Sen. Kennedy asks who decides on appropriate school books: 'What planet did you just parachute in from?'
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., pressed the Illinois Secretary of State and a student activist during a Senate judiciary hearing on censorship and book bans.
FOX News Digital spoke to Moms for Liberty chapter president Kit Hart on the battle her chapter is leading in her county over "sexually explicit" books in public libraries.
Hart won a minor victory in Carroll County, Maryland, after a local reconsideration committee made up of teachers, parents and even students voted to remove two books from school libraries. As of Wednesday, the committee has decided to remove two books and keep seven other books on school library shelves. The deciding body still has 49 books to review, Hart said.
The two books that were chosen to be removed from schools were "A Court of Thorns and Roses" and "Water for Elephants."
PARENTS AND TEACHERS BATTLE IN MARYLAND COUNTY OVER 'SEXUALLY EXPLICIT' BOOKS IN SCHOOL
Fox News Digital spoke to Moms for Liberty chapter president Kit Hart on the battle she is leading in her county over "sexually explicit" books in public libraries. (Courtesy: Kit Hart)
The first book was found "not appropriate for recommended age and grade levels" by the reconsideration committee, Hart said. "It's basically for a mature audience and much of the book is based around sexual content."
The second book also had so much "graphic and explicit material" that made it "inappropriate for children," she explained, adding that "we really need to start understanding that the distinction between what a child can be exposed to and what an adult can deem appropriate or entertaining."
It's a difference, she added, that "should be very different and respected."
Hart said that, as a rule, the books she recommends for removal from school libraries "contain very, very graphic and explicit sex" that makes them clearly "not appropriate for schools" or for the eyes of children.
When asked roughly what percentage of parents were for or against removing sexually explicit books from schools, Hart said that the group supporting "taking a look at these books and considering removing them" was likely the majority. (Courtesy: Kit Hart)
But Hart said that she wasn't done fighting the battle to keep children safe in her district from "sexually explicit" materials. The next stage in her battle with her county was appealing the committee's decision to the local superintendent.
When asked roughly what percentage of parents were for or against removing sexually explicit books from schools, Hart said that the group supporting "taking a look at these books and considering removing them" was likely the majority. The opposing side has largely taken an attitude that removing sexually explicit or controversial books from schools is a form of censorship.
"There is a faction of the population that consists of parents and some librarians who I think have taken the narrative of book banning and censorship and really fought against that idea rather than look at the individual content of the books," she said, which forced them to "defend the concept of book banning" as a political tool.
That's also because, Hart added, the defenders of these allegedly graphic books have trouble actually defending "the content of the books."
She also weighed in on the popularity of the term "book bans."
"People throw out terms like book banning and censorship" because, Hart said, "Americans don't like those concepts."
"Of course, we firmly believe in the First Amendment," Hart said. "We will fight for that."
But the issue of keeping sexually explicit books in schools was an entirely different one, she said, calling the phenomenon a "manufactured crisis."
Hart argued that the movers and shakers in school libraries across the country, like American Library Association (ALA) President Emily Drabinski, have "totally captured" school libraries. Drabinski is a self-identified "Marxist lesbian."
"We're responding, we're calling out what we deem to be inappropriate," Hart said.
ALA President Emily Drabinski, a socialist, told the New York Times recently that conservative book bans are "attacks on children." (Screenshot Emily Drabinski via YouTube)
Hart also said that parents have every right to want to protect their children and reduce their exposure to sexually graphic materials in school.
"We are entrusting our children, our most prized possession [to schools]," she said.
"And so when they go into these libraries, and they're finding these books, that's not a safe environment for them," she added. "And it really breaks the trust that parents have" with their "librarians and their schools."
The mom also acknowledged some of the criticisms that she has received in her battle with Carroll County.
"One of the criticisms that we've received is that all children have access on their phones and computers to a lot of other worse things," Hart said. "But first of all, I just challenge these parents. So are you just lowering them to the lowest standard, the lowest common denominator? Are you not giving them any expectations? Are you setting the bar so low that you think that they should go off and just be able to access really disturbing material?"
Hart said that, at heart, she and other grassroots organizations like Moms for Liberty are fighting for the "fundamental rights of parents" to protect their children from harmful material.
"I would really encourage parents to just really be a presence in your children's lives and especially in your children's schools." She said that children, who will serve as America's future leaders, need a "really strong foundation" in life.
"We are their ultimate authority," Hart said. "We need to guide them to what is right and beautiful and good."
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