S.B. No. 799, "Relating to the Freedom to Read" is currently under consideration. The Libertarian Party of Hawaii wholeheartedly agrees that the freedom to read is essential, but Americans already have that right. This is not what’s at stake. And to frame it this way is deceitful. Let me explain:
This is not about what children are allowed to read, but what the government exposes them to while in their care. Families pay for and send their children to these programs and should have the ability to raise ANY issue they desire with the Department of Education. There should be a transparent and constant flow of communication with parents over their children’s education.
The statistics mentioned in the bill itself are sad. The fact that over four thousand works in school and public libraries were targeted in 2023 and 1,128 books were challenged in the first eight months of 2024 should be a scathing rebuke to the current selection and handling of materials.
Instead of addressing parental concerns, this bill attempts to bypass parents by allowing school officials to unilaterally dictate what materials are presented according to “certain criteria” which are not defined, but left to their “professional judgment”. Vague language opens the door to the misuse and abuse of mandating what materials are deemed suitable for our youth:
“(b) The state librarian and state library system librarians shall
select books and other materials for inclusion, circulation, and
exclusion in the state library collection according to the professional
judgment of the selector regarding the material's value to the library's
collection.”
It even prohibits the state librarian and state library system from listening to parental concerns:
“(c) The state librarian and state library system librarians shall
uphold the concept of the freedom to read. No books or other materials
shall be excluded or removed from circulation because of the race,
nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or political or social
views of the author, or due to partisan, ideological, or religious disapproval.”
We must protect the rights of parents to guide their children's education according to their religious beliefs and ideological philosophies are fully respected and protected.
We need to acknowledge the importance of recognizing the individual needs of parents and families. The education of our keiki should be managed and tailored according to the will of the parents who invest the most into it, and who have the most to lose.
Help Us Fight for Parent’s Voices:
Click on the hyperlinks to familiarize yourself with the bill text: S.B. No. 799
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