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Yes, Florida Did Ban Dictionaries
And a book about banning books
Good Day!
It has been a scorching summer in the western part of the United States, and temperatures have reached well above 115 degrees. Here, we are again trying something a little different in the last section. We’re doing “The Final Minute” instead of the previous coverage in this area. Let us know what you think about it.
Stay cool out there if you are under the “heat dome.”
Cheers ☕🧊
In today’s newsletter
Banning books about banned books
Judge ruled on “manifesto” of The Covenant School shooter
A January 6 rioter, trans athlete, and broad band in New Mexico Public Schools
Banning Books
We touched on this earlier this year in Oklahoma banning books. Florida is taking banning books to a whole different level. First, Florida continues to double-triple down on making it clear that the state government can ban books simply because. A school district removed earlier this year pulled three dictionaries because it had the word “sex” in it. A book was banned because the book was about books that were banned and banning books. So far, nearly 2,700 books have been challenged in Florida, more than any other state. Texas is in 2nd with more than 1,400 books challenged. In total, there have been over 4,200 books challenged across all 50 states. Governor Ron DeSantis attempted to dispel “myths” about book bans in an official letter released by his staff earlier this year. Here are the three “myths” as stated by his office:
Myth #1
Myth 1: The Florida Department of Education bans books.
Truth 1: The Department does not ban books. Each school district is responsible for ensuring all the materials in their schools adhere to state education standards.
Myth #2
Myth 2: Every book written is age-appropriate and has literary value for children.
Truth 2: This is a lie. Books with pornographic and sexually explicit material do not belong in school libraries accessible to children.
Myth #3
Myth 3: Dictionaries and thesauruses have been removed from classrooms.
Truth 3: This is ridiculous. No district in Florida has removed any dictionaries or thesauruses.
Yet, every alleged myth seems to be more truth than fiction. We will end this here with author Jodi Picoult responding to 20 of her books being banned. In total, Picoult has written 28 novels.
@abcgma3 Author #JodiPicoult’s books were banned from Martin County Public School libraries in Florida. She joined us on Monday to discuss the new ... See more
Covenant Shooters writings will not be released
March 27, 2023, a former student walked into The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, killing six people - three children age 9: Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Haillie Scruggs. The three faculty that were killed were - Substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, custodian Mike Hill, and head of school Katherine Koonce.
The shooter left behind 20 journals, a suicide note, and a memoir, which many public organizations have tried to obtain. A judge ruled late Wednesday night that the shooter’s writing cannot be released because the victim’s families hold the copyright. The families stated that they did not want these writings released because of potential “copycats” and that the shooter’s writing contained many elements of past shooters that shaped how the shooting at The Covenant School unfolded. In the words of the victim’s families:
The last year and a half without Cindy has been difficult. But today brings a measure of relief in our family. Denying the shooter some of the notoriety she sought by releasing her vile and unfiltered thoughts on the world is a result everyone should be thankful for.
This is a person who idolized past school shooters and wants to be remembered for this atrocity. As stated in previous newsletters, we will always honor and name the victims, for they should always be remembered. As for the shooter, we will never write their names here.
The Final Minute
Miles Adkins was one of many rioters in the capital on January 6, 2021. He is also a school board member in Frederick County, Virginia. Community members have called for his resignation. In his words, he said, “You’re going to need a bigger wrecking ball to get me out of there.” He will be serving 12 days in jail.
In Washington, Kennewick School District voted to affirm a ban on transgender girls competing in transgender sports, the first in the state of Washington to do so. The resolution came about when a transgender athlete competed and won the 400-meter Washington Interscholastic Activities Association state track and field meet.
New Mexico Statewide Education Network—This is a broadband network that aims to connect all public schools in the state. This will allow the ease of sharing educational materials and other essential resources between public schools. All public schools are expected to be plugged into the network by 2027. Currently, there are 37 schools, all from the Gadsden Independent School District, and three charter schools plugged in, totaling 15,000 students.
The Great Valley School District in Malvern, Pennsylvania, has found 22 incidences of middle schoolers creating fake TikTok accounts of their teachers. The fake TikTok accounts disparaged these teachers by portraying them as homophobic and racist and even portraying them as pedophiles. This is the first case to this extent in the United States.
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Closing Bell
On this day in 1928…
The “Greatest invention” ever made by Chillicothe Baking Company was revealed to the world - slice bread. Otto Frederick Rohwedder created a machine to slice loaves of bread en masse. Thank you, Otto, because if it had not been for you, the Uncrustable surely would have never been made.
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