Masuk Free Press

Florida tends to be viewed by the rest of the country through the lens of intrigue and amusement, and it has consequently earned itself a reputation for being a newsworthy and controversial state. Many people would consider this common perception of the state justified after a recent series of attention-grabbing headlines with absurd news stories to follow. 

The book ban enacted by Governor Ron Desantis has not only furthered this view of Florida as a state, but it has also sparked an immense amount of controversy in more ways than one. 

On March 25, 2022, DeSantis signed HB 1467, a bill that requires schools to be completely transparent with parents about the content being used in curriculums. This includes all instruction materials such as library and reading materials. The bill seeks to increase parent involvement in their children’s education and allow them to make decisions about what materials their children are exposed to in school. 

Though the idea of giving parents a voice in their children’s education may seem like a reasonable idea based on the information provided in the bill, in reality, it gives parents a disproportionate amount of power and prevents students from learning about crucial events from our country’s history. The bill prohibits any content that includes topics about social injustice, culturally responsive teaching and critical race theory, as well as “any other unsolicited theories that may lead to student indoctrination.” 

Poet Amanda Gorman was honored at President Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration in 2021, where she was invited to share one of her poems, The Hill We Climb. However, just a few years later, her voice was silenced after a complaint from a single parent, which resulted in the banning of her book at Bob Graham Education Center in Miami Lakes. 

A portion of the poem reads, 

“But that doesn’t mean we are

striving to form a union that is perfect.

We are striving to forge a union with purpose,

to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and

conditions of man.

And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us,

but what stands before us.

We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,

we must first put our differences aside.

We lay down our arms

so we can reach out our arms

to one another.

We seek harm to none and harmony for all.”

In her complaint, the parent explained that her objection to the poem was that it was not educational and indirectly included hate messages. This poem, which promotes unity and strength within our nation, was deemed hateful and insignificant by just one parent. Given that this bill required no further deliberation about the piece of literature and its place in the curriculum, it was removed immediately upon the parent’s request.

Though freedom of speech and expression have been fundamental elements of the foundation of our country, recent legislation has begun to encroach upon these principles and has been fairly well received by more people than you might think. This bill is one of many to follow a recent pattern of censorship emerging that prevents students from learning about topics that are essential to becoming understanding and empathetic adults. 

The banning of books and supposed war against “wokeness” is contradictory to everything our country stands for. It puts mental blinders on children and will lead to a generation of hateful adults who are unable to reason with those whose opinions differ from their own. 

Parents voice concerns about alleged indoctrination, however, the material being banned is extremely important to show to children, as it exposes them to diverse voices and perspectives, allowing them to gain a well-rounded understanding of the world around them. This material also teaches children about important moments in our country’s history which are critical to who we are as a nation today. Sheltering children from these topics will only teach them that they are taboo or abnormal, and will sow seeds of hate against marginalized groups because of the lack of education about their history.