Cancel-Culture is Coming for Our Books.

 

Have you ever read McElligot's Pool by Dr. Seuss? It's a story about a boy fishing in a small pool. A man laughs at him and says he will never catch anything in that little pool. But the boy doesn't think so. He thinks the pool could be connected to the ocean, and all sorts of exotic fish might be within his reach. It's a delightful story. I hope you've read it. If you haven't, and you want to, you'd better do it soon, because you may not be able to for much longer. McElligot's Pool and five other beloved Dr. Seuss books have been canceled.

I don't know about you, but few things make me angrier than the banning, burning, deletion, removal from the market, or halted publication of books. It does not matter what the book is: everyone has the right, stated in the First Amendment and given by God, to voice their opinions and tell their stories. To infringe upon or take away this right is morally wrong.

Maybe you disagree with me and you dislike the six Dr. Seuss books that will be published no more. Fine. You don't have to like them. You don't have to read those books or buy them. You have a right to your opinion. But you don't have a right to take books - any books - away from the rest of us just because you find them offensive.

Perhaps you agree with me and you wonder what you can do. The answer is, unfortunately, not much. Speak out. Find out if your library celebrates Banned Book Week (the last week of September), or carries  and will continue to carry copies of the six canceled Dr. Seuss books. Here's the list:

• McElligot's Pool
• Scrambled Eggs Super
• And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street
• If I Ran the Zoo
• On Beyond Zebra!
• The Cat's Quizzer

Personally, I've only read the first two on the list, and only heard of the first four. But it's not just about the books themselves. It's about the principle: this is not okay.