Dougherty Arts Center
Back Off Book Bans
RECEIVED Sat., Aug. 19, 2023
Dear Editor,
Those in favor of book bans do not represent me, my family, or people like us.
My own experiences were nothing like the cis, heteronormative, white experiences represented in the only books they want to keep on the shelves of our children’s schools.
They are also not the experiences of our children. In school systems that daily tell them they are other, less than, and that they need to assimilate to survive to graduation and beyond, I need my children, Black and brown children, children who have been abused, and those who have endured other traumas to have access to others like them, even if it’s through books.
As stated in June 30th’s article, “Texas GOP's Book Bans Are the First Step in Anti-Public Education Crusade,” right-wing conservatives want to ban books that represent experiences like those of my children, and thereby want to erase my children. Make no mistake, erasure is the end goal. I beg you to become familiar with the stages of genocide and with the ADL’s pyramid of hate as what has happened at board meetings both nationally and in Texas is described within these both.
Right-wing conservatives are protecting their religions of whiteness. If they were actually trying to protect children, they would stop dehumanizing LGBTQ2S+ students. They would fight to close the glaring racial gaps in student outcomes. They would be speaking against ableism.
Historically, this is nothing new. Book bans have been done and we all know how those ended. What is happening here is dangerous and dire.
I beg you to protect my children by fighting with us against book bans. Banning books closes minds, which closes survival opportunities for the most marginalized. Our kids are being persecuted at the state level, the least they deserve is protection from their schools. Please.
Those in favor of book bans do not represent me, my family, or people like us.
My own experiences were nothing like the cis, heteronormative, white experiences represented in the only books they want to keep on the shelves of our children’s schools.
They are also not the experiences of our children. In school systems that daily tell them they are other, less than, and that they need to assimilate to survive to graduation and beyond, I need my children, Black and brown children, children who have been abused, and those who have endured other traumas to have access to others like them, even if it’s through books.
As stated in June 30th’s article, “Texas GOP's Book Bans Are the First Step in Anti-Public Education Crusade,” right-wing conservatives want to ban books that represent experiences like those of my children, and thereby want to erase my children. Make no mistake, erasure is the end goal. I beg you to become familiar with the stages of genocide and with the ADL’s pyramid of hate as what has happened at board meetings both nationally and in Texas is described within these both.
Right-wing conservatives are protecting their religions of whiteness. If they were actually trying to protect children, they would stop dehumanizing LGBTQ2S+ students. They would fight to close the glaring racial gaps in student outcomes. They would be speaking against ableism.
Historically, this is nothing new. Book bans have been done and we all know how those ended. What is happening here is dangerous and dire.
I beg you to protect my children by fighting with us against book bans. Banning books closes minds, which closes survival opportunities for the most marginalized. Our kids are being persecuted at the state level, the least they deserve is protection from their schools. Please.
Esmeralda Rubalcava Hernandez, LMSW
