When in American history have all the wheels fallen off the cart because our highest officials and the Supreme Court itself have decided to ignore and eliminate vestiges of the Constitution? I don’t remember a time when an American president did not believe in the Constitution or the rule of law, but here we are, with a Supreme Court and Congress standing behind our first imperial president and not with the people.
By not doing anything, the Supreme Court has decided to let a lower court ruling in the 5th U.S. District Court of Appeals stand, making it the law of the land. That ruling allows a governor or other official to determine what books are allowed in public spaces. As written, state and local governments in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas — the states covered by the 5th District — can now dictate what can be read, purchased and shared in the state. It is the law.
We can only imagine this power will spread to other states, and book banning will become the norm, not the abomination it is. It is impossible for the people to forge a more perfect union without being informed, without access to uncorrupted information.
Denying access to books, culture and history makes it easier to designate individuals and groups as enemies and scapegoats. How do you challenge government without data, without resources, and without information? With the other branches of government subservient to the executive, power becomes absolute.
There are few reliable sources of news and information as it is. Much of our media is controlled by a handful of families and major corporations. In less than a year, the Trump administration has pressured for mergers, silence and paying bribes for mergers and maintaining licenses to operate. If you step out of line, you could be sued by the president, threatened with punitive damages, feel the whole weight of the United States government upon you.
Publishers have given up on writers; stores won’t carry certain authors or journalists. If you are part of a marginalized or minority community, options evaporate before your very eyes. The only way to stop this is to embolden yourself and build a community that will be unafraid of the challenges — and there will be challenges. Even if they seem to fade, they are always waiting to return with a vengeance.
How long did the parental rights group cloister in the shadows until it was safe to resurrect the ghost of Anita Bryant? How easy was it for them to turn defense to offense and push the national agenda? Removing freedom of thought and speech makes everything else so much easier.
Information is power, and it is found in books, newspapers, magazines, in hard copy and virtual. It is our right to have access to it, no matter how uncomfortable it makes those holding onto power feel.
Don’t give up on freedom, democracy, the Constitution, or our promise of a more perfect nation. The promises made by our Founders rest in our hearts, and only we can keep them alive or let them die. America has choices to make — you have choices to make. Pick up a book, challenge yourself and challenge authority.
Robert Kesten is president and CEO of the Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library in Fort Lauderdale.
