Natalie is furious when she finds out some books have been removed from the library. Mrs. Garrett also becomes angry and approaches the headmaster about it. She encourages Natalie to write about it in the school newspaper and start a petition.
When Mrs. Garrett confronts Mr. Parker, he explains the pressure he's been under:
"Picture yourself in a room filled with angry people shouting about immoral influences and accusing you of corrupting their children."
Sound familiar?
Well, if you're reading this now or even years from now, this kind of thing is still happening today. Right now conservatives...Republicans...right-wingers in the United States are trying to ban books by Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood, etc, books about LGBTQIA, and racism. In fact, some are calling for burning them. What does this remind you of? That's right, Nazi Germany. They burned thousands of books. Seems nothing has changed with the right-wing agenda.
It should be noted that Geri offers to sign the petition, citing that she's a performer, a comedian, and doesn't "want people throwing tomatoes at her before I tell the jokes." There are a few comedians today who are having problems with the so-called "cancel culture" because their jokes are considered to be offensive and/or bigoted. It's also happening with people posting hateful social media posts and/or deliberate disinformation. Though, social media sites are private companies that have their own rules, even as this site where I'm writing this right here & now does. And then there are the people having public displays of being hateful and /or intimidating others, and that being caught on camera. So what then with all these examples? Does freedom of speech mean freedom from consequences? Hmmm... The irony being the ones complaining about so-called cancel culture which tends to be mostly right-wingers are the exact same ones that are for banning books. Hmmm again...
When Tootie was saying that she didn't see the big deal about the books being removed, Natalie said:
"Books are ideas, and ideas have a right to circulate. Think of the first amendment, freedom of expression, freedom of thought."
Anyway, good episode, with humor in it, that makes you think about what is going on today.
9/10.
When Mrs. Garrett confronts Mr. Parker, he explains the pressure he's been under:
"Picture yourself in a room filled with angry people shouting about immoral influences and accusing you of corrupting their children."
Sound familiar?
Well, if you're reading this now or even years from now, this kind of thing is still happening today. Right now conservatives...Republicans...right-wingers in the United States are trying to ban books by Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood, etc, books about LGBTQIA, and racism. In fact, some are calling for burning them. What does this remind you of? That's right, Nazi Germany. They burned thousands of books. Seems nothing has changed with the right-wing agenda.
It should be noted that Geri offers to sign the petition, citing that she's a performer, a comedian, and doesn't "want people throwing tomatoes at her before I tell the jokes." There are a few comedians today who are having problems with the so-called "cancel culture" because their jokes are considered to be offensive and/or bigoted. It's also happening with people posting hateful social media posts and/or deliberate disinformation. Though, social media sites are private companies that have their own rules, even as this site where I'm writing this right here & now does. And then there are the people having public displays of being hateful and /or intimidating others, and that being caught on camera. So what then with all these examples? Does freedom of speech mean freedom from consequences? Hmmm... The irony being the ones complaining about so-called cancel culture which tends to be mostly right-wingers are the exact same ones that are for banning books. Hmmm again...
When Tootie was saying that she didn't see the big deal about the books being removed, Natalie said:
"Books are ideas, and ideas have a right to circulate. Think of the first amendment, freedom of expression, freedom of thought."
Anyway, good episode, with humor in it, that makes you think about what is going on today.
9/10.