They’re bullies, not Nazis
A recent letter writer took exception to those who label book removal proponents as Nazis. I agree with the writer – calling someone who disagrees with you a Nazi is generally not conducive to a rational discussion (unless they really are Nazis like the Unite the Right extremists in Charlottesville, Va.).
I believe it would be better to label the book removal proponents as bullies because that’s what they really are. They are a very vocal minority who believe they can use threats and harassment to impose their will on the majority. They claim to support parental rights yet they want to usurp the rights of the majority of parents who don’t agree with them.
I have attended several Beaufort County School Board meetings where the topic of book removal was discussed. An overwhelming majority of community members and students have spoken out against book removal. It is gratifying to know that 33 of 36 books that have been reviewed so far have been restored to library bookshelves. It is unfortunate that so much time and energy have been spent on this issue, but it is encouraging to see the will of the majority ultimately prevail.
The letter writer also weighed in on government over-regulation of industry. We have seen time and again where deregulation and corporate greed have caused great harm to people, the economy, and our environment. No one wants to “strangle” industry with regulations but reasonable people realize that some level of regulation is necessary.
In the writer’s own words, “Regulations to protect the environment and worker safety should be adequate and enforced.” Finding the right level of regulation will always be challenging and it will always be subject to disagreement. It is interesting to note that states with the highest level of regulation (N.Y., Calif., Mass., etc.) also have the most robust economies. I’m not suggesting cause-and-effect, but overzealous deregulation is definitely not the answer – it imposes a huge hidden cost on consumers and taxpayers.
– Peter Birschbach, Port Royal
Y’all warm my heart
The Island News is an excellent publication. I spent an afternoon in Beaufort on March 28, had a sandwich at Rain-N-Bagels, bought a book at McIntosh Book Shoppe, had a cup of coffee next door and took a buggy ride with Anastasia. Along the way I picked up your paper and only now that I am back in New York City have I had the chance to read Sara Gregory’s story on the students, with excellent perspective she provides from outside experts. I think you should nominate it for a Pulitzer in local reporting or whatever category is appropriate.
Y’all warm my heart.
– Kathleen Brady, New York City. Brady has penned the books “FRANCIS AND CLARE The Struggles of the Saints of Assisi;” “LUCILLE The Life of Lucille Ball;” and “Ida Tarbell Portrait of A Muckraker,” among others. Learn more at www.kathleenbrady.net.
It is, after all, their education
Kudos to the Beaufort High School group for speaking out about the literature that is proposed on the banned books list. It is after all, their education. There is little to fear from reading a book and much to fear if books are banned.
Also, if parents don’t want their go children to read a book, they can choose for them opt out. Why must all students be affected? I am glad that Beaufort is meeting about each book and taking a deliberative stance about these books.
– Marcia King, St. Helena Island
Canceling my cancellation
My wife and I have lived in the Beaufort area for four years; two in downtown on North Street, two on Dataw Island. We became avid readers of The Island News from its free distribution stand outside Blackstone’s on Scott Street.
When we moved to Dataw in April 2021, we made an annual subscription to the The Island News to continue our readership. Much to our consternation, the paper is mailed, not delivered. This means it arrives two to four days late. The final straw came on the April 1 delivery with the front-page headline, “Rally to ‘protect St. Helena’ set for Thursday,” Thursday being March 30 – two days prior!
I was all set to call and cancel our subscription (at odds with my background in broadcast and print news reporting, and being a firm believer in supporting local news media). Then I read Stephen Murray’s terrific op-ed setting the record straight on downtown development. It just got better with commentaries by Terry Manning, Tim Wood, and Carol Lucas, as well as the (Lowcountry Weekly) review of John Warley’s book “Jury of One” and Debbie Covington’s recipe for pimento cheese tea sandwiches (my wife’s favorite).
This one, very late, untimely news edition contained irresistible thought-provoking content available nowhere else on the planet. I subsequently canceled my call to cancel and will forthwith consider my $100 annual subscription a charitable contribution to local journalism. Keep up the good work.
– James Kemper Millard, Dataw Island
