Here are the top most challenged books of 2022 according to the ALA:
- "Gender Queer" by Maia Kobabe
- "All Boys Aren't Blue" by George M. Johnson
- "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
- "Flamer" by Mike Curato
- "Looking for Alaska" by John Green
- "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky
- "Lawn Boy" by Jonathan Evison
- "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie
- "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
- "A Court of Mist and Fury" by Sarah J. Maas
- "Crank" by Ellen Hopkins
- "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" by Jesse Andrews
- "This Book Is Gay" by Juno Dawson
OK, now assuming I have read them, and I probably won't but assume I do: why should they be banned? Tell me exactly why parents shouldn't be on the hook to track what their kids read and talk with them about what they believe? Why is information like this dangerous? What danger does it pose to society that gay people and transgender people exist? What danger does information about sex pose to a child?
Then, once you answered that, tell me why I shouldn't ban Catholic churches from my community because of the perceived risk of pedophilia loving sexual pervert priests? (note: I don't believe we should ban churches, but at least I can show evidence of a threat)
My point here is that information is not dangerous and should not be banned or kept behind a locked door. That's how we end up with powerful interests controlling us.