>

"We don't want libraries."
Proportional would be court ordered removal (by police) of offending books. With this, libraries will not have sufficient staff and will have to close.
Banning books about gay issues/topics isn’t going to make us go away or disappear. >

It's a dangerous step toward gas chambers and ovens. America's GOP is basically Germany 1933 right now, with a greater emphasis on scapegoating LGBT+ than Jews. >

Yes! Fascist regimes always have a group that they choose to hate as a rallying method to amass supporters. Once they “deal” with that group, they choose another group, usually whoever is opposing their power, and they go after them since their supporters are already indoctrinated in violence. Happens all over the world but supporters of fascist regimes are not smart enough to have studied any history! >

They are shopping which group will be the evil one right now. They tried using blacks (again/still) and we had riots. They tried using hispanic immigrants, but big business got upset because half the meat processing and farming is done by immigrants, so their donors made them back off. The still push the antisemitism, which somehow has a bit of traction, but nowhere near what they want, mostly because all the things they accuse the Jewish people of are things they are guilty of themselves. They're trying LGBTQ+ now to see how much blowback that generates, and frankly, I haven't seen the blowback they should be getting. 
On top of the culture war, they are doing Pol Pot levels of anti-education rhetoric. This is my biggest worry. Half the country is already "graduating" high school with a middle school education compared to the 1970s, now half the states are nerfing the ability of teachers and librarians to get students interested in learning by showing them they are included in books and films. >

Came here to say this.  Do we have any relevant historical precedent of nipping this in the bud?  The way I’m seeing things, we are on the slippery slope already with no off ramp.  It’s about to get bad if we can’t get these guys out of office. >

So, is the Bible going to be banned? >

Consistency in enforcement of rules has never been a hallmark of bible thumpers, but I know your question was rhetorical. >


House Bill 1205 seeks to ban visual depictions of “sexually explicit” content from public libraries, which includes references to sexual orientation and gender identity. Librarians who don’t remove such books would face up to 30 days in prison, as well as up to a $1,500 fine, according to the Associated Press. 
He told the Bismarck Tribune, “I think the content of it is disgusting, that at the very least public libraries should put it in a restricted area where [children] need to get permission from their parents to take a book out like this, but they’re offering it to junior high school kids… and when we grew up, we didn’t need things like this.

​
Yeah, because there were no such things as shotgun weddings when you were growing up! /s
​
Studies consistently show that proper sex-education and awareness actually delays and lowers teenage pregnancy. Yet, Republicans want to ban sex-education and awareness. Apparently, Republicans want more teenage pregnancy!
​
Republicans love to decry cancel culture, but that's only because they want to instill expulsion culture. They want to expel everyone who's not a Christian nationalist out of existence, so they can be like Gilead.
​
We are literally regressing to the times of the Scopes Monkey Trial, and it's all because Republicans would rather be a theocracy than a democracy.
​
The Republican Party is worse than the Westboro Baptist Church. >

"Sexually explicit material" includes depictions of "sexual preferences" and "sexual identity." So if there's a picture of two men holding hands or looking lovingly at each other, that's considered sexually explicit. However, wouldn't it also mean that a picture of a man and a woman in the same state would also be sexually explicit, as it includes a depiction of sexual preferences? >

It would, except it's not about protecting children. That's just a sword they have picked up, but it's not about the weapon, it's about who you wield against. The accusation doesn't matter. Only that it strikes the opponent, who must be a liberal or some other enemy from outside of the tribe.
That's how Republicans think about laws in general. They don't believe that laws should be written to target specific behavior and then be evenly applied. No, they believe laws should be written broadly and then only enforced against "the right people" - and never against part of their in-group. >

Very correct analysis. >

That's a step too far, fascist motherfuckers. >

I just keep wondering how insecure Republicans' religion must be that they have to ban everything that opposes it. It's like they believe if you can't beat em, erase them from the books.
​
That is an insecure faith, if you ask me. >

All faith is insecure, because a pre-requisite for belief is a willingness to suspend disbelief and critical analysis. Since most humans can't live that way all the time - they'd be dead without at least a bit of critical thought - any challenge to the 'party line' is potentially dangerous. That's also why all faiths want to brainwash kids when they're young and impressionable. >

You’re confusing faith with religion. It’s entirely possible to have faith without suppressing logic or critical thinking because faith is how one addresses question which do not have empirically testable answers. >

Science is how one addresses questions which do not (yet) have empirically testable answers if - and here's the crux of the matter - one wants to find the actual answers instead of being content with spiritual conviction. 
And I was using the dictionary definition of faith, linked if not synonymous with belief in the doctrines of a religion. But I've no quarrel with individual faith as long as it remains individual, it's not inflicted on underaged children who can't understand that they're being brainwashed, made into law, used to suppress others, or given tax breaks. >

I’m not sure we’re ever going to be able to empirically test “where does our consciousness go after we die,” which is generally the primary question addressed by faith. While Sociology, psychology, and the various medical fields have given us good data on defining what it means to be a “good person” and the benefits thereof, it’s still a largely subjective definition, so faith is as good an indicator as any.
I will agree that faith and religion are particularly terrible at any of the fields which are addressed by scientific inquiry and should avoid getting involved.
I will continue to disagree with you on conflating faith and religion; if for no other reason than connotation, we really need a way to distinguish between a personal belief system and the fuckwad Evangelicals currently running amok in the American political sphere. >

Oh, I agree 100% with you about Evangelicals. And also that defining a personal belief system as faith and the other as religion would distinguish nicely between the two. Unfortunately, that not how the words are used IRL. Maybe faith and 'faith-based power structure' would be better? Because that's all about control, IMO. >

Citizens should have the freedom to choose the information they want to access," Kujawa said told the Tribune. In the case of minors, parents are responsible for this, not the government. Not in North Dakota, in the United States, a state and country so rightfully proud of a representative democracy >

they should outlaw cell phones for under 18s if they are so concerned about them being exposed to 'questionable materials'
lets see how popular that is with their crowd. >

But if they ban smart devices, then how else are irresponsible parents supposed to neglect their children by throwing a tablet in their face and letting the internet raise their child for them? Think about the poor adults, man!
(/s, hopefully not needed) >

Christian sharia law >

This is the future of our country if we don't take the conservative threat seriously. Librarians and teachers being jailed for hosting books that don't comply with state guidelines >

It’s not the future. It’s the present. >

Right? 
This is, what, the tenth article about this happening somewhere in the last week or two?
It's happening. It's here.  Fascists made it to the top. >

It's not just books, either. West Virginia has a bill that contains similar language banning sexual preference or gender identity but rather than books it extends to being visible in public. This section is particularly frightening (emphasis mine):

For the purposes of any prohibition, protection or requirement under any and all articles
and sections of the Code of West Virginia protecting children from exposure to indecent displays of
a sexually explicit nature, such prohibited displays shall include, but not be limited to, any
transvestite and/or transgender exposure, performances or display to any minor.
(n) "Parent" includes a biological or adoptive parent, legal guardian >

I would say this law wouldn’t survive one argument in court since it so obviously breaks the 1st Amendment, but then again with judges leaning more political every year, who knows. >

looks at the make up of SCROTUS
We’re screwed >

1st amendment? What's that? >

Sorry constitution starts with “right to bear arms” and ends with “shall not be infringed” >

Who decides what's disgusting? Big Brother? >

"Rep. Lefor believes strongly in limited government and fighting for our rights and freedom"
haha >


"Rep. Lefor believes strongly in limited ~~government~~ rights and freedom and fighting for more oppressive government" >

I hate the smell of Nazi shit going down. >

Florida doing the same with felony charges for books in classrooms.
The GOP are fascists, their voters support them and the voting system makes sure their opponents don’t have much voice to stop them. >

Luckily, the red wave failed though >

In Republican land everyone has freedom of speech, as long as you say what Republicans want you to. >

The American Tali-ban. >

For now it’s about sexuality 
Tomorrow it is about a certain point of view
Later still; it is about any ideal not conforming to the political power in charge
Do not forget that we thought the earth was flat, the earth was the center of the solar system and that medicine and science was the work of the devil. Not to be spoken nor questioned as to why they were illegal 
There was a movie that once spoke this one line about AI and robotics “How can it not know what it is”
I feel that same line is now more appropriate to parents who went through the 1980’s when an explosion of self expression, technology and arts/music/theater were the forefront of our daily consciousness. Now those same people are all for repression due to a political ideal…. It is striking how far away they have strayed >

For people who rail on about freedom of speech it's really odd to me that republicans and conservatives want to ban books. >

Oh for fucks sake. None of that at all surprises me. I can't imagine being so obsessed with other people who have zero affect on my life at the end of the day whatsoever. Nor can I imagine being so hateful and cruel.  What a sad life to live. >

The Alliance Defending Freedom and groups like them having any legislative power speaks volumes as to how Christian nationalism is a blight. No politician should ever take a bill from them, listen to any legislation advice from them, or even have them in the room. 
​
Yet, the ADF and the Family Research Council write all the bills for conservatives.
​
That tells you everything you need to know about conservatives. Republicans are worse than the Westboro Baptist Church. >

I was thinking the other day how I can’t remember the last time I even heard about the Westboro Baptist Church. I guess that’s probably because all of their extremism is just normalized now. >

Yeah, at this point, I'd take Westboro over the Republican Party. At least they were only holding signs. They had no political office power. >

Yeah but all the kids were going to law school. But now their antics just look like a regular weekend for people like Marjorie Taylor Greene. >

Oh look more christofacism from dipshit conservatives >

"They don't gotta burn the books they just remove 'em; while arms warehouses fill up fast as the cells. Rally 'round the family, pocket full of shells."- Rage Against the Machine, 1996. >

Holy first amendment, Batman. >

Time to read Fahrenheit 451 again >

Sorry, they burned that one. Would you like to read the Bible instead? >

After they genocide the trans community I wonder where they will turn attention next? >

Immigrants and POC >

They’ll go after the trans bipoc first probably >

Once it starts, they'll go after everyone in fast succession. Fascism must be stopped. >

Yeah I’m terrified that my state will start doing this shit soon >

If it's any consolation, this kind of shit always has to happen from the top down, one state would not be able to do this on their own. If the federal government falls under fascist control and they start dismantling checks and balances though - that's a good time to get out.
Israel is currently at that stage. >

Yeah fuck the theocratic fascist party if they win I’m going so far into the closet that I suffocate myself >

At that point, I would highly recommend Mexico. Crime can get kinda bad, but you're more likely to die in a mass shooting in the US than in a cartel shooting in Mexico - at least they wouldn't be hunting you down for merely existing. >

Get banned on Twitter for yelling racial slurs and inciting violence = Unacceptable censorship
Jailing librarians because a public library has a book you don't like = ????? >

Don't forget to ban the bible, it talks about every sin imaginable.
/s >

The party of free speech... >

1) Divide the country politically
2) Divide the country physically
3) Civil war
Looks like we're moving into Phase 2. >

4) General Sherman rises from the grave to finish the job >

Feel like I picked the wrong career because I would love to be librarian that got arrested for the curious crime of lending books. >

Their endgame is to burn people.  It can't be reasonably debated. >

anyone who bans books, no matter what its about, even if its something really bad, is a fascist as only fascists ban books. >

Yep >

But what about the first amendment?
Gym Jordan was on meet the press yesterday and wouldn't shut the fuck up about the first amendment violations the GOP is going to investigate over the next 2 years.  Let's investigate this shit too. >

Facist creep now a leisurely jog. >

Feels more like a breakneck sprint. >

Completely sickening how fast a group wants to sink our country. 
If ND politicians had any courage they would eject this idiot from their legislature. Sadly it’ll either be ignored or passed. >

Pretty sure there is a movie that starts out like this. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t work out for the citizens involved. >

Fascists are really trying. >

The party of fascist, snowflakes who won’t shut the fuck up about free speech. >

I remember hearing people wanting to ban "In the Night Kitchen" - loved that book. >

Here comes the fascism. >

Where have I heard this shit before… I’m getting 1920s Germany vibes for some reason. >

What about freedom of speech? I guess that is only an argument when conservatives are being bigoted, completely obtuse in their beliefs, or they are forcing others to follow their religious beliefs. Charlatans each and every one. >

Imprison librarians eh? My son and I would love to visit the US to surf and mountain bike but lately we’re thinking we’ll forget the surf and go too Canada instead, they don’t seem so bonkers >

Jesus Christ. We are one nut job politician away from Fahrenheit 451 it seems like these days >

north dakota and south dakota are just going to merge and change their name to North Florida >

Wtf is going on? It seriously baffles me how hard certain people are trying to regress the human species >

Do the Bible next, promotes violence incest and rape. As well as provides instructors for the proper treatment of slaves and grooms children into a dangerous cult. We doing that one next right? Right!? >

People who ban books are a clear and present danger to society. >

This is for PUBLIC libraries, btw, not just schools.
Somehow they’ve changed the definition of “sexually explicit” to include a mere reference to gender identity or sexual orientation, I assume because they can’t get their mind out of the gutter and also think of women in purely sexual ways too.
So if a book mentions a character is straight or asexual or non-binary, that’s sexually explicit? Mkay.
Why is it so hard for some people to just not read the books they don’t like? Also, it’s your responsibility to guide your kids. It’s the height of entitlement to demand the whole world cater to your personal views at the expense of everyone else. 
Wait until they find out the library carries R-rated movies and books on how to become emancipated from your abusive parents, and that Qurans and atheist books sit next to the kajillion Christian books, some of which are the “wrong” kind of Christian! >

Up next these morons will burn books like those of Nazis and finally concentration camps for lgbtq folks. It's Third Reich strategies. >

Censorship is far more disgusting.
America offers an example every day of how the seemingly impossible happened- the German people accepting Nazi thugs as their leaders. >

sure is some nazi shit here >

“Do you ever read any of the books you burn?”
He laughed. “That’s against the law!”
“Oh. Of course.”
~Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 >

Dumbass Republican thinks that people, especially children, use libraries or that banning certain books will prevent anyone from reading them.  Wake up, grandpa!  This isn’t the 1950s!  Every book is available online, without running down to the library to read what we want to read.  All you’re doing is advertising the books that you don’t want people to read. >

That's literally authoritarianism. >

Just set up book exchange boxes full of banned books in all neighborhoods 😊 >

The party of personal freedom just goose stepping like the Nazi fucks they are... >

Well now we have a list of all the cool, edgy books, so thanks for that 😎 >

Just a simple reminder that Japanese internment camps and McCarthyism were both totally things and were state sanctioned in the United States. >

Get the bible out while you're at it. >

This must be more of that small government conservatism I keep hearing so much about >

Censorship of published word? That sounds like a violation of the 1st amendment. It isn’t the librarians who write these books, so where’s the logic they be held for distribution of said published works? >

No pasarán! >

Is there a word for being horrified but not being surprised at the same time? >

These are the type of guys that bring their kid into a bar and asks everyone to use respectful language. >

I don't think that's legal.  You can't tell city run libraries what to say. >

The imaginary war >

something something something first amendment something something >

North Dawastika >

So much for that 1st amendment talk… >

Who would have thought that in 2023, librarians are the “bad guys” >

Fascist pigs >

Anyone remember in 2002 when the Ad Council ran a series of PSAs called the Campaign for Freedom that asked "What if America wasn't America?" It's a good thing nothing like that is happening in freedom loving red states. >

Uh, wouldn’t that language ban every romance novel? lol
I guess they mean visual in the sense of pictures. >

Well; I think it should be illegal for Republican lawmakers to push their morality into others.  They should stop doing that or get thrown in jail for not complying.  See how that works man? >

So all books that mention a man and a woman are dating are out too, correct? >


books about sexual or gender identity

He's talking about the Bible, right? Because it talks about sexual and gender identity. >

Republicans HATE the government telling them what to do.
Republicans LOVE the government telling people on the left what to do. >

The first books the NAZIs burned were a deep study on gender and sexuality. Looks like ND is following in some rather bloody footsteps. >

Hitler did the same thing. Period >

How much of a fucking pathetic loser do you have to be to bully Librarians? >

Every day i read about the bills republicans want to past, more and more America is starting to look like a dictator country. >

Guess the bible now has to be removed from all libraries >

So they’ll be banning the bible then?  That’s full of all manner of depravity and moral corruption.
Right?
Right? >

Holy F - how are these fascists allowed to govern and pass laws?? >

The best way to get a teenager to read a book is by banning it. I think a librarian prominently displaying a list of books banned by the state that that kids might be interested in with out having the books available would be the perfect solution to circumventing this stupidity. Once they know it’s out there and it’s forbidden they will find it online pretty fast. >

So harlequin romance books are being banned now? >

Are we the baddies? >

What even is happening?! >

This is probably not what the right wing think tank people had in mind when they decided to convince conservatives that school teachers were poisoning their children’s minds.
Jailing school teachers doesn’t make your side of the political aisle look like the good guys. I’m sure they just wanted people to grumble, maybe stage some poorly attended protests that got press coverage. But some dipshit in public office made the decision to ban books and jail teachers. Good job. Those people flirt way too much woth dangerous ideologies and then do a pikachu face when something like Jan 6 happens >

topics isn’t going to make us go away or disappear. >

The party of small government sure does seem to want a lot of government lately >

Ridiculous. Small-minded politicians throwing public tantrums is not conducive to good government. Banning books is more important than ?  Someone needs to get perspective on real issues and not culture wars. >

Own those libs by shutting down community libraries. Now is a good time because the people won't remember the shutdowns by election time.
The law will have the effect of shutting down community libraries because if you resign by the law's effective date you're not responsible. Librarians don't want to be criminally liable on account of their position. Like how about criminal liability for police? They face some degree of liability but very little. >

So Nazi tactics, got it. >

This sounds like they are taking clues from DeSantis. >

That’s exactly what it is. Each red state governor is trying to outdo each other with their hate. It’s all an attempt to gather as much of their white supremacist base as possible for presidential runs. >

Oh yeah, the land of the free… >

The party of free speech everyone. >

send all the books to the governor’s office. all of the books >

I thought it was the liberals that let their feels get in the way of sound reasoning >

I wish we could ban republikkkans... >

“They don't gotta burn the books they just remove 'em
While arms warehouses fill as quick as the cells
Rally 'round the family, pockets full of shells”
-Rage against the Machine. >

They're really letting the mask slip in some places, aren't they? >

One of the books I see constantly pop up on banned books is a gorgeous graphic novel called This One Summer. It is about a girl who goes on summer vacation and meets up with her childhood friend. The reason it is banned? LGBTI references. The childhood friend has gay mothers. GASP. That's it. That's all the LGBTI references in the book but its enough for people to label it porn. This is such a terrifying, slippery slope. I cannot recommend This One Summer enough. It is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. >

The party of less government- except in your mind and your bedroom. /s >

Can we ban conservatives >

Really waiting for a librarian to defend themselves with lethal force from unconstitutional arrest. That would be a great court case. >

Just a few short years ago, for a brief period, ND was perceived as being cool… because of Fargo… and now they blow it all up. >

I thought gop was all about personal freedoms. The level of hypocrisy is insane >

Make them go fully out there. Ban everyfucking book with any mention of a relationship because it doesn’t specify which orientation or preference. No books with a mom or dad, period. That’s indoctrination! >

So please tell me how this is different from the Taliban? Putin? North Korea? Saudi Arabia? Iran? >

Jesus… >

Jesus leads like the Taliban? Or are you saying that Jesus makes this ok? >

It’s 1984 >

I wanted an adaptation of Fahrenheit 451 not a live flash mob performance I live in >

The Party that talks about free speech seems hellbent on destroying free speech.  Today’s Republican Party is threatening to arrest librarians, arrest doctors, arrest moms, ban books, and they still support a former President who attacked our democracy. >

Republicans are facists, you must fight back if you're In North Dakota.
As In, go run for office, support resisting fascism, sue the GOP, protest, etc >

We're talking about a state of 750k people, whose economy has been wrecked by repeat, boom and bust cycles in the shale market while the state has been called out for various actions of corruption, on multiple fronts. 
As it stands, a group of 750k people should not have equal representation to a state of millions, in the Senate. If the senate is retained, it should be modeled as the House of Lords in the UK, where it's filled with legal experts and lawyers whose job and tradition merely includes verifying the legality of laws, suggesting rewrites and edits to eliminate ambiguity, and asking the house to expand upon points they see as key while simultaneously implementing a three strikes rule, where, if the senate votes down a law three times, the house can pass it a fourth time, bypass the Senate and go straight to the president.
I'd also argue that the house terms should go up to 4 years and the senate terms to 10 years while gradually making the Senate nonpartisan. >

Yea. It's why nothing gets done In the U.S. I am done with it. >

Me looking west from Minnesota: “Are you guys okay over there? Blink once for yes, twice for no.” >

what about the online? Do these people not realize that the internet exists? >

Arrest librarians for this??? Wow >

FFS what's Wong withered Facists? >

Those bastards in the GOP, SHUT THE HELL UP! They’re literally breaking the first amendment while at the same time increasing Teen pregnancy. Party of small government? More like party of hypocrites….. >

Why are these people so hateful? Is this not a violation of the first amendment? >

This is absurd. America is the land of the free and facists are stripping away our rights before our very eyes. >

Why does it feel like the anti science anti education fascists are winning? >

Criminalizing ideas, intelligence, and education. Those are not conservative principles. It’s the radicalism of an authoritarian regime assembling power and asserting control over the people of the  country. It’s the track record of fascists, communists, dictators, and despots. They pretend to be freedom-loving, but they are power hungry and dangerous. >

The party of freedom strikes again. >

What's the "letter of the law" here? Should Librarians be throwing out all the bibles? >

Americans are insane. They’ll continue getting locked up when they could simply kill the politicians >

I guess they don't realize that librarians also have access to books on chemistry, weaponry, engineering and of course the cult classic the Anarchists Cookbook. Good luck trying to incarcerate that crew. >

Do librarians actually control what books are in inventory? Isn't that a decision made higher up? >

Usually it's reference librarians for nonfiction that figure that out. For fiction, that depends on each library individually. 
Oftentimes, heads of depts. for like, Teen, Children's, and Adult choose.