Dear MoveOn member,
Ron DeSantis, Florida's Republican governor, has banned 54 math textbooks from being used in Florida's K-12 public schools for allegedly including "divisive concepts" and "indoctrination."1
DeSantis's mathematics book ban would be utterly laughable if it weren't a despicable attack on our freedoms and an attempt to control the minds of our kids.
For months, MoveOn has been working to stop the far right's book bans and other attempts by Trump's Republican Party to take over our schools. To help spread the word, we've just reprinted a big batch of our hugely popular "I Read Banned Books" stickers and bookmarks, and we're giving them away for free while supplies last.
DeSantis banned one elementary school math textbook because it included a lesson in which students were supposed to learn about "empathizing with classmates."2
You read that correctly. The MAGA movement wants to ban empathy.
John, DeSantis's nonsensical and dangerous crusade against math books comes after a Tennessee school board banned "Maus," a Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust.3
And earlier this year, a Tennessee church held a book burning at which churchgoers threw copies of popular books, including "Harry Potter" and "Twilight," into a bonfire in the church parking lot.4
Make no mistake: MAGA is attempting to wage a white supremacist culture war and march our country closer toward authoritarianism.
They will not win.
As we have done in the past, our grassroots, people-powered movement will fight back, and together we will succeed.
Thanks for all you do.
–Justin, Liia, Kathy, David, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "DeSantis defends math textbook rejection as Dems seek proof of critical race theory lessons," Politico, April 18, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/161913?t=5&akid=322040%2E40999114%2EcK_kjT
2. "Florida releases 4 prohibited math textbook examples. Here they are." The Washington Post, April 21, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/161914?t=7&akid=322040%2E40999114%2EcK_kjT
3. "School Board in Tennessee Bans Teaching of Holocaust Novel 'Maus,'" The New York Times, January 27, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/161915?t=9&akid=322040%2E40999114%2EcK_kjT
4. "Tennessee pastor burns 'witchcraft' 'Harry Potter,' 'Twilight' books," The Hill, February 7, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/161916?t=11&akid=322040%2E40999114%2EcK_kjT
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