Make book on it: These titles are soon to be gone

Continuing its run of breaking important news, The Tyler Loop, has just done a story telling the public about 200 books that have been taken from Tyler ISD libraries and set aside, awaiting a “review” by the district over whether they are fit for students to read.

The books may be back and maybe they won’t, or so says the Tyler ISD administration.

Here’s a guess: You can kiss them all goodbye. “Kiss” might be considered an offensive word, considering a number of the books deal with teenage sexuality. You can bid them farewell, let’s say.

You can read the story at thetylerloop.com and I suggest that you do. My opinion only: Outrageous and unnecessary censorship on the part of the Tyler school administration. Be happy if your children are out of school and don’t have to face such nonsense.

Once the books are gone from Tyler school libraries, they will likely be removed from the Tyler Public Library, too, if they are there now. The Tyler library has mum on its book choices of late and likely it is getting the big squeeze on what is allowed and what is to be subjected to the old “Fahrenheit 451” treatment.

Don’t know what that is? Hurry quickly to the TPL’s shelves before that Ray Bradbury book is taken down.

If this story has been reported anywhere else as I write this on Monday morning, I couldn’t find it. If the viewing public is lucky, a local television news program may give it 90 seconds, but a wreck or shooting could bump it out of the tiny news hole, “hole” being the operative word.

As I understand it, this is the kind of story The Tyler Loop was founded to write, more long-form journalism that is not meant for a quick read. No clickbait here. Kudos to those who manage, edit, and write there.

The story includes a list of the 200 books taken out of the libraries and it is only requires a quick glance to see what kind of books someone targeted in coming up with the target books.

At least half a dozen of them have the word, “abortion,” in the title. It doesn’t seem to matter what sort of angle the book might take, but there’s no speaking of the word here.

Sex topics are another taboo, as is the natural outcome of pregnancy. Keeping those books out of libraries isn’t going to stop teenagers from having sex or from getting pregnant but it might make vital information more difficult to get.

It also seemed as if all the pregnancy books were aimed at girls. Why is that? The last time I checked, boys played a big part in the process, too. We shouldn’t overlook making certain that males understand their role — and responsibilities.

Then there are the number of books that deal with being gay or with gender fluidity. Like it or not — and many Tyler residents don’t — these are important topics for teens, some of whom face these very questions as they grow up.

If we only pick books that that don’t disrupt the tender sensibilities of any of East Texas’ prevailing opinions, then anything about, say, Charles Darwin’s, “On The Origin of Species” is doomed for extinction here.

I haven’t read any of the books on the list, but I’ve read reviews about most of them. The themes addressed here are handled with great care but also with the honesty that teens expect to read. They will know if they are being lied to.

For the most part, these are not “fact” books. They are fictional novels that show how fictional characters have dealt with the most challenging moments of their lives. They just offer possibilities while trying to show that difficulties can be overcome and the teen comes out the other side, still with the self they know.

Oh, one curious title on the list was “They Called Themselves the KKK: Birth of an American Terrorist Group.”

What’s the problem with this book, the fact that it tells the naked truth? Who out there would argue that there is anything wrong with this book?

There must be someone offended by actual history. In East Texas a great many people are, in fact, offended by the telling of what really has happened — and is — happening here.

As a perpetual optimist, I still believe that most people want children to be fully educated here and that the removal of books makes them at little more than queasy.

If so, let your voice be heard. If it is happening in Tyler, it either has or soon will be happening across East Texas. You may not even be told what is going on. The Tyler Loop only reports about Smith County. What about Gregg, Harrison, Panola, Upshur, Nacogdoches or Angelina counties, just to name a few?

Once we step on this slippery slope, it won’t be easy to keep our footing. If we haven’t started sliding down the creekbank yet, or if we can still grab a root and pull ourselves out, we should do so now. Otherwise, we’re going to get awfully muddy.

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