Only Texas Would Ban Books During Banned Books Week

You have to hand it to the Lone Star State. It’s got chutzpah.

In case you haven’t heard, this is Banned Books Week, a time to resist the never-ending effort to censor provocative, informative and challenging works.

Or, if you’re the Highland Park High School in Dallas, it’s a time to ban Hermann Hesse’s “Siddhartha,” Toni Morrison’s “Song of Solomon” and five other books.

According to The Dallas Morning News, “parents challenged their content because of sex scenes and references to rape, abuse and abortion. In emails and at meetings, parents said high school students should not be exposed to some of the hardships and controversies of adulthood.”

One parent said the books weren’t banned. “This is not about banning books. No one is advocating that,” she said. “We want the kids to have access to the books in the library. The problem is having obscene literature mandatory in the classroom and for discussion.”

— Posted by Peter Z. Scheer