IT MUST BE CENSORSHIP SEASON

There’s been a lot of talk this week about First Amendment rights and free speech but here in Berks we’ve been in a fight for a while over another form of censorship: book banning.  Wilson and Oley were in the school board trenches and what did we do?  We fought and we won.  The loudest book banners didn’t even run in Wilson, and in Oley, they were unable to get on the ballot.
 
Across Pennsylvania, book bans are still happening. Last year, the state logged documented bans.  They mostly targeted stories about race, gender, and identity. Surprise!    And bills like SB 7 are still making their way through the
General Assembly disguised as “parental rights” but are actually built to silence voices.

What’s really at stake isn’t just about money or library shelves.  It’s also about power: who gets to decide what our kids learn and what stories they hear. But we’ve got determination in Berks County and we’ve been successful at pushing back against censorship.  Look what the good people in Oley and Wilson accomplished! 
 
But here’s the thing: the fight doesn’t stop at the school board. It runs straight through the courts.  Because when bad laws get passed like SB 7,  it’s the courts that will decide whether they stand.  If we want the courts to defend public education, protect free speech, and stand up for every kid, then we’ve got to fight for them.     

Keep showing up at school board meetings and don’t be silent!