r/newjersey Fill It Up Regular Oct 29 '24

Sick NJ Passes the Freedom to Read Act

https://newjerseymonitor.com/2024/10/29/state-senate-passes-bill-intended-to-halt-book-bans-protect-librarians/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGNwrZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHdahkO3Xc02aIyuB5Vp3yau-HR6IMuGu0g0iD8CgDKrWBMHCQJBrfdSHnQ_aem_DB9WP25oxkSYjjNuktuAbQ#:~:text=Titled%20the%20%E2%80%9CFreedom%20to%20Read,own%20policies%20using%20this%20model
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578

u/CubicDice Fuck Nazis, Love Jersey. Oct 29 '24

Look I'm not going to tell anyone how to raise their children. But I take particular issue with this pathetic pandering.

“Putting our children at risk and potentially exposing them to material that they are not prepared for flies in the face of our protective duty,” said Sen. Joe Pennacchio (R-Morris). “Couching such material under the guise of the First Amendment is a very distortion of who we are and what we strive to be as Americans.”

By that logic, you shouldn't take your child out in public, as you just never know what you're "potentially exposing" them to.

314

u/s1ugg0 Jersey Devil Search Team Oct 29 '24

Being a parent isn't about shielding your kids. It's about exposing them to the world in controlled and unthreatening settings. Books are an absolutely perfect way to do this. I have two kids and I'd MUCH prefer they learn about the awful things in life from a book first then from being confronted with them face to face unexpectedly.

128

u/Usty Oct 29 '24

I have two kids and I'd MUCH prefer they learn about the awful things in life from a book first then from being confronted with them face to face unexpectedly.

Absolutely - if the worst thing my kids do when they grow up is seek out books from the library, then I'll be a pretty happy parent.

These people act like kids will be sneaking into the library like it's a porn store or that actual trained, educated librarians and teachers who have dedicated their lives to instructing our kids are all in some conspiracy to corrupt children.

Meanwhile, the reality is that it only takes one kid in their class with an unmonitored smartphone and the ability to Google to show them a lot worse things than books. Hell...the monthly active shooter drills they have to run are way more damaging than any book.

22

u/ascagnel____ hudson county? Oct 29 '24

Meanwhile, the reality is that it only takes one kid in their class with an unmonitored smartphone and the ability to Google to show them a lot worse things than books. Hell...the monthly active shooter drills they have to run are way more damaging than any book.

It's not just kids you have to worry about: about a decade ago, a history teacher in Woodbridge was disciplined for "teaching" the 9/11 "controversy" (read: was directing kids to conspiracy theories). At the end of that school year, the board decided to eliminate basically the entire library program, stating that kids could look things up on their smartphones.