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Former President Barack Obama is understood for being a reader, releasing extremely anticipated annual lists of his favourite books of the yr. Today, he posted a letter thanking librarians for defending the freedom to learn and inviting residents to be part of the combat in opposition to ebook bans. The letter begins,
“In any democracy, the free alternate of concepts is a vital a part of ensuring that residents are knowledgeable, engaged and really feel like their views matter.
It’s so necessary, in actual fact, that right here in America, the First Amendment of our Constitution states that freedom begins with our capability to share and entry concepts — even, and perhaps particularly, the ones we disagree with.
More usually than not, somebody decides to write these concepts down in a ebook.”
He goes on to point out writers who’ve formed the individual he’s and how he views the world, together with Mark Twain and Toni Morrison.
Today, a few of the books that formed my life — and the lives of so many others — are being challenged by individuals who disagree with sure concepts or views. It’s no coincidence that these “banned books” are sometimes written by or function folks of shade, indigenous folks, and members of the LGBTQ+ neighborhood — although there have additionally been unlucky situations through which books by conservative authors or books containing “triggering” phrases or scenes have been targets for removing. Either means, the impulse appears to be to silence, slightly than have interaction, rebut, study from or search to perceive views that don’t match our personal.
He and Michelle thank librarians for combating on the “front lines” of the combat surrounding the freedom to learn and features a hyperlink to the American Library Association’s Unite Against Book Bans marketing campaign to help librarians and defend the freedom to learn.
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