Teenagers seem more interested these days in being on social media apps than reading classic novels.
But on those rare occasions that a 14-year-old may actually want to pull, say, "Lonesome Dove," off the school library shelf, he may not be able to if Rep. Jared Patterson’s READER Act becomes state law.
The Texas epic contains some sexual content and mentions prostitutes so it “might need” to be banned, the Frisco Republican said last week during a contentious Tuesday night hearing of the House Public Education committee meeting.
It was a surreal moment that revealed just how ridiculous the book ban debate has become. "Lonesome Dove" won the 1986 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Patterson’s law would require vendors to “rate” titles containing sexual content; those deemed “sexually explicit” could not be sold to public school districts. Schools would have to get parental permission before a student could access “sexually relevant material” in the library.
Roughly 80 people spoke at last week’s hearing, which continued past midnight and ended with the bill pending in the committee. That’s where it should stay.
Lawmakers have legitimate concerns about some titles. But swaths of books, including many classics, would undoubtedly get caught up in the wide net they’re casting.
Parents are in the best position to decide which books their children should or shouldn’t read. Getting them to read at all is a battle in itself.
Which brings us back to those social media apps. A recent study by the child advocacy group Common Sense Media found that about three-quarters of U.S. teens have watched online pornography by 17. Social media was the second-highest source for this content, behind porn websites.
If Patterson and other legislators were serious about protecting children, they would be more concerned about the way tech companies serve kids violence and sex on a platter and leave school libraries alone.
