6mo ago

Texas school district agrees to remove ‘Anne Frank’s Diary,’ ‘Maus’ and 670 other books after right-wing group’s complaint

forward.com Texas school district agrees to remove ‘Anne Frank’s Diary,’ ‘Maus’ and 670 other books after right-wing group’s complaint

The district in the Rio Grande Valley immediately agreed with activists who said the books were “filthy and evil.”

Conservative activists, led by a local pastor and outspoken Israel advocate, pushed the district, Mission CISD, to excise books mostly about gender, sexuality and race. Their demands represented an extreme version of a nationwide culture war over books that has played out in recent years — and ensnared a number of books with Jewish themes.

In Mission, the long list of books on the chopping block includes a recent illustrated adaptation of Anne Frank’s diary; both volumes of Art Spiegelman’s Holocaust graphic memoir “Maus”; “The Fixer,” Bernard Malamud’s novel about a historical instance of antisemitic blood libel; and “Kasher in the Rye,” a ribald memoir by Jewish comedian Moshe Kasher.

232 comments

Are conservatives activists so concerned with information related to living under Nazism because they don't want young people to be able to recognize the steps if those steps occur to young people today?
- No no, that would require “reason”.
  No this is all somehow related to Jeezus.
  
  Not it's 100% tied to the resurgence of white supremacy. These conservatives groups are backed by humongous PACs that fund groups that push their agenda. Just like with turningpointusa and groups like that. Don't mistake careful planning masked by racist zealots as idiocy.

local pastor and outspoken Israel advocate
Anne Frank’s diary
Art Spiegelman’s Holocaust graphic memoir
…
Israel advocate
Anne Frank’s diary
Israel advocate
Anne Frank’s diary
You fucking disgrace
Get out of my country
For some reason this made me way more irrationally angry than just killing Palestinians. It’s killing Palestinians and running cover for the people who killed Anne Frank and Spiegelman’s brother, and doing it all at the exact same time with no sense of shame or embarrassment but, I’m sure, a smug sense of superiority like everyone else is the monster in this
This guy better really hope that there isn’t a hell
- Hey man. If it looks like a Nazi, walks like a Nazi and quacks like a Nazi, it's probably a Nazi
  
  Idk, if it quacks it might be an undercover nazi-duck
  
  If it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and looks like a duck, then it's...
  A swan! It claims to be a swan, therefore it is a swan! Swans are beautiful, therefore if you're against swans you're a bad person! You see ducks everywhere and accuse everyone being a duck! The word "duck" lost its meaning. In fact, we defeated the ducks in 1945, therefore any "ducks" we might have today are just edgy teens cosplaying as such.
  EDIT: If you ask me, I think conservatives are just "good cops" to the fascists "bad cops" (this gave me an idea for a potential video essay).
- It's not really surprising - historically, the creation Israel state was helped massively by antisemitists, who wanted to get rid of jews in their own country and having them a place to immigrate to would be the easiest option (the phenomena is often referred to as Zionist antisemitism).
  So yeah, it does make sense - they can hate the jews, but also support Israel at the same time.
  
  In fact, Zionism is built upon the antisemitic myth of "Jews and non-Jews cannot live together".
- From what I understand, a lot of Israelis are rather unkind towards Holocaust survivors. Which is fucking wild to me.
  
  It's only wild if you believe their fable that their nation represents all Jews.
  If however you see them as just another bunch of ethno-Fascists, it actually makes sense that many of the victims of the other large ethno-Fascist group in the last century wouldn't get along with them simply because they recognize many of the same signs.
  
  No, quite the contrary.
  You've probably read that in the early days of the State there was a lot of resentment towards Holocaust survivors. They were counter to the national narrative of the "New Jew" who was strong, hard-working, and living off the land. Shoah survivors represented Jews as victims, who did not fight back against the Nazis, instead going like "lambs to the slaughter."
  This all changed after the Eichmann trial (1961), which is when most of the world first came to understand the true nature of how the Nazis operated. Many people did fight back, and many couldn't.
  Holocaust survivors are revered and honored in Israel, although the country suffers from poor social services with a lot of gaps. Shoah survivors often fall through those gaps, along with other elders.
- But an Israel advocate would try to hide the holocaust least someone relate it to what Israel is doing to Palestine.
  Maybe you’re thinking of a Jewish advocate and not an Israel advocate?
  
  In-Israel Israel advocacy, and American Judaism, are absolutely chock full of people who are disgusted with Netanyahu’s government and his “war,” in part because of how much he is doing to destroy Israel on the world stage and get Israelis killed for more or less no purpose, as well as the unfolding horror of the apartheid state and genocide he’s enacting in their name.
  Zionist advocates and Israel advocates and Jewish advocates and human rights advocates are four sometimes overlapping but distinct categories.

the nazis also banned books they didn't agree with
- Which you can learn about....in Maus. Ffs.

- I'm definitely not for banning books, but couldn't you say the same thing about news media? Or Facebook memes? Those "get you to think".
  
  We should only be banning things that promote intolerance because there will never be an end to the bannings, there will always be some witch to hunt somewhere.
  To answer your question, yes it is the saying the same thing, that is why banning books is so stupid. A book, movie, TV show, meme, or news report isn't necessarily going to change my mind but it might make me think about something from a perspective I didn't consider before.
  
  I don't support banning memes or the news either, but they aren't under attack currently.

"Jewish themes"...like in the Bible?
- i cannot believe how openly anti-nazi some books are! we should burn these intolerant books!
- Yeah, but the New Testament says everyone who doesn't worship Jesus is going to burn in hell forever, so that kind of lessens the whole Jewishness of the first half.

I simply cannot wrap my head around this. How is this defensible? What possible justification could they provide for banning Maus?? Anne's Diary?? How could you even link these to any contemporary agenda?
- Because they're fucking Nazis, how many ways do they need to prove it to you?
  
  Wise person: "Those who do not know history's mistakes are doomed to repeat them."
  Actual Nazis: Great idea. Let's burn some books.
  
  Nah I get that they're Nazis. But the article failed to mention the official justification to ban these. I want to know what's the sugarcoated, duplicitous rationale they provided.
- See, us Jews control Hollywood, so all of that is just PR messaging about our Holocaust lie. And we also control the banks, so we're the ones buying these books and bribing school librarians to put them on the shelves. Whereupon, I guess, something about the trans agenda happens? I'm a cishet Jew, so I'm only up on our side of the conspiracy.
  
  It's amazing that Republicans are both pro-Israel and anti-Jew at the same time.
  
  Isn't it about time to fire up your space laser?
- They can link them to their own goals. They want to avoid that people might notice the signs and recognize them as a warning. Let me guess, "The Wave" has been banned there, too?

The conservative groups are led by Pastor Luis Cabrera, who is active in Latino conservative circles in the state and whose Instagram profile picture is currently an upraised fist outlined with the Israeli flag. Originally from Guatemala, Cabrera is a member of several right-wing Christian activist organizations and has also posted numerous pieces of pro-Israel social media content.
The thing about Uncle Tom's are they come in all shapes, races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Ironically the things they all hate and fight against
- Another thing is that Uncle Tom was eventually flogged to death by the people whose admiration he so desperately sought to win.
  Fundamentalist only see things in measures of what helps them obtain what they want. Once the utility of someone is over, they have zero compunction with turning on the person that helped them and riving them to nothingness as demonstration.
  
  Man, that's horrible...better make sure "Uncle Tom's Cabin" is on the list to get removed.

I just can't understand how someone could think that banking books is a good idea.
edit: sorry banning not banking
- Like a library?
  
  sorry I meant banning not banking
- So you think that all books should be available to all kids in public schools?
  
  We have these people who go to college and get specialized degrees so that they can do things and work in school libraries and figure out what books are appropriate for the school.
  You might have heard of them. They're called librarians.
  Deciding what books do and don't belong in a library is literally part of their job. I know, because I'm married to one. She used to work in a school library, now she works in a public library. It was a Catholic school (she's an atheist, they didn't discriminate) and they trusted her to figure out which books were appropriate for their kids because of her degree. What does that tell you about librarians?
  
  It isn't about them being available. Its about discussing the content and the deeper meaning. I would be totally fine with reading Adolf Hitlers - Mein Kampf in School, as long as the content gets discussed and why what he wrote wasn't good.
  
  We had like everything, from childrens books to engineering stuff. It's filed differently so your fragile mind won't need to see "adult" books if you don't want to I guess.
  
  Which books do you believe shouldn't be provided in a classroom setting?
  No copouts. I don't think anyone expects a bunch of 3rd graders to have a discussion on 50 Shades of Grey.
  
  All books ever!!! The Necromomicon! Solomon's Demonology! THE ANARCHIST'S NOTEBOOK!! PEPPA PIG GOES TO HELL!! !
  
  Yes
  
  Only if these books are inscribed on the side of a Glock
  
  Yes, so 4 year olds can read mein kampf

'Never again' is now.

Texas full of whiny removed seems like
- Everything is bigger in Texas, especially the whining snowflakes.

well the USA was circling the drain after Trump's first win... they are now at the toilet gargling stage
- This isn't the USA. It's one school district in one state. I know you aren't bright enough to separate the two, but it would be like saying because the far right has made inroads in French election, then all of Europe is in the toilet.
  
  If you read the article you'll find that this is a nation wide movement, they are all copying ban lists from Booklook, a website that used to be a Mom's for Liberty site. Which is why these clowns keep blindly removing books that make them look like anti-semetic racist idiots. They are those things, but one would guess they'd be a little subtle, also most school districts don't allow blanket book banning, you have to find the book in their libraries and have a formal meeting about removing it. A lot of these books aren't even in school libraries.
  But my point is. It's not one school district in one state it's happening all over.
  
  Conservatives continue winning elections. Trump, of all people, actually became president. He has a non zero chance of being voted in again. Supreme Court is far right conservative. House of reps is republican controlled. Many Democrat elected officials are arguably, conservative.
  This is the USA. This is who the conservatives are, and they win often.
  Until the people show us by continually electing democrats to take the senate, house, and exec branch over and over and over again (not gonna happen), this type of shit is VERY USA.
  
  For it being "just one state" I read about book bannings way to often.
  
  You can say france is in the toilet when they start banning books. But europe is a continent.

Didn't need to read past the word "Texas" and I know not only would the next words be really stupid but also I would believe it 100%

An "outspoken Israel advocate" wants to get rid of books about the Holocaust and antisemitism in general? I am very confused. Usually right wing extremist demands make some kind of sense from within their twisted world view, but how does that fit together at all, in any world view?
- Hard right folks don't like teaching the history of the consequences of hard right political movements. Those histories never end with a country full of happy economically secure people just living their lives because the only thing fascists can do is destroy everything.
- You should give "Praying for Armageddon" a watch.
  The TL;DW is that evangelical Christians are outspoken supporters of war in Israel, because they believe it will bring forth the second coming of Jesus.
  
  Sounds straight up delusional and seems like people who believe that sort of stuff and then act on it should be institutionalized for the safety of our fellow citizens.
  Aren't most people who believe in invisible people and talk to thin air considered crazy?
- "Outspoken Israel advocates" who are evangelical Christians don't love Jews. Quite the opposite. They need Israel to exist so all Jews in the world can be forcibly deported to it, and then made to rebuild the Great Temple, so Jesus can come back and throw them all into Hell.
  And a red cow comes into the picture as well.
  None of that is sarcasm. That is really what they think.
- Because Israel is committing genocide?
  Israel doesn’t mean Jewish.

Texas is dumber than I thought.
- They're trying to be. Looks like it might work at this rate.
  
  The dumber they are the better chance they'll turn out conservative and republican.
- I don't think it can get any dumber than I thought cuz I already think it's super super fucking dumb.

As a Jew, I think I won't be going to Texas any time soon.
- Try living here
  
  I'd prefer not to given this situation, and I hope you are and stay safe.

I gotta work on getting my kids passports. If the traitor fucktard wins, i could see us all forced onto cattle cars.
- If you are a cis-het white who at least publicly proclaims belief in Jesus, you should be fine. For eveyone else, they'll start with those who have the least power and keep coming for the next out-group on the ladder.... and they'll use anyone they can convince along the ladder to kick off those on a lower rung.
  Let's see, illegal immigrants, homeless, drug addicts, trans, gay, muslim, atheist, brown, jewish - appologies if sure if I left anyone out. You may disagree with the order, but I might not be far off.
  
  Add liberals, scientists, teachers to the end of the list.

I'm still proud of the copy of "Maus" that I donated to the library of my shitty little Texas town before I moved out of that hell-hole a few years back. I still check the online catalog from time to time to make sure it's still in circulation.
- As someone else who got out of a shitty little Texas town, I salute you.

Utterly moronic to see.
- Republikkklowns
  
  Repuglicunts.

My partner is an educator in Texas and I showed this to them. So thanks for posting, OP, getting the word out and such.

Land of the free and freedom of speech are such hollow terms when Americans say them.
Fascism has a very strong foothold in half of USA.

What was the name of that group last century that pulled the same crap? It's Reich on the tip of my tongue...
- They want to make sure that we will Nazi it coming

i did nazi that coming

This is infuriating. This is hate. This is danger.

I'm interested in what their reasoning was for banning Maus - I certainly don't recall any sex or amti-christian material.
- Oh, I think you know
- It hurts their feelings that Nazis are the bad guys.
- IIRC there is a brief depiction of a (possibly human rather than mouse? It’s been a while since I read it) woman whose body is in a tub after committing suicide, which is what I’ve read other groups trying to get it banned object to. Because titty.

#OnTheReichSideOfHistory
Zionists worked with the Nazi's before WW2 to 'encourage' Jews to move to Palestine. They both agreed that Jews didn't belong in Europe.