Book Bans

 Book Bans Never Work

Religious Beliefs do not Govern

 

It always amazes me when our local history repeats itself. Once again, local Christian fundamentalists seek to impose their views of public morality on the rest of us. This time it is ostensibly about the “bad books” being made available to the community’s children in West Bend public schools.

 

We have an impressive history of similar attempts of the few to try and regulate what the rest of the community finds important. The common theme is the agenda of imposing a form of governmental theocracy when it is constitutionally impossible. All the previous attempts have been soundly rejected.

 

Here’s a recap. 

 

In the 1980s, Christian evangelical pastors petitioned the West Bend School Board to add “scientific creationism” to the high school curriculum. After public outcry, the Board tabled the proposal and it later died. 

 

In the early 90s, a community group proposed adding “intelligent design,” a lightly concealed version of creationism, to the science curriculum in West Bend public schools. After more public input, the School Board rejected the proposal. 

 

In the early 2000s, a local Baptist pastor proposed the establishment of a fundamentalist based charter school in West Bend and sought the School Board’s approval. After public input, the proposal was rejected by the Board. 

 

In that same time-period, West Bend School Board member Monte Schmiege attempted to introduce religious theories into the school curriculum. Once again, public input caused the Board to reject his proposals. 

 

We cannot forget the efforts of Ginny Maziarka and Mary Weigand to impose their fundamentalist religious beliefs on the community when they sought to have the West Bend Community Memorial Library ban certain books that discussed LBGTQI issues that offended their homophobic beliefs. The Library Board heard their arguments and those expressed by community members opposed to the ban and unanimously rejected the proposed ban.

 

Mary Weigand, who ran for West Bend’s school board, tried to convince the Board that abstinence only sex education based upon her biblical beliefs was the only appropriate topic in human growth and development courses. That too was rejected. 

 

Mary’s husband, Dave Weigand, was a staunch hold out when the West Bend School Board voted to approve the Gay Straight Alliance’s application for official recognition after they sued the District in Federal court for initially denying the club recognition. Weigand’s opposition was clearly based upon his fundamentalist Christian beliefs openly stated during discussion during Board meetings. 

 

Fast forward to the present and once again we have a few vocal religious fundamentalists seeking to remove certain books from West Bend public school reading lists because they offend their views of public morality. Their public comments at meetings and the letters by their supporters published on these pages clearly reveal their religious underpinnings. 

 

I was glad to see that the public school committee charged with reviewing the book challenges unanimously rejected the complaints. They recognized that the books in question have value in today’s pluralistic society even though they contain words and discuss subjects that some find offensive. 

 

The debate on the Benders for Better Public Education Facebook page shows there are parents and other community members who understand what is happening and oppose the proposed bans.

 

Should the ban proponents appeal to the District Superintendent, school policy and public opposition to the bans should be the basis for affirming the committee’s decisions. If the Superintendent removes some or all the books, the issue then goes to the School Board for a final decision. 

The West Bend School Board would do well to remember the opposition to theocratic governance that has so richly favored our community over the decades. Hopefully, the Board would vote to keep the challenged books available for those who want to read them and have an appropriate classroom discussion about them. 

 

Parents who do not want their children to read those books or discuss the topics they contain are free to opt their children out. They can also home school or send their children to faith-based charter schools if they so choose. Contrary to the book banners’ claims, no one is forcing them or their children to participate. 

 

We live in a society that has chosen to erect a wall between church and state that is enshrined in our founding documents. We must remain vigilant and work to keep it that way, so we remain free to believe what we want and not have the beliefs of others forced down our throats.