Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

100-Year-Old Widow Of Fallen WWII Soldier Speaks Out Against Book Bans At Florida School Board Meeting

100-Year-Old Widow Of Fallen WWII Soldier Speaks Out Against Book Bans At Florida School Board Meeting
@NikkiFried/Twitter

Grace Linn cited her husband's fight against Nazis during powerful speech against Florida county's book bans.

A book ban controversy in Florida sparked a heated debate at the Martin County School Board meeting on Tuesday night. Former educators, students, and parents spoke in favor of and against the ban. The controversy arose after the school district removed several books from its library shelves, citing concerns over their content.

While some residents supported the ban, others were strongly opposed, including Grace Linn, a Martin County resident who brought with her 100 years of experience. To show her opposition to the book ban, she made a quilt and brought it with her to the meeting, displaying books that have been either targeted or banned.


Linn cited her late husband's fight against the Nazis in World War II during a powerful speech in which she railed against banning books as a threat to the freedom her husband fought for.

You can hear what Linn said in the video below.

Linn said:

"I am Grace Linn. I am 100 years young. I'm here to protest our schools' district book-banning policy."
"My husband, Robert Nickel, was killed in action in World War II—at a very young age, he was only 26—defending our democracy, Constitution, and freedoms."
"One of the freedoms that the Nazis crushed was the freedom to read the books they'd banned. They stopped the free press, banned and burned books. The freedom to read, which is protected by First Amendment, is our essential right and duty of our democracy."
"Even so, it is continually under attack by both the public and private groups who think they hold the truth."

Linn then showcased the quilt she made displaying books that have been either targeted or banned:

"In response to the book banning across our country and Martin County last year, during the time I was 99, I created this quilt to remind all of us that these few of so many more books that are banned or targeted need to be proudly displayed and protected—and read if you choose to."
"The quilt was shown on national TV as part of [journalist] Ali Velshi 'Banned Book Club' segment. Banning books and burning books are the same. Both are done for the same reason: fear of knowledge."
"Fear is not freedom. Fear is not liberty. Fear is control."
"My husband died as a father of freedom; I am a mother of liberty. Banned books need to be proudly displayed and protected from school boards like this."

Many praised Linn for speaking out.



Linn's fear is that as books are taken off the shelves, the life lessons they possess are taken along with them. She believes that banning books and burning books are done for the same reason, the "fear of knowledge," and reiterated those points in an interview with local station WPTV.

She said:

"One of the freedoms that the Nazis crushed was the freedom to read the books that they banned."
"History will repeat itself if you don't know history. History needs to be told, and everyone needs to know what went on in the past."

Several residents who spoke at the meeting expressed a need to form a committee to reevaluate and reconsider books by a more diverse group of people.

The controversy over the book ban highlights the importance of ensuring that our freedoms and values are upheld, particularly in education, where the exchange of ideas and information is critical to shaping the minds of future generations. As Linn reminds us, history must be told, and everyone must know what went on in the past to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future.

More from Trending

Kid Rock
Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Kid Rock Dragged After Donning A Truly Over-The-Top Outfit For His White House Visit

Singer Kid Rock was slammed for wearing a loud patriotic costume inside the Oval Office as Republican President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday against ticket scalping.

The rocker's outfit consisted of a red, white, and blue jacket emblazoned with two eagles facing each other above the American flag with the number 250, a nod to America's upcoming 250th anniversary, and white stars on his sleeves.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Bill Cassidy
CNBC

MAGA Senator Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud With Epic Freudian Slip About Medicare

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was widely mocked following his inconvenient slip of the tongue during a CNBC interview as he mused about finding ways to "cut" Medicare before quickly correcting himself.

The exchange occurred after host Rebecca Quick pressed Louisiana Republican and former physician Bill Cassidy on how his party intended to fund the “trillion-dollar tax cuts” sought by President Donald Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Tim Sheehy
CNN

GOP Senator Gets Blunt Reality Check After Comparing Trump Tariff 'Pain' To Home Renovation

Montana Republican Senator Tim Sheehy was criticized after he tried to compare the "short-term pain" of President Donald Trump's tariffs to home renovation, a claim so ridiculous that CNN's Kaitlan Collins quickly pushed back on the analogy.

Trump has repeatedly referred to April 2 as “Liberation Day,” pledging to impose tariffs—taxes on imports—to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign goods. He has framed these tariffs as “reciprocal,” aiming to match the duties other nations place on American exports.

Keep ReadingShow less
Susan Crawford; Elon Musk
Scott Olson/Getty Images (left and right)

Liberal Wisconsin Judge Calls Out Elon Musk In Victory Speech—And It's Everything

Liberal judge Susan Crawford called out billionaire Elon Musk in her victory speech after winning a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, basking in successfully beating her Republican opponent Brad Schimel and ensuring that the nonpartisan court’s narrow 4-3 liberal majority remains intact despite Musk's efforts to sway the race.

Musk fueled the high-stakes race, having poured more than $20 million into supporting Schimel, according to state campaign records. That includes $3 million to the state Republican Party—$2 million of which was donated just last week. Due to state election laws, large contributions must be funneled through political parties before reaching candidates.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Describe The Worst 'Bonus' They've Ever Gotten At Work

Most of us have worked at one problematic workplace, with reasons ranging from toxic coworkers to terrible bosses to unlivable pay. Sometimes, it feels like a joke that the employees are even being paid at all!

But the biggest joke of all might be the end-of-year bonus, or lack thereof. They're at times so laughable, they take the cake for horrible work conditions, or are quite literally, a slice of cake.

Keep ReadingShow less