Right-wing obsession with book bans has nothing to do with sex or religion
(Photo illustration via Getty Images)Finally, we have hit a topic of public discussion which I can say, modestly, I am an expert. The issue, which arises out of our governor’s attempt to dictate what books can be contained in a school library, gives rise to the need for my expertise.
You see, the decision to regulate and determine what books school-age children can read has driven us to try to recreate the golden age of the 1950s, when the neighborhoods of our houses were filled with joy as children played and laughed together. To get back to that happy time, it is necessary to see that young people don’t learn about sex. Yes, if we can get this done, well, it is “happy days are here again.”
I am an expert because in the mid and late 1950s, I was in my teens. I can tell you straight out, based on my own experience from 15 to 18 years of age, I never thought about sex. This was because I was raised a Christian. I had parochial school, bible school for two weeks in the summer, Wednesday night catechism classes and, for a while, confessions every Friday morning. I was confirmed in the church and became a warrior for Christ. Sex was the furthest thing on my mind.
In looking back, I might have missed something. I mean, every summer one or two of the girls in our class would leave to stay in a distant state with their aunt. Some people, hell most people in my class, were going crazy over a new book called “Peyton Place.” When we had school dances in the gym and when they played slow music, I sure liked being close and rubbing thighs with my partner. To my great embarrassment, my older brother, then a junior in high school, gave his girlfriend a ring and proposed marriage. For me, my purity didn’t save me. I ended up a lawyer and in politics.
Which brings us to the point of this article: The Great Con. Set aside, for now, the whole matter of the constitutional issue of separation of church and state. To be sure, there are well-meaning people who believe that sex and gender determination are at the heart of our future as a country. But really, for most who get riled up on this question, or posting the Ten Commandants in our classrooms, getting rid of free school lunches, or stopping Area Education Agencies from helping educate children with learning disabilities, are promoting a hidden agenda. That agenda has nothing to do with religion.
If we want to feed kids this summer for a couple million dollars to replace the absence of school lunches, the conservatives elected by the Christian right don’t believe in spending money. Want to relieve the awful burden of taxes on the wealthy, please step forward. You are the favorites of our right-wing government. H.L. Mencken was correct when he said, “if they tell you, it is not about the money, it is about the money.”
You see, I doubt very seriously the promotion of religion is at the heart of the funding of the Heritage Foundation. They and the Koch brothers don’t care that much which book is on the fourth shelf of the school library. What they do care about is electing people who will implement their fiscal and monetary policies. They win when they get voters fired up over sexual persuasion, vote right on cutting taxes, supporting deregulation to safeguard the public money, and preserve it for private corporate use. If people want to flood the floor of the State Capitol to protest, this is fine because they do not have the votes, and the money changers’ platform will pass unnoticed at the end of the session.
If one wants to find out how Christian nationalism works, they need only come to Iowa. We have become the country’s example.
My research in confirming my expertise on teenage sex took me back to the Bible. I learned a new way to swear. Did you know in the King James Bible (Matthew 1:1-2), the early pages simply tell at that time how much begatting was going on. It almost leads you to believe their principal occupation was breeding. So, from now on, I don’t have to use an obscene word to describe my feelings. I can just say to the Heritage Foundation, “Oh, go begat yourself.”
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings