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It is a rough time to be a teacher. Having parents who are interested in their childrens curriculum was the dream once upon a time. Thats become nightmarish as helicopter parents go out of their way to redefine any and everything as too controversial to belong to a learning environment you cant even take kids to see high art anymore. In Texas, there were several highly esteemed authors Shakespeare and Toni Morrison among them that you couldnt teach for fear that it would offend the parents moral sensibilities. Thankfully, Texas teachers have hope of a little more autonomy in their classrooms. From Jurist:

The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled on Wednesday that Texas legislation aimed at restricting or banning sexually explicit books in public school libraries likely violates the Constitution, affirming a lower courts injunction against it. Representatives from the plaintiffs side welcomed the judgment with a sense of triumph and relief: The courts decision also shields Texas businesses from the imposition of impossibly onerous conditions, protects the basic constitutional rights of the plaintiffs, and lets Texas parents make decisions for their own children without government interference or control. This is a good day for bookstores, readers, and free expression.

It is a good day for students, too. Laws that prevent kids from being able to learn are literally stultifying, and its a shame that the main motivator is petty politics. The motivation for these book bans seem more concerned with parents egos than childrens well being. Just take a look at some of the books Texan parents want banned. A Michelle Obama autobiography got shot down because it painted Trump as a bully. 1) So? 2) Hows that second defamation case going for ya? A book called A Good Kind Of Trouble about a 12-year-old joining a protest was attacked for causing a white child to feel confusion or distress. Excuse me, were we not all forced to read Lord of the Flies growing up? Because the thought that my classmates and I would all go feral if the teachers left us to our own devices was far more harrowing than people using the First Amendment.

Best of luck to the teachers in Florida. Even if the books are available to your students, it wont be easy getting them to read them when you have to compete against TikTok.

US Appeals Court Upholds Injunction Against Texas Law Censoring Sexually Explicit School Books [Jurist]

Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord in the Facebook groupLaw School Memes for Edgy T14s. He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim,a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email atcwilliams@abovethelaw.comand by tweet at@WritesForRent.

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Texas Library Censorship Attempt Struck Down By 5th Circuit - Above the Law

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. Im Amy Goodman, with Nermeen Shaikh.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: We turn now to Marione Ingram. Shes an 88-year-old German American Holocaust survivor whos been protesting for months outside the White House calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. She was scheduled to speak this month at eight different schools in her native Hamburg, Germany. She was planning to address students receiving awards recognizing their commitment to social justice activism. Then, in December, she was told by an event organizer that her appearances were canceled. The trip was eventually postponed until May.

AMY GOODMAN: Marione Ingram is author of The Hands of War: A Tale of Endurance and Hope from a Survivor of the Holocaust and also the book The Hands of Peace: A Holocaust Survivors Fight for Civil Rights in the American South. Shes joining us from Washington, D.C.

Marione, Im sorry you had to leave the studio because there was an alarm in the building and everyone had to evacuate, but youre back now. And you have heard the previous guests, two Palestinian American esteemed artists, talking about having been canceled, like you, Samia Halaby by Indiana University, and Emily Jacir was about to give a talk in Berlin. Talk about the reason you were given for going back to Hamburg, Germany, where youve gone a number of times to speak to young people, but the reason why your talks were canceled this month.

MARIONE INGRAM: Good morning, Amy. Yes, a bit of excitement, so I missed I heard Samias explanation of her cancellation Im really sorry about that and missed the other, because we were evacuated.

The reasons for my cancellation have been extremely vague, given a climate in Germany right now of a lot of antisemitic events, apparently. And the only concrete explanation I got from someone was that I, as a Holocaust survivor, would be used by the AfD, which is the Alternative for Deutschland, the Alternative for Germany, which is a neo-Nazi and a primarily antisemitic group. But I was told that they would use my picture and my protest sign in a propaganda I cant even figure out what kind of propaganda that would be used for, since they are basically Nazis and would be a destruction of

AMY GOODMAN: The sign youre talking about is, standing outside the White House, Survivor says peace not war?

MARIONE INGRAM: Yes, yes. But on the flip side, it says Stop genocide in Gaza. And that has upset the powers that be, politicians who decide what can be said and what cannot be said.

I have been speaking to students for years, and I was also told by several teachers that right now my presence, talking to students, is of the utmost importance, because the schools in Hamburg are so diverse and there are many students who come from countries where there is war, oppression, poverty, and students in really terrible positions of trying to manage what is going on, conflict with each other. And I was told that my presence is so important because I have a rapport with students, and they were looking forward to expressing their thoughts, because they know that in talking to me and with me that they can say everything that is on their minds without being criticized or ostracized.

I find it extremely I understand Germanys sensitivity because of their gruesome history. But Germany has also been the only country, maybe other than Rwanda, that has acknowledged its horrific history, and it has taught this history as a never again thing. We must face our history so we can learn from it. So it is surprising to me that Germany has chosen to silence me.

But I think the worst part of it is that they are silencing young people who are experiencing especially in Germany, they are close to the war in Ukraine. They are troubled by what is going on by the war in the Mideast and the horrific slaughter of innocent people. It should be an absolute standstill of all governments when you are told that over 10,000 children are being murdered. There is no excuse for that.

And then to turn around America and Germanys support of Israels politics is extremely disturbing and, to me, frightening, because any time any government decides to silence the voices of people who oppose government policies, whatever they may be, this reminds me so much of my childhood. My childhood was spent in the first 10 years much the same way as the children of Gaza. I know exactly what they are going through. I know exactly what they are thinking. And this, apparently, has upset the Ministry of Culture, because I have compared the onset

AMY GOODMAN: We have less than a minute to go.

MARIONE INGRAM: The silencing of the last survivor of all three major events in Hamburg the firestorm, the worst bombing in the European war, and the Holocaust, where I lost almost all of my family and the silencing of voices like all of our voices when they are most needed is indicative of something more frightening, because I believe when governments decide to silence voices in opposition to the stance that they are taking, then we have to really question very deeply why are they doing it and for what reason.

AMY GOODMAN: Marione Ingram, were going to have to leave it there, but we thank you so much for being with us, 88-year-old Jewish German Holocaust survivor, has been protesting, calling for Biden to support a Gaza ceasefire.

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Censorship over Palestine: Holocaust Survivor Decries Repression After Talks in Germany Are Canceled - Democracy Now!

January 11, 2024

FOIA for EPA Records on Facebook Censorship of East Palestine Posts Filed

WASHINGTON Yesterday, we filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking communications between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Facebook regarding posts about the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

The request comes after reports that Facebook flagged or removed posts by whistleblowers and community activists about potential health impacts of the Norfolk Southern train derailment. The posts were on pages such as East Palestine Off the Rails and personal accounts of residents and whistleblowers.This FOIA specifically requests EPA communications with Facebook employees about train derailment-related content and any EPA contracts or financial ties with the social media company.

The FOIA request was filed after whistleblower client Scott Smith, an independent scientist who discovered elevated dioxin levels in East Palestine, reported that Facebook flagged his verified public figure profile after resident and outspoken advocate, Jami Rae Wallace, tagged Smith on his Facebook timeline on November 25 when she shared the Huffington Post article, A Roll of the Dice: The Unknown Threat of Exposure to Chemical Mixtures.Previously, Jami Rae Wallace received a text from Mark Durno, EPA Region 5 leader on the ground and Homeland Security Advisor, telling her to remove her Facebook post where she posted to think critically about answers the EPA was giving residents regarding their health.

This post may go against our guidelines on suggested content, Facebook alerted. This post may show content that is broadly disliked. Common reasons are clickbait, contests or giveaways, engagement bait or links to low quality or deceptive websites.Smiths post also contained the following message from Facebook: Here is the content that hurt your good standing.

The flagged news article focused on synergistic toxicity, the cumulative impacts of multiple chemicals and how scientists fail to adequately assess chemical mixtures in disasters like East Palestine, where residents were exposed to a cocktail of chemicals after the fiery derailment last year and subsequent burning of multiple train cars. Chemicals burned or created by the ignition include vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, dioxins, and more.The EPA has continually maintained that the chemicals of concern were all below action levels while residents continue to report symptoms.

This situation comes one month after Norfolk Southern served Smith with a subpoena for his communications and test results on the water, furnace filters, and soil contamination in East Palestine.

Whistleblower client, Scott Smith, stated,

Anyone who cares about their constitutional rights and free speech needs to pay attention to what is happening in East Palestine, Ohio. That is why we need EPA records to shine light on any coordination with Facebook to suppress the free sharing of information on what is currently happening to residents there. The government should not be serving as a mechanism of censorship to protect multi-billion-dollar corporations.

Our Environmental Investigator, Lesley Pacey, commented

Facebook should not be censoring independent scientists or East Palestine residents who are understandably concerned about pollution in their backyards. The public has a right to discuss and debate the governments response to this environmental disaster as well as post news articles that legitimately address potential health risks. Facebook unfairly targeted Smiths post when it was scientifically factual. Was there an algorithm that flagged the post or another reason? Social media censorship should never interfere with informed public discourse, especially during an ongoing health emergency.

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FOIA for EPA Records on Facebook Censorship of East Palestine Posts Filed - Government Accountability Project

Photo by Karollyne Videira Hubert on Unsplash

By Mary Beth Tinker

As a teenager, civil rights trailblazer Mary Beth Tinker knew she was gay. Today she supports Iowa students currently fighting against censorship and anti-LGBTQ laws.

Young people will find a way to speak up about the issues that concern them, even controversial ones. Some adults will try to stop them, while others believe that youth need freedom of speech and thought. My parents were that kind, but it wasnt easy.

Back in 1965, I was a 13-year-old student upset about the Vietnam War. In December, a small group of us were suspended for wearing black armbands to school to mourn the dead and support a Christmas truce. The ACLU of Iowa and its lawyer, Dan Johnston, challenged the suspensions of me, my brother John, and Chris Eckhardt. In a landmark victory for students rights, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Tinker v Des Moines (1969) that schools are not enclaves of totalitarianism and that neither students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech at the schoolhouse gate.

We had no idea that the case would still be taught today in schools and universities and featured in museums celebrating youth, the First Amendment, and the Constitution.

Now, Iowa history is repeating itself. The ACLU of Iowa and Lambda Legal have filed a lawsuit against SF 496, the Iowa law forbidding instruction, promotion, or materials through sixth grade with LGBTQ content or characters. It bans books, except religious texts, that depict sex acts for all grades. The Des Moines Register has documented hundreds of books already removed from schools.

I see myself in students like Puck Carlson, Percy Batista-Pedro, and Berry Stevens, some of the students represented in the lawsuit. Some are being accused of being unpatriotic, like we were, for exercising their Constitutional rights.

And I see myself for another reason. As a teenager, I knew I was gay. The lawsuit against SF 496 is especially poignant because I dont want students today to go through the censorship that I did. They need the freedom to express and accept themselves.

My father was a Methodist minister, but our family also became involved with the Quakers. My parents felt that speaking up about controversial issues like racial justice and peace was just part of their spiritual ministry. LGBTQ issues were not yet on the radar.

In the mid 60s, as the Vietnam War escalated, my parents spirituality guided us. Sunday evenings in December found us gathered around yuletide candles as Dad read the Christmas story to us from the Bible, with its message of hope for love and peace.

When we took that message to heart by wearing black armbands to school, at first Dad didnt think that we should. However, with the persuasiveness of youth, we successfully argued that our parents had been our role models.

Dad died at a young age after becoming a target of death threats and vitriol. I never had the chance to talk with him about being gay, but I want something better for todays youth.

Thankfully, the ACLU is still here. I care about my home state, and its students. As Justice Abe Fortas stated in Tinker, students must not be confined to the expression of those sentiments that are officially approved. Lets support students by challenging censorship and SF 496.

Mary Beth Tinker is a retired nurse who lives in Washington D.C. with her wife and is a frequent speaker to student groups about free speech and expression.

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Guest Commentary: Iowa Students Are Fighting Censorship and Anti-LGBTQ Laws - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis

On Monday, the Culture Committee of the Berlin Senate agreed on the introduction of a clause that effectively abolishes artistic freedom and represents a major step towards the type of cultural conformism imposed by the Nazis. Under the pretext of combating extremism, terrorism, discrimination and antisemitism, anyone who criticises Germanys war policy or Israeli crimes is to be silenced. Cultural workers are to be placed under general suspicion.

In the future, funding decisions from the Senate Committee for Culture will contain a so-called anti-discrimination clause, which obliges the recipients of funding to take all necessary steps to ensure that the state funding does not benefit any organisations classified as extremist and/or terrorist. The basis for this measure is the terror list drawn up by the European Union (EU) and the constitution protection reports of the German domestic intelligence service, explained Culture Senator Joe Chialo (Christian Democratic Union, CDU).

In particular, the clause is directed against any content alleged to be antisemitic according to the definition of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Chialo claimed the aim was to further sensitize institutions and cultural professionals by anchoring the definition into the funding guidelines along with an obligatory self-declaration for applicants. In fact, the IHRAs definition lacks any scientific credibility and has been criticised by hundreds of academics and historians around the world.

Hundreds of demonstrators protested against the introduction of the clause in front of the Berlin Senate on Monday. An open letter from creative artists, which gathered over 4,000 signatures in just a few days, warned: The withdrawal of financial support and public platforms is currently being used as a means of pressure to exclude from public discourse those critical of the policies of the Israeli government and the war in Gaza. The planned clause will make it easier for the administration and politicians to use this means of pressure and restrict the space for necessary discourse.

Gulya, who took part in the demonstration with two friends, told the WSWS: I am an artist and rely on public funding. I am appalled that people are trying to silence us when we stand up for something so important. I fear Germany is moving in a far right direction and Im angry with the German left. Media outlets like the taz newspaper are attacking us and supporting Israel. They are all part of the problem.

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When Chialo took the microphone at the rally in order to condemn the protesters and defend his censorship measure, he was met with a chorus of booing, forcing him to quickly quit the podium and hurry into the Senate building.

During the subsequent meeting of the Berlin Culture Committee, representatives of all the political parties represented in the Senate expressed their full support for Chialos frontal attack on culture. Melanie Khnemann-Grunow (Social Democratic Party, SPD) began by agreeing with the CDU-led initiative and bluntly threatened cultural workers: We have noticed a resounding silence in the arts and culture sector after 7 October. She then called for the Senates intervention to also be reflected in artistic output. There could no more blatant way to formulate the demand for thoroughly conformist art and culture!

Daniel Wesener (Greens) boasted that the citys previous coalition of the SPD, Left Party and Greens had already implemented key elements of Chialos initiative: The clause is already in force. The self-declaration is already part of funding applications. However, he added, he had sent Chialo a multi-page catalogue of questions on implementation in order to help the Senator avoid coming into conflict with constitutional issues.

Martin Trefzer from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) also thanked Chialo for his initiative. Trefzer praised the Green parliamentary groups list of questions and summarized the committees position: We must react to the Israel-related antisemitism that we experienced after 7 October. The AfD and the Greens agreed that it was now a matter of making the clause legally tight.

Elke Breitenbach (Left Party) merely criticised the enactment, but not the content of the clause. It should have been implemented in consultation with the heads of cultural institutions and churches, who had all taken up the censorship and war propaganda of the German government in past weeks. We would have done it differently, explained Breitenbach meekly.

In reality, Chialos initiative ties in seamlessly with the policies of the Left Party and its former coalition partners. The Berlin State Concept for the Prevention of Antisemitism, which the former SPD-Left Party-Green Senate adopted in 2019, states: The working definition of antisemitism of the International Alliance for Holocaust Remembrance, as expanded by the federal government, forms the basis of Berlins administrative action to deal with antisemitism.

Re-interpreting the fight against antisemitism as a weapon against critics of Israels murderous policies is a prime example of a political process described by WSWS International Editorial Board chairman David North as a semantic inversion in his lecture at Humboldt University on December 14, 2023. Under the leadership of far-right forces, commemoration of the Holocaust is now being misused to legitimise new crimes and criminalize opponents of war - especially socialists and Jewish-Israeli opposition activists. The association of the Jewish population with the crimes of the Israeli government carried out in this manner is itself deeply antisemitic in character.

What is at stake is nothing less than the destruction of artistic freedom. The wording of the clause implies that applicants may not invite, employ or allow people to speak whose perspectives do not coincide with the interests of the Interior Ministry, the Foreign Office or the European Commission. Anyone who organises anti-war protests, publishes works of criticism or provides a stage for opponents of war must reckon with the withdrawal of the funding upon which independent art is so dependent. The desired consequence is state censorship and peremptory self-censorship.

This is most clearly demonstrated by the Berlin Senates attempts to shut down the Oyoun cultural Centre in Neuklln after meetings were held there by the Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East and the Socialist Equality Party (SGP) opposing the massacre in Gaza. With the support of all parties, the Senate decided at the end of November to stop funding the renowned cultural centre, contrary to existing promises, and to rent the property to someone else. Since then, several employees of the migrant centre have been threatened with deportation.

In a widely circulated statement, the SGP warned of the far-reaching implications of the Senates action against the Oyoun cultural centre: Anyone who criticises the governments war policy must expect arbitrary arrests, house searches and secret service surveillance. Demonstrations against the massacre in Gaza are being banned by the dozen, the demand for equal rights for Palestinians is being criminalized and Muslims are being placed under general suspicion.

The working class is confronted with a phalanx of the entire ruling class determined to silence all those who oppose the governments war policy. Culture Senator Chialo referred on Wednesday to a similar clause that has already been passed by the state of Schleswig-Holstein and predicted threateningly: All federal states and the federal government will follow suit. At a closed meeting last weekend, Bavarias ruling, deeply conservative Christian Social Union (CSU) called for critics of Israel to be punished with at least six months in prison for antisemitism and for foreign citizens who take part in a hostile, antisemitic crowd to be deported.

The purges in the art and cultural world are already well underway, the SGP statement goes on to warn. Any institution that criticises the governments policy must now fear losing any basis for its work.

This development cannot be tolerated. We call on all artists, students and workers to protest against the introduction of the censorship clause and to take part in the strike against the genocide in the Gaza Strip to be held on January 14. The growing social struggles of the working class must be linked to the immense opposition to the war - and requires an international and socialist orientation and perspective. Sign up today to support the participation in the European elections of the SGP, which is fighting for precisely this perspective and defending artistic freedom on this basis.

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Defend the right to free artistic expression! Oppose the Berlin Senate's censorship clause! - WSWS