Letters: DeSantis’ book banning is only the start of his measures against free expression

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DeSantis book bans just the beginning

Two Escambia County parents have joined major publishers and PEN America in a lawsuit against the county for banning books in school libraries. PEN America is a non-profit organization with a goal of supporting free expression and celebrating literature – exactly what Gov. Ron DeSantis and some members of the local school board oppose.

Many of the books being ordered removed from school libraries, or restricted in their availability, are books by non-white authors or members of the LGBTQ community. The lawsuit argues that limiting access to the books based on opposition to certain ideas violates the First Amendment and the equal protection provisions of the 14th Amendment.

The local school board is clearly influenced by DeSantis’ efforts to galvanize his far-right base as part of his soon-to-be announced presidential campaign. Exploring new ideas through books is an essential part of a child’s education, and not every child has access to a wide variety of books at home. Limiting children’s freedom to explore new ideas greatly diminishes their education.

I fear we are likely to see ever more vigorous efforts to restrict access to ideas that make privileged Americans uncomfortable.

— Larry Chamblin, Pensacola

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Argos showed patriotism in tournament

I attended the NCAA regional tournament game recently between Barry University and the University of West Florida, which Barry won. Prior to the start of the game, after realizing the National Anthem was not going to be played, the entire UWF team lined up in front of their dugout and sang it.

While some fans who saw what was going on stood respectfully, the umpires, who clearly saw what was happening, did nothing to bring attention to it. The portly third base umpire looked right at them and turned away. They allowed the Barry team to continue its warmups as if nothing was going on.

This was not a stunt. The umpires should have halted the activity on the field and brought everyone to attention for the minute or two that it took for the Argos to finish the anthem, but they didn’t.

Kudos to the West Florida Argos for showing class and respect for our nation and those who put themselves at risk to ensure our freedom and our way of life. Baseball is our national pastime. One would think that NCAA umpires would know that.

Evidently, they don’t and that’s an absolute shame.

— Charles Compton, Sarasota

Beach parking hurting business

I strongly disagree with the woman who wrote, “Twenty-four thousand people came onto our beach Saturday and they obviously found parking somewhere.”

My wife and I had reservations at a popular restaurant in the center of the beach on Mother’s Day. I let her out to get our table while I circled to find parking – and circled and circled, adding to the congestion. After almost a half hour, I finally gave up and called to pick her up and we left the beach.

She told me to her surprise the restaurant was about one-fourth empty. The manager told her people were having too hard a time parking. Well-landscaped parking garages would certainly have helped and not have blocked the view of the water from the street.

— Thomas Johnson, Gulf Breeze

Moms for Liberty are our ‘Quixote’

The comic novel “Don Quixote the Man from La Mancha” by Spanish author Miguel De Cervantes is a story of a lowly nobleman with visions of becoming king. Quixote’s misguided crusade is to save his country. The expression “Attacking Windmills” came from that story.

We have our own Don Quixote fools here in the name of “Moms for Liberty.” They aren’t attacking windmills; they are attacking our schools and our children’s right to learn! They attack books, and teachers for doing their job of creating an atmosphere of free exchange of ideas and thinking out of the box to solve problems. Their goal of indoctrinating their values is dangerous. They believe schools are “Marxist breeding grounds of warriors.”

Our Santa Rosa schools work hard to educate and preparing our future leaders. We need to support our school superintendent and school board for their work in supporting quality education.

Parents with children in Santa Rosa Public Schools need to be aware and defend their children’s education. Join the newly organized parents’ group, “RED Wine and Blue,” defending children’s rights and schools. Red Wine and Blue parents support books, not bans, freedom, not fear, community, not chaos and heart, not hate.

— Susan Creel, Bagdad

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Superintendent Barber doing great

Children thrive in an accepting and free atmosphere to explore ideas and express freely. Parents trust the schools to educate their children in a positive and free environment, to develop knowledge and to be respected while respecting others despite differences.

The Santa Rosa School Board’s mission is: “To love, educate, and prepare all students for graduation and a successful future.”

Recently, an inappropriate comment by a county commissioner who’s also a member of Moms for Liberty discredited the superintendent for explaining the library guidelines to citizens of a different political view. These guidelines are available for every student, parent, and taxpayer in Santa Rosa County.

These guidelines are the result of a state bill to ban certain inappropriate books. The superintendent adopted the new Florida policy, and the program has been approved by the Department of Education. Her policy gives parents choices and control to allow or deny their child reading library books that have been approved by the state.

Superintendent Barber did an excellent job in providing information to everyone with respect. It’s every taxpayer’s right, not only the far-right extremists, to know how to use the website and access information.

Good job, Superintendent Barber!

— Charles Creel, Bagdad

Discretion, not banning, needed

Before us today is the question of ‘banning books’ in school. There are some who passionately believe that certain books should be excluded from our public schools on the basis of content and others, equally passionate, who oppose the of banning of those same books.

Rather than talking about ‘banning books, let’s talk about exercising discretion. Not every book available is appropriate for children. Most would agree that pornography is inappropriate for our school system. We may disagree as to what constitutes pornography, but we probably agree that discretion should be used to cull inappropriate material from our library. The thing in contention is the determination as to what content is inappropriate.

Common sense should be our guide. In a world where children are routinely sexualized in movies, on TV programs, and in magazines, our schools ought to be a refuge. Children should be allowed to be children. It is wrong to sacrifice the innocence of childhood on this alter.

Rather than confusing children with things that are not yet on their horizon, give them the freedom and safety to be innocent kids for just a little while.

— William Garner, Molino

Hatred transcends common sense

Will American citizens ever realize that, as such, we have common enemies, both foreign and domestic? Abroad, we have countries that hate America and would do her citizens harm. Domestically we have a legislature that daily enacts laws that adversely affect middle- and lower-class citizens, regardless of ethnicity.

On the other hand, they refuse to enact laws that would reduce or, hopefully, prevent the senseless slaughter of our citizens, children and adults. How can any rational or moral individual turn a blind eye to Sandy Hook? Our children will continue to die because many of our legislators are bought and paid for by the National Rifle Association.

Our children are only collateral damage. Greed and corruption are so ingrained in the American political system, that it has become virtually impossible to find an honest politician. That is, if there is such an animal. Some of the poorest states in America are “red” states.

The 10 poorest states in America are: Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico, West Virginia, Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Georgia, and South Carolina. At the same time, some of these states have the wealthiest legislators. Why? Where is the logic?

America is a sick country. She is deathly ill. We need to wake up people and unite rather than separate.

— Carlton J. Charles, Pensacola

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This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Readers Speak: DeSantis’ book bans are just the tip of the iceberg