are you in our time of need?

[Irish_Dem]

19. And all the other brave souls who fought to make the world a better place.

[llmart]

57. +1

I sure hope some Florida teachers are channeling the late John Lewis by "making good trouble". I know if I were a teacher in Florida I'd be the first to say, "you will have to pry these books from my cold, dead hands".

A few years ago I had the offer to transfer from a law library where I worked to a new one they were opening up in Florida. The move package was very, very enticing. Took me about two minutes to say, "No way. Not Florida."

[Irish_Dem]

66. I am thinking of John Lewis too, making good trouble.

I know, I am enough of a rebel to say come and arrest my a__.

I agree, what professional is going to move to Florida to take a job?

I cannot see any new or experienced Ph.D. moving to Fla to teach or do research in a
Florida university. You won't be able to do what you are trained to do without fear of censure,
job loss or jail.

Florida is going to sink, with lowered standards across the board.

[Hekate]

17. Get the students to help drag the evil books to the burning place in the public square

[summer_in_TX]

26. Nazi shit, yes. Authoritarianism.

It cries out to be fought along with all the rest of the GOP-introduced attempts to control thought and speech.

It's part of the direct attack on democracy.

Fighting for democracy is what one the 2022 election for Dems in the Senate and keep losses to a minimum in the House. When we connect the dots consistently, we can win in 2024 even though right now the number of Senate seats up for a vote are said to favor Republicans. And we can regain the House.

It's also the way to make gains in GOP statehouses too. We Dems have not taken advantage of proven messaging strategies to use them during every election at every level.

There's so much more to be done to shore up democracy. To do it we must win at every level.

[no_hypocrisy]

27. A FELONY

Not a misdemeanor.

Not a violation.

A felony, like the kind you have to reference on job application where you're mandated to deny being a convicted felon.

[Evolve Dammit]

30. Insanity jammed down our throats.

[orangecrush]

28. This is constitutional?

Fucking how????





Send Federal troops to Florida and end this shit.

[IcyPeas]

32. well, there goes "Fun with Dick and Jane". because we all know what those words mean. amIRight?

I mean the kitten's name is even "Puff"

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

47. I read some of those books as a little kid, before "diversity" became a thing

[flamingdem]

72. My first book! Teacher saw I could ace it and

moved me to the smartypants group. Good memories

[Sky Jewels]

33. Every Democratic official from Biden on down needs to go on the offense NOW.

Scream about Republican Nazis from the rooftops, and don't stop.

[onecaliberal]

34. Dear Florida teachers, come to California, we will pay you better and not fire you for

Any book let alone prosecute you.

[Rebl2]

37. If I

Was a teacher I would quit.

[Marthe48]

39. Truly hope the teachers and kids find a way around this bs

One great thing about books is that if you get your hands on one, and read it on the sly, no one can track what you read.
Are parents getting books for their kids in the privacy of their homes under attack? For that matter, is that asshole desantis under attack? How is he and his nazi gov. getting away with this fascism?

I'd be leaving books in plastic bags on the benches by play grounds, in waiting rooms, on public transportation.

[Lonestarblue]

40. I think it was Arizona that had to recruit teachers from Philippines. Time for states to go

recruiting in Florida for teachers to fill their vacancies.

[NewEnglandAutumn]

41. serious question

is there a way that we can get and distribute some of these books to kids in Florida?

[demigoddess]

43. getting rid of books????? That is what you need to teach them to read and love reading.

at least one of my sons started kindergarten reading at a 2nd grade level. I had to buy a book every week when I went shopping. When I was in 5th grade the teacher would read to us out of books everyday after lunch. Books beyond our reading level. We loved it. These people are making a big mistake with their children. They will be raising people with no future.

[Botany]

44. DeSantis is trying to see just how much shit he can get away with.

I hope these teachers sue the shit out of him. What a teacher has in his or her classroom is up to
the teacher, the principal, and the school board not the Governor. Wouldn't be a bad idea for all of
Florida's teacher to do a state wide walk out. Along with maybe having some of "the banned books"
in their classrooms and dare the police and the Governor to arrest them and then sue the shit out of
both of them. Last time I checked the 1st Amendment is still the law of the land.

Fucking little tin pot dictator who is being abusive in order to stir up his mouth breathing base in his
run for POTUS.

This is one of the banned books. It has "those yellow people" in it.



from wiki:

A Big Mooncake for Little Star is a 2018 picture book written and illustrated by Grace Lin. The story is about Little Star gradually eating the mooncake that her mother has baked. The book was a departure for Lin both thematically and in her use of illustrative style. The book was well reviewed and was awarded a Caldecott Honor. The illustrations feature heavy use of black and rely on both the pictures and words to convey the story and its themes.

[Initech]

48. Fox News is 100% responsible for this.

DeSantis, along with Greg Abbott, were installed by Rupert Murdoch to do as much damage as possible. It's pretty obvious that DeSanits' strings are being pulled by Fox lackeys. This "anti-woke" shit (whatever that is) wasn't a thing until Trump lost the election and they were mad about losing their nightly batphone to the White House on the Sean Hannity show. Fox News does not own us.

[Botany]

49. Woke like ANTIFA like CRT like Hillary's emails like Hunter Biden and his laptop like Fake News like

the war on Christmas like vaccines are bad for you like trans people using the rest room the want, and so on
are just made up shit from the right wing to keep from talking about real issues and needs because they lose
that argument every fucking time.

If I was teacher in Florida I would read a banned book after telling God and the world I'm going to read it to
my class and dare them to arrest me.

[orangecrush]

58. BASTARDS

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

45. Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law prohibiting any books that have not been thoroughly vetted by

Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law prohibiting any books that have not been thoroughly vetted by a credentialed librarian.

--------------

wow. Will DeSantis make those little roadside library boxes illegal next?

[70sEraVet]

50. Florida's teachers are either going to relocate, or switch professions.

At least the decent ones will.
What happens when there are schools with no teachers? I guess the schools will close.
Then people with kids will move out of Florida. More room for retirees, and less tax burden?

[Katcat]

52. They know

They know there’s no Heaven of hell, they just spout platitudes to stay in power by brainwashing the great unwashed masses of republi-cons'

[housecat]

53. The DeSatan inquisition? Witch burning?

[SergeStorms]

54. I guess truth and facts...

could be considered "leftist ideologies", since those on the right aren't tethered to reality in any way, shape, or form.

This will go to court, soon, and I expect DeSatan to be reacquainted with reality, at least temporarily.

[Auggie]

56. This is heinous, but home studies and off-campus facility study are still available

Church space, granges, museums ... heck, make study fun! Make study cool! Make study EMPOWERING!

Best of all, NO ONE will be looking over anybody's back.

[cab67]

59. Losing teachers won't be enough.

Eventually, kids graduating from Florida high schools won’t be competitive when applying for out-of-state colleges. Their educations will be perceived as less qualifying.

[Ford_Prefect]

60. I notice that the usual 1st Amendment crowd are remarkably silent. It's very Fahrenheit 451.

[ShazzieB]

61. Here's what I'd like to know.

What is the deal with Manatee County? Florida has 67 counties, all of which are subject to DeSantis' authoritarian edict. Why is this particular county, Manatee, in the spotlight? Are the local authorities enforcing the laws in a particularly draconian way that has attracted media attention? If so, why? Has Manatee County been singled out for some other reason? If so, what is it?

[catbyte]

64. I'm hoping this fascist bullshit will not play well outside of the MAGA hellhole DeSantis

has created come 2024. I'm sure he'll try to pivot and come off as "reasonable" and "moderate" so we're gonna have to counter it with what he'd really do if elected by highlighting what he's doing.

[Efilroft Sul]

65. Florida is not a free state.

[Initech]

67. No, they have become property of the Fox News Murdoch Christofascist Ultra MAGA Megachurch cult.

Same thing is happening with Texas and probably going to happen to Ohio and Tennessee as well.

[Efilroft Sul]

71. They are the orcs.

[maxsolomon]

70. My dear departed mother would have been stunned.

She thrifted children's books for her 1st grade classes obsessively and GAVE them to kids - not a library. There's still tons in the basement.

Wonder if it would have changed her mind about voting GOP?

[AwakeAtLast]

73. Teachers across the country need to walk out

National Teacher Strike! Who's with me?

I can whip up a sign in a jiffy!