Democrats and their allies are ramping up their opposition to Republican-led book bans happening across the country. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been increasingly vocal about the issue, connecting it to restrictions on abortion and voting rights to argue that “MAGA extremists” are threatening personal freedoms. Illinois recently became the first Democratic-controlled state to pass legislation discouraging book bans in schools. Grassroots progressive group Red Wine and Blue is launching a national campaign to rally mothers against the conservative efforts to remove books and censor curriculum under the guise of “parents’ rights.” This resistance is emerging as red states pass laws restricting discussions on race, gender, and sexual orientation in classrooms, leading to a 30% increase in banned books this school year compared to the last. Democrats have been relatively silent on these issues, but recent events indicate a turning point in their approach. Democrats now see book bans as a weak point in the Republican claim of upholding parents’ rights. A CBS poll shows that banning books discussing race or criticizing U.S. history is widely opposed by Americans. The conservative call to uphold parents’ rights in education gained momentum with Glenn Youngkin’s unexpected victory in the blue-leaning state of Virginia, where he focused on giving parents more choices in education. However, the discourse around parents’ rights expanded to include allegations of liberal teachers indoctrinating children with “woke” lessons. New red-state laws have taken book banning to a wholesale level, allowing critics to demand the removal of more books in more places. Florida, Texas, Missouri, South Carolina, and Utah have become the main battlegrounds for book banning efforts. While the Biden administration has been relatively disengaged from the issue, a shift in their approach is evident. The administration has denounced certain laws, such as Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, but hasn’t highlighted red-state book bans and curriculum censorship. However, Democrats are now coalescing in their pushback against book bans. Grassroots organizations like Red Wine and Blue and the Freedom to Learn initiative are organizing events and providing training to oppose curriculum censorship and book bans. Illinois has opened another front with its bill to discourage book banning. Biden has recently highlighted book bans in connection to abortion and voting rights, emphasizing the importance of personal freedom and decision-making. Vice President Harris has also voiced concerns about a national agenda in play with these laws. Going forward, Democrats are expected to continue their resistance to book bans and fight for the protection of intellectual freedom.
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