Republicans defend text to control books in schools
Parents should, according to the text adopted by the representatives, receive a list of books from libraries, exposing minorities to censorship. The Senate, with a Democratic majority, will have the last word.
Published
While young people oppose the bill, Democrats see it as an attempt to censor books dealing with issues related to the LGBT + community and minorities.
REUTERS
A bill supposed to give parents more control over education in American public schools – a hobbyhorse of the Republicans, but criticized by the Democrats as an attempt at censorship – was adopted on Friday in the House of Representatives. “We believe parents have a right to know what their children are learning, how their tax dollars are being used,” Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said.
The elected official also attacked the Biden Administration, which according to him treats the parents of students as “terrorists”.
“We believe parents have a right to know what their children are learning, how their taxes are being used.”
Kevin McCarthy, Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives
This bill is part of a context of growing cultural polarization in the country. Schools, mirrors of a divided America, have for several years been the scene of bitter clashes over the teaching of racism, history or sexuality. Concretely, the text adopted Friday would require public schools to distribute to parents an exhaustive list of the books present in school libraries.
“Freedom Against Fascism”
However, it has very little chance of succeeding. While the House is now controlled by Republicans, the Senate is still in Democratic hands. However, the latter see this project as an attempt to censor works dealing with issues related to the LGBT+ community and minorities.
Books in hand in the hemicycle of the House of Representatives, the elected progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had called this week to choose “freedom against fascism” and to oppose the text. According to the American Library Association, attempts to censor books have reached an all-time high in the United States.
(AFP)
