Several of you have been asking about Bartlesville and the banning, requesting an update. You ask—and I answer!

It starts with a confession, which is this: I started to get a bit down about Bartlesville. I got many notes of support. (Many, many, many . . . and thank you to everyone who wrote one.) But I also got a few notes—some very long ones—that said, “What right do you have to meddle in the affairs of Oklahoma?” This seemed to imply that Oklahoma was some strange, distant land that I couldn’t possibly understand—a land that makes its own rules.

I felt like I was coming to a point where had just had it. Why was I even bothering with this? Why did I care about three or four copies of a book in a town I’d never been to? I’d given a donation to the library and sent more to the school. What more could I do?

“Do what you want,” I grumbled for a day or two. “Ban everything in sight. What could go wrong?”

I told my friends that I was sick to death of it. I buckled down on my revisions and all the reading I had to catch up on. I ripped out pictures of my dream Vespa and stun gun and put them on my wall for motivation. I tried to figure out if Free Monkey was really an ape. I kicked a can across the street for no reason.

I was, as you can tell, grouchy.

And then, the very next morning, I got an e-mail from a Bartlesville resident who was disgusted by the banning about an article that had just appeared in the paper. She was sick by what was happening in her town and asked me to post it.

Once I read the article, I was back on track. It was a shot in the arm.

If you don’t have the time or inclination to read the whole thing, here are what I consider to be the important bits. These are quotes from Angela Rader, the parent who made the initial complaint (you know, that the book that had no sex in it was a “sexual free-for-all” and that all the copies should be replaced with Bibles):

“I am so ecstatic that the parents have control over what goes into their children’s eyes,” Rader says.

[Me: “Into their children’s eyes”? Like mud? Like a stick? Like a white-hot poker? I know . . . I’m just being difficult.]

“I’m proud of the superintendent and the committee. I’m glad that I accomplished what I set out to do.”

Rader says there may be other books that need to be reviewed.

“For them to create that shelf, they had to know there were books that needed to be on it,” Rader said, adding that she hopes school officials review other books to find any others that may fall under the same category.

“Is she really suggesting some kind of book hunt?” I asked myself. It certainly seems that way.

Because of her success with this book, Rader says she wants to get the Bible back into schools in a history and literature class.

“And I’m working on that because I think it’s important for our kids to know where they came from,” Rader says. “I think the Bible’s a good foundation for our school. I think we’re way far from it and our kids are suffering.”

Actually . . . I have no problem with this. I mean, reading the Bible in terms of literature and history. This is quite sensible. I did it in school. The Bible is referenced in lots of literature, and it’s one of the world’s most famous books.

Speaking as someone who had to read the Bible front to back four times in school, and since the objection here seems to be homosexuality, I can tell you this . . . I didn’t walk away thinking that the story of Sodom and Gomorrah was about homosexuality. I was actually taught—by a religious order—that it was about lack of hospitality in the desert. The Bible helps us out with this one: “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.” (Ezekiel 16:49)

And the image of righteous Lot offering his daughters up to be raped by strangers isn’t one that will leave you quickly. Whenever people reference that story . . . I tend to think that they actually haven’t read it, or they didn’t quite grasp the implications. So read it! Also, leaning about world religions is a good idea! Read the Bible, read the Koran too! Read about all kinds of religions! A broad religious education can only help us understand the crazy world we live in, and maybe we can actually get to the bottom of our problems, instead of just blowing each other up all the time.

You know what the really sad part is? By mentioning other religions, some people will automatically think I am being sarcastic. The mere idea of reading about other religions is anathema to them.

“Oh, oh dearie me,” as Lily Allen says.

But I’m just delaying the payoff . . . the money quote. She goes on to say:

“Promoting righteousness, like having this book taken from everybody, is a step in the right direction.”

Oh. Wow. This is a fascinating glimpse into the mindset of book banning. This quote needs no deconstruction. It is perfect. It is the Hope Diamond of confused sentiments. There is only one person I can think of who could do better.

Give it your best shot, Flanders!

What’s great about America is that everyone, including Ms. Rader, can express her beliefs. Do you want to translate concepts like this directly into public policy? Apparently, some people do in Bartlesville!

But not all. Certainly not all.

I take up the rest of the article—and it’s all stuff that, if you’ve ever been here before, you’ve already read in some form or other. I do take issue with the fact that Ms. Rader thinks she won. I believe exactly what I said to the reporter . . . that the special shelf was a concession to make everyone shut up, including her. The book is not taken away from everybody. It’s just been put in a corner where you need a special slip to read it. Which is still bonkers. It’s just let’s-be-quasi-nice-to-the-kinda-crazy-lady-so-she-doesn’t-bite-into-our-heads-like-they-are-juicy-peaches local politics. And I still say boo to it. Boo!

Then my friend Libba Bray posted this on her blog. (Note to anyone who thinks I am a handful: do not mess with Libba. I am not kidding. Also, Libba fans who may have come here from there . . . I have read A Sweet, Far Thing, and I will tell you this: IT IS THE BEST BOOK OUT OF THE THREE. Again, no kidding.)

Now, as to what can be done . . .

In looking more into this matter (including speaking to anti-censorship king Chris Crutcher), really, Bartlesville has to fix Bartlesville. But nothing prevents me from talking about it and making the issues known. Or dancing about it, for that matter.

If you live in or around Bartlesville, and if you oppose book banning, here are some people to contact:

The Bartlesville school board are the elected officials in charge of your local schools. Here are a list of their names and e-mail addresses, as well as a list of public meetings, and information on how you can speak at a public meeting. Why not pay them a visit or drop them a line? As local public officials, they’ll want to know what you have to say about this.

If you are a student anywhere in the USA, here is a document from the American Library Association explaining your rights—including your right to read.

And for someone feeling really ambitious and up-in-arms, here is information from the Oklahoma ACLU on how you can try to start a case to get that special shelf taken down, and restore the rights of the students. I can’t start this case . . . but one of you can.

I’ve also been (tentatively) invited to Bartlesville. I’m told that some people don’t want me there. I’m even told that some people might try to block it. To those people: what precisely are you worried about? I am possibly the least threatening person I know, with the possible exception of a few very small children I’ve met.

Come on, guys. Lighten up! Maybe I can even bring some friends! I have great friends!

I give hugs!

What do you guys think of all this? Know anyone in town?

UPDATE:

One commenter wrote:

Anonymous said…
I have sent an e-mail to the V.P. of the Bartlesville School Board, saying that I don’t believe in censorship. I believe that I made an interesting point: homosexuals were persecuted in the Holocaust right along with Jews and the mentally retarded. Is the next book on the “special shelf” going to be the Diray of Anne Frank?

Thanks to Oklahoma librarian Adri . . . we have an answer.

To the person asking if the Diary of Anne Frank is next — it already was challenged in Oklahoma in 2006 for “promoting Judaism”

Posted: Tuesday, August 14th, 2007 @ 2:00 pm
Categories: Bartlesville, Libba Bray, book banning.
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