The New York Public Library says it will not remove certain “controversial” Dr. Seuss books from its shelves.
Library spokeswoman Angela Montefinise told the New York Post that the library “does not censor books.”
“In this case, the six titles in question are being pulled out of print by Dr. Seuss Enterprises, so the very few copies we have of these titles will continue to circulate until there are no longer in acceptable condition,” Montefinise said.
“In the meantime, librarians, who care deeply about serving their communities and ensuring accurate and diverse representation in our collections — especially children’s books — will certainly strongly consider this information when planning storytimes, displays, and recommendations,” she said.
The books are part of the library’s historical research collection.
According to the Post, the Brooklyn Public Library will also keep the books in circulation, while the Queens Public Library is considering whether to move the books to its reference section but says it stands firmly against censorship.
The Post writes:
The half dozen books by Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel, made news this week when the company that publishes the titles for Penguin Random House, said it would no longer publish them.
The six Dr. Seuss books that have come under fire from the leftist woke mob are: “If I Ran the Zoo,” “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!,” “Scrambled Eggs Super!,” and “The Cat’s Quizzer.”
Leftists claim the books are racist due to stereotypical portrayals of certain racial and ethnic groups.
The banning of the books has prompted Universal Studios in Orlando, FL to “evalute” its attractions and park rides inspired by the famous children’s author.
Ebay is reportedly removing listings from those selling the canceled Dr. Seuss books for not following the company’s “offensive material policy.”
The policy allows Ebay to remove listings that “promote or glorify hatred, violence or discrimination.”
Interestingly enough, the Daily Mail points out that Ebay is still allowing copies of Hitler’s Mein Kampf to be sold on its website.
We leave you with some Leftist Logic on the Dr. Seuss controversy:
Leftist Logic:
Trust 5-year-olds enough to choose their own gender but don't trust 5-year-olds enough to read Dr. Seuss
????
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 2, 2021
‘Oh, the Places You Won’t Go.’ Six Dr. Seuss Books Canceled for Racist Imagery
Six books from the iconic Dr. Seuss series of children’s books will “stop being published because of racist and insensitive imagery, the business that preserves and protects the author’s legacy said Tuesday,” reported by the Associated Press. Dr. Seuss Enterprises told the AP in a statement, “these books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”
“Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss enterprises’ catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” said the statement. Books on the chopping block are “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” “If I Ran the Zoo,” “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!,” “Scrambled Eggs Super!,” and “The Cat’s Quizzer.”
Dr. Seuss Enterprises said the company’s decision was made last year after they “listened and took feedback from our audiences including teachers, academic and specialists in the field as part of our review process. We then worked with a panel of experts, including educators, to review our catalog of titles.”
In 2017 after first lady Melania Trump donated Dr. Seuss books to a school library in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the school’s librarian criticized the gift saying many of his works were “steeped in racist propaganda caricatures, and harmful stereotypes.”
Arguably one of the most famously well-known and loved Dr. Seuss books is “The Cat in the Hat” which has also come under criticism but the Enterprise says it “will continue to be published for now.” The AP reports how popular Dr. Seuss remains, “earning an estimated $33 million before taxes in 2020, up from just $9.5 million five years ago, the company said.” In 2020 Forbes listed him as the second-highest-paid dead celebrities behind pop star Michael Jackson.
A Bill Pushing Left Leaning Politics Into the Classroom in Illinois Has Officially Passed
In an article we previously wrote concerning the Illinois State Board of Education passing a bill called “Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards has officially been upheld by the Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR).
Some of the new standards include teachers assessing “how their biases affect how they access tools to mitigate their own behavior (racism, sexism, homophobia, unearned privilege, Eurocentrism, etc.)”
Bettina L. Love is a prominent advocate of Critical Race Theory in education and she believes “White Teachers Need Anti-Racist Therapy.”
If teachers do not do so voluntarily the new standards would allow schools to force teachers into therapy for their whiteness , along with punishing them with a loss of license and certification if complaints are made about them not adopting “progressive” ideologies. Teaching about “systemic racism” will be required as well.
Some Republican lawmakers voiced their opposition to the standards earlier this month, saying they add unnecessary politics to the classroom.
Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, said she asked ISBE to include more diverse perspectives on their task forces to avoid standards like this from being so controversial in the future, and said the board made some of the changes Republicans asked for.
Rezin said her office got an unusually high number of calls and emails about these standards.
These new teaching standards will take effect in October 2025.
Some lawmakers were not happy with the decision including Republican Candidate for Governor and Former Senator Paul Schimpf:
“I am extremely disappointed that JCAR approved the State Board of Education’s Culturally Responsive Teacher Standards. These standards politicize the teacher certification process and undermine the authority of local school boards, superintendents, and parents to control their children’s’ education. This is yet another example of top-down, administrative overreach by the Pritzker Administration and illustrates a clear example of why Illinois needs a new governor.”
