When I first added this idea to my blog schedule, I meant to talk about book bans, but things have gone so far beyond that now. The attacks on the Department of Education and the Institute of Museum and Library Services have taken this to a whole new level. And I am beyond angry.

Initially, the book bans were attacking books by and about marginalized communities: LGBTQIA+ and Black stories are the two most targeted. Then it moved to any books supporting differences with the DOD ban on Freckleface Strawberry by Julianne Moore.

Next came some states attempting to criminalize the writing and reading of books with explicit sex scenes. Other attempts wanted to make it a felony for a librarian to check out a book that is deemed “inappropriate” to anyone under 18. Other places were looking at defunding libraries, eliminating school librarians, and varying other issues.

Now we have the DOE and the IMLS being gutted while the history of Blacks, Women, Native Americans, Hispanics, and other marginalized people are being removed from government web sites. Our accomplishments are being purged, history is no longer being taught, and access to books is being threatened. All to keep future generations from thinking and challenging the authoritarian regime.

We can’t let them win, we just can’t. And that means we’re going to have to fight. We’re going to have to put ourselves on the line and be uncomfortable and risk punishment or worse. Because anything else means we just give up and lose everything we’ve fought for. And I can’t do that. Can you?