Velshi Banned Book Club: The Concerted Effort to Ban Books

Book banning is much more than just the removal of books from school libraries. It has become a rallying cry for the Christian Right, and a wedge issue for these upcoming midterm elections. Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr., former president of the American Academy of Religion, says that distinction is crucial -- and somewhat unsurprising when you look at its historical roots. "You can go back to the (Island Trees School District v. Pico) decision in the Supreme Court of 1982; you can go before that and think about the response to the cultural revolution of the mid-twentieth century," Glaude said. "So this is a long-standing effort, and in some ways it has everything to do with resisting a kind of diverse America. We need to understand that for what it is." So how do you speak to religious fundamentalists about an issue like book banning? Reza Aslan, author of “Beyond Fundamentalism” has an answer: “The way that you defeat religiously-inspired hate is with religiously-inspired love. The way you defeat religiously-inspired violence is with religiously-inspired peace.”Nov. 5, 2022