We are living in a perilous that demonstrates the need for tenure and unions. With so many astroturf parent groups making spurious charges against public schools and their teachers, who will dare to stand up to bullies? In New Hampshire, it’s the president of the state AFTDeb Howes.
Contact:
Deb Howes
president@aft-nh.org
603-930-9248
AFT-NH Statement on Bill on ‘Obscene Materials’ in K-12 and Higher Education Classes, Public Libraries
CONCORD, N.H.—The following is a statement from AFT-New Hampshire President Deb Howes on HB 514, a bill to provide a procedure for people to complain about so-called obscene materials in K-12 and higher education classes and public libraries but that does not even clearly define what would be considered obscene:
“For all intents and purposes, this legislation about the dissemination of obscene materials is a book ban bill. Incredibly, the bill’s sponsors don’t even have the guts to clearly define what would be considered obscene, so it’s really meant to intimidate teachers and deprive students—both school-aged and adults—of books that one person who files a complaint deems objectionable. It practically begs parents or guardians to complain about a particular book to their local school board in the case of public schools, opening the way to a chaotic free-for-all. For public universities, public libraries and museums, it adds the Department of Education to the agencies that can initiate legal hearings to find material ‘obscene’ after receiving anonymous citizen complaints. Higher education faculty actually could be arrested, charged and indicted if they are found to be using a book that is judged to be obscene, whatever that means.
“This is disgusting and meant to censor students’ education and deprive them of quality books. Book bans have no place in New Hampshire K-12, public libraries or higher education classes. We will fight vigorously to ensure that our students have the books they need to receive a well-rounded, honest education. We also will stand firm for the right to access the whole world of ideas through public libraries and universities.”
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Diane Ravitch's blog 
The new New Hampshire state motto” : “Live Obscenity-free or Die”
NH is now a red state, there’s no getting around that unfortunate reality. Alabama of the North. MA might cost a bit more, but you gets safety and sanity for your money.
New Hampshire has a large contingent of so-called Free Staters, who want no government and no taxes. The Free Staters don’t want to pay for public schools or public anything.
Unfortunately quite true, and the nutty free states are also anti-science, anti-vaccine, anti-technology, and pro “gawd and guns”. They abused the loophole of sheer numbers of the House members from small towns to take over and have been taking New Hampshire irrevocably backwards.
Unfortunately I feel it’s a lost cause at this point, and the best solution is to move to Massachusetts as you can. Governor Healey instead of a Sununu spawn, protection of rights and true public services for your taxes. Plus you can get a Boston Public Library card as a reminder that you have escaped the libertarian-theocracy and are safe in civilization!
NH was a red state for a very long time. A VERY long time.
Love the username addition, Poet. People try to marginalize the left by saying anything left of the extreme right is the far left. People try to put us d-down/ Just because we g-g-get around. And New Hampshire’s new motto should be something like Live Loyal or Die, or Meine Ehre heißt Treue.
Considering the Trump-loving NRA-supporting home-Christian-schooling (and personally invested in Prenda) NH Commissioner of Education is named EDELBLUT, your comment is more apropos than possibly realized.
I’m so far left that I’m right.
And so far down that I’m up
And so far gone that I’m here.
And so far away that I’m near.
Live Brain-free or die
I’m so far proof that I’m burning.
I’m so far out that I’m in.
What am I?
(Answer: a Klein bottle)
I’m so far flung that I’m dense
What am I ?
(Roger Penrose’s Cyclic Conformal Cosmology)
I’m so far green that I’m blue
What am I?
A Doppler shifted wave
I’m so far blue that I’m downhearted.
What am I?
Answer: King of the Blues (aka, B B King)
I’m so far under that I’m over.
What am I?
A Mobius strip
I’m so far ahead that I’m behind
What am I?
A clock.
For anyone who didn’t get the BB King riddle
I’m so far east that I’m west.
I’m so far fetched that I’m believable.
What am I?
A physicist
The irony, of course, is that it is this bill that is obscene.
I’ll know it when I obscene it.
I’ll know it if I obscene it
And if I obscene it, I’ll let you know.
But not before I obscene it.
This is fascism’s starter kit.
Well put!!!
Kudos to Deb Howe and NHAFT.
A “well rounded and honest education” is what all young people deserve. Censorship is a dangerous, slippery slope that can devolve into a witch hunt that sticks of fascism. Instead of trying to control reading material, we should be encouraging young people to develop critical thinking skills so they can become independent, rational thinkers.
cx: stinks of fascism
Can’t wait till they ban my obscene thoughts about them.
That would require the ability to interpret authentic thoughts. Don’t worry. They don’t know what those are.
Come down to sanity in Massachusetts. We pay teachers far better, we make an effort to protect them from guns in the classroom, and we protect you FROM censorship. We need more quality educators, come move down here for your sanity and safety!
Reminds me of the opening scene of Casablanca.
With the coming of the libertarian takeover of New Hampshire, many eyes in the imprisoned state turned hopefully, or desperately, toward the freedom of Massachusetts. Lisbon became the great embarkation point. But not everybody could get to Lisbon directly, and so, a tortuous, roundabout refugee trail sprang up. Paris to Marseilles, across the Mediterranean to Oran, then by train, or auto, or foot, across the rim of Africa to Casablanca in French Morocco. Here, the fortunate ones, through money, or influence, or luck, might obtain exit visas and scurry to Lisbon, and from Lisbon to the sane world. But the others wait in Casablanca — and wait — and wait — and wait.
The AFT is doing good work. I just now unsubscribed from the NEA newsletter, however. I am sick and tired of that union, which should be standing up for smaller class sizes and other education rights, sending me information about what Bill Gates wants me to do. The latest was an article about how to get kids into coding. We’ve been over this here. Getting everyone to code and computer engineer is tech wage suppression. NEA, stop pushing tech and testing. Start protecting education.
Well the NEA welcomes adminimals. . . I’ll let everyone else decide what the ramifications of that are.
I don’t know if what is happening in Tennessee would be viewed by Gates as an unintended consequence or what he had planned. The Tenn. Speaker of the House wants Tennesseans to decide what to teach students so, he’s exploring a plan to refuse federal funding for education.(Huffpo)
My two cents worth of an answer- Gates seems like a states rights, ALEC, illiberal kind of vulture.
The Oklahoma superintendent wants to get rid of federal funding.
So what sort of books have caused this furor? As the father of a 16 year old who is an avid reader, I have been introduced to the subject matter of several of the books that are controversial.
One theme in YA (Young Adult) literature is the search for acceptance in society. Part of this theme explores the marginalized population of teens trying to define their sexuality. The objectionable aspect of this literary treatment is that much of the conflict in the books rises from characters who “come out” or refuse to. It is important to know that none of these books describe explicit sexual behavior or even infer that it might be going on. They rather tend to explore the tension present in teen crushes and attractions.
So the book banners are going after literary recognition of those who struggle with sexuality. They do not wish for readers to see such people in a positive light. They believe that empathy for this group in society is “grooming” unsuspecting readers for future deviance.
It is really obvious that what the book banners want is to outlaw empathy with certain people. They are going after the notion of freedom of conscience so integral to enlightenment society.
Right wing extremists seem to not want certain groups to be seen or heard, and they are writing state laws to align with this exclusionary policy.
Roy,
That is such an insightful comment, esp from a father of a teen.
Thanks for the compliment.
Couldn’t have said it better.
I’m trying to figure out what novels they’d consider acceptable for high school students.
It is really obvious that what the book banners want is to outlaw empathy with certain people.
Exactly what this is about. Well said, Roy! It’s about keeping kids from empathizing with various “those” peoples.
Nailed it, Roy.