Maus

 So, I see that schools are starting to ban books. 

Hell, I was shocked in 1994 when I found that Buna High's library had not one just one, but two copies of Jack Reed's " Ten Days that Shook the World."( Both disappeared while I was there, not banned " borrowed" and never returned. 

Maus is a cartoon book on the Holocaust, in which the Jews are portrayed as mice, the Nazis as cats, Americans as dogs.....Had a kid bring a copy back in the 1980s to an honors history class and we discussed in class.

A school district in Tennessee has banned the book because it uses the words god damn and bitch.( Heard worse walking down the hallway of a high school) And there is "animal nudity." Hell, go to the barnyard and you can see all sort of animal "dangling parts."    

Then, there is a list of 50 books being banned by school districts in Texas. Some concerning race, but most concerning sexuality.

Now, I don't know about having them in a junior high or elementary library, but in high school? High school is more mature than you know. 

Look, I knew with 95% certainty if you were gay. Hell, I had a boy flirt with me on a regular basis at Buna. ( Apparently he was into "bears." Look it up.) 

Hell, I had trans kids. Knew they were. Had girls tougher and more masculine than most boys. 

And don't tell me it's a learned sexual activity. I am telling you, it's just like being left handed or having blue eyes. 

But banning books, hell, when I was told I couldn't do something, it was the first thing I wanted to do. Tell me I can't read this? Hell, I am going to find a copy and read it. ( And afterwards I would say, " What's the fuss?)