Florida has become the third-highest state for its number of school book banning incidents in the nation after Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law House Bill 1467. The law allows the public to challenge any educational materials they find objectable.
The bill originated after parents complained about sexually explicit literature being taught in Florida schools.
With currently over 200 books banned from libraries and classrooms, political activist Chaz Stevens suggested schools also ban the Christian Bible.
FL activist Chaz Stevens, citing Desantis\u2019 new law, petitions to ban the Bible and books that reference the Bible because of its graphic depictions of rape, incest, adultery, murder and fornication.https://www.npr.org/2022/04/26/1094740651/florida-man-asks-schools-to-ban-the-bible-following-the-states-efforts-to-remove\u00a0\u2026— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1650989548
Stevens sent petitions citing the Governor's approved legislation to public school superintendents in eight districts across the Sunshine State and instructed them to "immediately remove the Bible from the classroom, library, and any instructional material."
He continued:
"Additionally, I also seek the banishment of any book that references the Bible."
Good for him! If you want to stand up/fight them on their policies, you have to climb into the \u201cboxing ring\u201d they\u2019ve set up— Linda Bowers (@Linda Bowers) 1650990092
The Bible is a Manuel for self hate and fearing what you can\u2019t see, feel, or touch. \n\nSo\u2026.Agreed!— ~Fuoco nelle vene~ (@~Fuoco nelle vene~) 1650994672
Stevens told the New Times:
"If they're gonna ban books, then the whole library should be in play."
"My hope—and it's a longshot—is that they will apply their own standards to themselves and ban the Bible."
A Florida Man we can all love.— BeaglesResist \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udf3b (@BeaglesResist \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udf3b) 1650989748
Now that\u2019s a Florida man I can get behind.— Eric Knockandknowall (@Eric Knockandknowall) 1650989599
The tipping point for Stevens came this month when the state rejected 54 math textbooks from curriculums allegedly for including topics like "Critical Race Theory."
"I love the algebras," Stevens told NPR. "And those Tally [Tallahassee] loons just banned a bunch of arithmetic books?"
It was. That is why THIS is necessary. Hypocrisy NO MORE— Susan (@Susan) 1650991397
On April 19, Stevens addressed MDCPS Superintendent Jose Dotres and wrote:
"I wish to file such an objection, requesting the Miami-Dade County Public School system immediately remove the Bible from the classroom, library, and any instructional material."
"And, as is often the case with banned books, I ask your agency lay flame to that giant stack of fiction in a pyre worthy of a Viking sendoff."
He used the same argument of age appropriateness used by conservatives to counter the book banning movement by mentioning the Bible's "casual" references to murder, adultery, sexual immorality and fornication.
"Do we really want to teach our youth about drunken orgies?" he wrote.
pic.twitter.com/GNFGQetKpS— mrbigg (@mrbigg) 1650989625
Stevens said he sent the petitions to expose the hypocrisy.
"If you want to teach morality and ethics, do you really want to turn to a book that wants you to dash babies against rocks?" he asked, referencing Psalm 137:9.
Plus, if they are going to teach the Bible, then they should teach all the religions.— AprilSunshine (@AprilSunshine) 1650996860
Fantastic. More people need to test this law and force them to admit it was geared toward certain books and certain groups of people.\n\nPERFECT— Darlene Tarantino (@Darlene Tarantino) 1650989813
He has yet to receive a genuine response from any of the school districts.
According to the New Times, one South Florida school district acknowledged receipt of Stevens' letter.
Elmo R. Lugo, a spokesperson for MDCPS, told the news outlet via email:
"We acknowledge receipt of the subject letter. District staff will review it and respond accordingly."
Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) Superintendent Vickie L. Cartwright's office has not commented on whether or not they received Stevens' letter or how they plan to address it.
Stevens warned:
"They better not f'king ignore me. If they ignore me, doesn't that tell you something?"
"The government can't pick and choose religion, but can they choose which books they review for banning and which ones they don't?"
In the meantime, his group has been tracking when the emailed petitions have been opened.
He said the Pasco County School District had shared the email internally 35 times as of Monday and Duval County has sought guidance from the state capital.
Stevens said the goal of his mission is "merely to turn hypocrisy on itself and let the bureaucrats eat each other for lunch."
@kileywrestling/Bluesky
