Mastodawn

Eilonwy of Llyr Apr 25, 2023

According to the current list of #bannedbooks as collected by #PEN, the Frisco Independent School District in #Texas has apparently banned #TheLordOfTheRings and #TheHobbit by #JRRTolkien.

It’s a mind boggling assembly of works and authors on this list. Aside from brilliant fiction like Tolkien and @neilhimself, the list includes names like #StephenHawking or #MartinLutherKingJr.

Truly, the list is an astonishing monument to willful ignorance, perfidy and malice.

https://pen.org/index-of-school-book-bans-2022/

Banned Book List: 1,648 Books in 2021-2022 - PEN America

PEN America's fall 2022 Index of Banned Books found 1,477 instances of individual books banned, affecting 874 unique titles. This searchable banned book list includes each documented book ban in the first half of the 2022-23 school year.

PEN America

Nearly Normal (=>÷)Apr 25, 2023

@Morgunin @neilhimself
Somehow or other banning books will prevent the damage supposedly done by them. Guns on the other hand are apparently quite different.

Bruce Mirken Apr 25, 2023

@Morgunin @neilhimself If they've tried to ban it, it's probably worth reading.

AndyW Apr 25, 2023

@Morgunin @neilhimself Well to be fair, Tolkien probably should be banned because he's pretty Eurocentric and patriarchal. 😉

Twiglet May 5, 2023

@andyw350 @Morgunin @neilhimself that is a slippery slope that will have us banning the likes of the Brontes, Shakespeare and beowulf.

Leaving aside material that glorifies acts that are criminally immoral, I'm inclined to think people (especially children) should have the opportunity to read widely, especially in schools where they have the opportunity to debate and discuss what it all means.

AndyW May 9, 2023

@Twiglet @Morgunin @neilhimself I was trying to make a joke, but guess it was a fail.

Twiglet May 9, 2023

@andyw350 @Morgunin @neilhimself ah. I think I am a bit sensitive when it comes to freedom of artistic expression.

I see now the wink on the emoji.

SteveLuzynski Apr 25, 2023

@Morgunin @neilhimself is it too late to give Texas back to Mexico? They were pretty fond of it at one point.

Jesse Apr 25, 2023

@Morgunin @neilhimself GOP states are a race to the bottom in education

Doreen32128 ready to rumble!Apr 25, 2023

@Morgunin @neilhimself Who would have thought we’d be dealing with book burnings in 2023?

St Joan 🌈of Mastodon:🦘 Saint Apr 29, 2023

@Doreen32128 @Morgunin @neilhimself

Anyone able to read tarot about conservatives.

Doreen32128 ready to rumble!Apr 29, 2023

@JoanMastodon @Morgunin @neilhimself 🎯🎯

St Joan 🌈of Mastodon:🦘 Saint Apr 29, 2023

@Doreen32128 @Morgunin @neilhimself
🐕🦨🌵🎈🌈🧐💤

St Joan 🌈of Mastodon:🦘 Saint Apr 29, 2023

@Doreen32128 @Morgunin @neilhimself

🦘🐕🦨🌵🎈🌈🧐💤

Doreen32128 ready to rumble!Apr 29, 2023

@JoanMastodon @Morgunin @neilhimself Nice to meet someone from AU! 😎

St Joan 🌈of Mastodon:🦘 Saint Apr 29, 2023

@Doreen32128 @Morgunin @neilhimself

Thank you. Lovely to meet you as well.

scentoni Apr 25, 2023

@Morgunin @neilhimself I see American Gods on the list the Frisco Library provides (among many things that should not be removed) but I don’t see anything by Tolkien.

https://www.friscoisd.org/departments/library-media-services/library-collection-review-project/materials-removed

Neil Gaiman Apr 25, 2023

@scentoni @Morgunin they are all on the Frisco list.

Matthew Varpness Apr 25, 2023

@neilhimself @scentoni @Morgunin

Neil, you don't have a blue checkmark here on Mastodon. How do we know you have at least $8 in the bank and a valid phone number?

scentoni Apr 25, 2023

@neilhimself @Morgunin Damn, you’re right. A functionary from Frisco entered the author name as “Tolkian, JRR” which is why nothing showed up when I entered the correct spelling. 🤦‍♂️

Tonio Loewald Apr 25, 2023

@neilhimself @Morgunin So weird to ban Tolkien given it’s a book about the triumph of the fair (-skinned) and Just races of the North and West, led by a prophet who returns from the dead, defeating the dark swarthy mutated evil races of the South and East.

What’s next, Thomas the Tank Engine?

Simon Heyes Apr 25, 2023

@Morgunin @neilhimself And Maus is banned too. Banning a book about the holocaust is a whole level of sinister

Samy Apr 25, 2023

@Morgunin @neilhimself
As a German this gives me the worst type of cringe. It’s just so wrong on all accounts.
“It’s all just a little bit of history repeating…” 😔

MrClon Apr 25, 2023

@Morgunin is there some short and dry summary of all this story with books ban, for those of us who not in USA and wandering WTF going on?

MJ Apr 25, 2023

@Morgunin @neilhimself have any of them read the Bible? It's not all pleasant!

They really are bonkers

Twiglet May 5, 2023

@mazjay @Morgunin @neilhimself it's a horrible ugly book full of unspeakable atrocities. And it's dead boring and poorly written.

ex or current IDF unwelcome Apr 25, 2023

@Morgunin @neilhimself An alphabet book has been banned because somebody noticed a C word and it was rated X

Fardels Bear Apr 25, 2023

@Morgunin @neilhimself

I'm guessing #LOTR was banned for its anti-Sauron prejudice.

Rumblestiltskin Apr 25, 2023

@Morgunin
Why are they banned?
@neilhimself

Morgunin Apr 25, 2023

@rumblestiltskin @neilhimself

Please find further information in the report:

https://pen.org/report/banned-in-the-usa-state-laws-supercharge-book-suppression-in-schools/

Banned in the USA - PEN America

In this 2023 banned books update, PEN America recorded more book bans during the fall 2022 semester than in each of the prior two semesters.

PEN America

Wilhelm Gere Apr 26, 2023

@Morgunin @rumblestiltskin @neilhimself

Probably also a list of the least read by the people who ban them.

@Morgunin @neilhimself The only thing truly mind boggling is the epic stupidity of those whom we elect to represent us. Maybe this is a reflection of the voters? I don't really know. Book bans are really a bad thing.

St Joan 🌈of Mastodon:🦘 Saint Apr 29, 2023

@ablackcatstail @Morgunin @neilhimself

It is the voters but it has a path to it.

Stop educating. Start advertising. Show them your soft bits and they will come. Completely incapable of critical thought or understanding the very nature of personal stupidity. Give them a banjo and their 6 fingers will do the rest.

JasonSteadmon Apr 25, 2023

@Morgunin @neilhimself Somewhat astounded/proud to be in a state (Nevada) that doesn't show on the list. Could be the apathy that so many here have toward reading, but now with a Republican governor, I don't know how long that will last.

Tracy Duffy Apr 25, 2023

@Morgunin good grief! I don’t get this stuff. Do these people have any brains?

Shdwdrgn Apr 25, 2023

@Morgunin @neilhimself Will employers and colleges in the future have the right to refuse employment/admission to people from these states, on the basis that they have NOT actually completed a high-school education? Will we see national chart specifying, for example, that graduates from a given state only meet an 8th grade education?

R.Y.E.Apr 25, 2023

@Morgunin @neilhimself
The lists will hopefully encourage curious minds to read them 🤞
Btw. Kinda surprised Geek Love by Katherine Dunn isn’t on there.

Lyndee Apr 25, 2023

@Morgunin @neilhimself

Their slogan is: Only the Ignorant Shall be Ruled.

This is how school boards should die bc i would be removing my kids, and so would all my friends.

HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴Apr 26, 2023

yes and no. It is the wrong i-word. Not ignorance, intent.

It is the heirs´ to #Reagonomics game plan.

https://rollenspiel.social/@Morgunin/110252753767450856

Morgunin (@[email protected])

According to the current list of #bannedbooks as collected by #PEN, the Frisco Independent School District in #Texas has apparently banned #TheLordOfTheRings and #TheHobbit by #JRRTolkien. It’s a mind boggling assembly of works and authors on this list. Aside from brilliant fiction like Tolkien and @[email protected], the list includes names like #StephenHawking or #MartinLutherKingJr. Truly, the list is an astonishing monument to willful ignorance, perfidy and malice. https://pen.org/index-of-school-book-bans-2022/

Die Heimat für Rollenspieler

St Joan 🌈of Mastodon:🦘 Saint Apr 29, 2023

@Morgunin @neilhimself

Most importantly it gives life to the shift of descriptions of all #conservatives as being bat shit crazy. Voters and reps. All #stupid cvnts too stupid to remember to #breathe without #reminders.

Leona Arthen Apr 29, 2023

@Morgunin @neilhimself sounds like it should be used as a to be read list.

Dane FREE PALESTINE Apr 29, 2023

@Morgunin @neilhimself TOLKIEN?!

Those fucksticks in Texas actually banned TOLKIEN?!