Banning books has so far been held at bay locally; `Margaret’ movie reminds us why

Trump, DeSantis both suffer defeats in battles against press, First Amendment

By Ken Tingley

The lobby of the multiplex at the Aviation Mall was unusually crowded. It was packed with long lines for popcorn and snacks, but I noticed one other thing. Almost all the customers were female.

They were there for Margaret.

The movie, “Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret” is an adaption of author Judy Blume’s book from 1970. It’s a coming of age film from a totally female perspective.

It’s a comedy that takes on the teenage angst of puberty as the young girls deal with friendship, masturbation, menstruation, sex, bras and body types. I suspect Judy Blume never expected 40 years later, her books would be embraced and celebrated as a movie in a crowded mall multiplex without a hint of embarrassment by mothers and daughters alike.

That was not the case in 1970. The subject matter was taboo and not to be talked about except behind closed doors. Maybe not even then. There was censorship and calls for Margaret and her teenage angst to be banned.

Last month, the 85-year old Blume spoke to Mary Louise Kelly at NPR about her books and career.

“I'm not afraid to speak out now, but I wasn't afraid to speak out in the '80s either, because that's what saved me in the '80s when I felt so alone and dejected and people were coming after me and coming after my books,” Blume said. “And it was when I met the National Coalition Against Censorship that I realized I wasn't alone, and then other authors who were also in the same position that I was, and we would go out together. And we would speak out, because speaking out is so much better for you in every way than hiding at home.”

If you are not aware, there has been a wave of book censorship nationally.

Pen America, a free expression group that supports writers, found that during the first half of the 2022-23 school year, there were 1,477 instances of individual books banned. That was an increase of 28 percent over the previous six months.

The group found book bans were most prevalent in Texas, Florida, Missouri, Utah and South Carolina. But New York was not immune either.

Three school districts in the Hudson Valley - Yorktown Heights, Marlboro and Wappinger Falls - have all had book challenges.

While in the past, classic books such as Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird and The Color Purple were targeted, books about race, racism and sexual orientation have been targeted recently.

In Yorktown, nine different books are under review by the school district and have been taken off the shelves. Judyth Stavens of Yorktown Heights wrote this to the Yorktown Heights Board of Education in February:

“While someone may not want their children to read a particular book, that does not give them the right to prevent all students from having access to it. We know that books about gender issues and by people of color are being targeted. As I’m sure you’re aware, books about LGBTQ-plus experiences, in particular, can quite literally save lives. Books from a Black perspective, especially from a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, are essential to the ESTEAM initiative that we are rightly so proud of.”

Just recently, we saw almost 50 people show up at a Rockwell Falls Public Library board meeting in Lake Luzerne to protest a drag queen reading hour for children. I’ve been told that most of the people were not from Lake Luzerne. It made me wonder what could be next.

“What are you protecting your children from?” Blume said during the NPR interview. “Protecting your children means educating them and arming them with knowledge, and reading and supporting what they want to read. No child is going to become transgender or gay or lesbian because they read a book. It's not going to happen. They may say, 'Oh, this is just like me. This is what I'm feeling and thinking about.’” 

When I reached out Greenwich librarian Sarah Murphy and Crandall Public librarian Kathy Naftaly, both said the national trend has not reached them locally.

Murphy has had one book brought to her attention.

“While that may seem low given the current trends,” Murphy wrote in an email. “It did mark the the first time in my 15-plus years as a librarian that I’ve dealt with a formal request.”

Murphy said she followed the library’s policy and reviewed the book, its circulation history and the book’s professional reviews. She recommended to the library board the book be retained. The board voted to retain the book. During the entire process, the book remained in circulation.

“It was an important test of our policy, and it has made me feel more confident in the process,” Murphy wrote. “I hope it doesn't happen again, but I feel ready in the event that it does.”

Naftaly’s experience has been similar. She remembered the library once had a complaint, not about a book, but the newspaper The Christian Science Monitor.

“We’ve had more concerns over DVDs,” she said.

One book at Crandall Public Library was brought to the attention of a staff member, who answered questions about how the book could be reviewed.

“After being shown the paperwork, the person decided not to go forward,” Naftaly said. “But that is not the reason for the paperwork. There has to be a process.”

Murphy said last September, the Greenwich library hosted a panel discussion during “Banned Books Week.”

“It was a great event,” she said. She also wrote a column about book challenges for the local newspaper.

Naftaly explained the extensive process of curating books at libraries.

“Our books are selected by trained librarians who have had years of schooling and understand the community and its interests,” Naftaly said. “This (book banning) is likely tied in with the entire American psyche right now. There were always challenges, but I think the strength of libraries will last longer than the challenges.”

Naftaly was concerned enough about the book-banning trend that she wrote a guest essay for The Post-Star last year.

“Our community rightfully views Crandall Public Library as the anchor institution at the north end of downtown GlensFalls,” Naftaly wrote. “I submit we are also the North Star for our community in this tumultuous age of book challenges, attacks on school curricula, disinformation, truthiness and social transformation. Every day the public has to navigate the roiled waves of information that incessantly break upon us through social and traditional media. Crandall Public Library is the mooring upon which the public can find a safe harbor.”

It’s good to reminder that ideas will not hurt you.

“I wrote this quote down because I wanted to share it,” Naftaly said during our interview. “It’s from Jill Goodwin, `A truly great library contains something in it to offend everyone.’”

That’s what America is all about.

History worries

If you’re worried students of today don’t understand our history, you have good reason.

Latest eighth-grade test results showed the history proficiency was was just 13 percent. That is down from 18 percent a decade ago.

Considering those eighth-graders are in there mid-20s and voting, it should be cause for concern.

Trump lawsuit

There are so many lawsuits filed by the ex-president, it is hard to keep track of them all, but in 2021 Donald Trump filed a lawsuit accusing the New York Times and three of its reporters for conspiring with his niece Mary Trump to improperly obtain his tax records.

I would call that investigative reporting.

On Wednesday, State Supreme Court Justice Robert Reed ruled that Trump’s claims “fail as a matter of constitutional law” and the newspaper was clearly protected by the First Amendment. The lawsuit was dismissed.

After it was published in 2018, the reporting won a Pulitzer Prize.

DeSantis defeat

In February, the state Legislature in Florida proposed sweeping changes to laws that protected media outlets from liability in defamation cases. Gov. Ron DeSantis had been pushing to pass laws to make it easier for news outlets to be sued. He wanted to weaken the First Amendment.

Republicans in the Florida legislature shelved the proposed legislation in a rare defeat for DeSantis.

Drug problem

More and more of us know someone who had dealt with addiction. Grudgingly, the conversation has shifted away from a law enforcement problem to a health crisis issue.

Far more people became addicted after being prescribed pain pills than those living a party lifestyle. The conversation has begun to shift into how to provide better treatment and keeping the addicted healthy through a policy called “harm reduction.”

Just this week, the Republican-backed Texas state Legislature backed a measure to decriminalize test strips to check drugs for Fentanyl.

“My hope is that every person struggling with addiction has access to quality recovery program and has the opportunity to gain and maintain long-term sobriety,” Texas state Rep. Tom Oliverson told the New York Times. “But if they die instantly from a drug they didn’t even know they were taking, I can’t fix that. Nobody can.”

Things such as needle exchanges - where the addicted can get clean needles and avoid contracting Heptatitis or HIV - have been extremely controversial because many believe they are enabling addicts.

Initially, legalizing and promoting Narcan was also seen as enabling addicts. But its use has repeatedly saved lives by reversing deadly overdoses, including here locally.

Three years ago, the Fentanyl test strips were illegal in 33 states. They are now legal in 37.