Nailed it. Good to see others joining my crusade against these stupid "book ban" tropes trotted out by the media and bookstores.
Jonah references the popular "banned" book Sold:
It has also sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide and is available at thousands of libraries and pretty much every bookseller in America. First published 20 years ago, it is currently the No. 1 book bestseller in Amazon’s category of “Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Sexual Abuse.” Though, as is often the case, charges that a book has been “banned” tend to boost sales.
But, come on. Sold hasn’t been banned anywhere in the United States. Indeed, the Supreme Court basically banned book banning more than 50 years ago. The last serious attempt to ban a category of books — ones intended to influence elections — came from the Obama administration, which argued in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that the government could prohibit the publication of books (and other media, like documentaries) that might influence voter decisions near elections.
Here's the story, which should still be available for free at The Dispatch.
It’s very strange that in a world where trigger warnings are a thing for grown-ups, people set their hair on fire about others wanting to restrict access to tales of forced prostitution and brothel life to very young children.
