California Governor Gavin Newsom is once again ignoring the ongoing decline of his own state and is instead attempting to tweak red states—places where many of his own constituents have moved. On Sunday, he took his act to Boise, Idaho, to rant about “banned books,” tweeting, “Book bans are at a record high — there have been over 1,200 challenges in the last year, nearly double the (then-record) total from 2021.”
Book bans are at a record high — there have been over 1,200 challenges in the last year, nearly double the (then-record) total from 2021.
Couldn’t leave Boise without dropping by this incredible bookstore. The owners of Rediscovered Books are doing everything they can to push… pic.twitter.com/LYWItT1EjQ
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 2, 2023
The tweet continues:
This incredible bookstore is a must-see in Boise. Rediscovered Books owners are doing all they can to fight back against the ridiculous bans that have been happening across the nation.
This response made me laugh because it echoed exactly my own reaction.
Do you just ignore California and travel America as The Great Karen?
— RedInDC 💐 (@RealRedInDC) July 3, 2023
This commenter brought up an interesting point: The books featured in Newsom’s videos aren’t really banned.
Weird if they are banned how were you able to view and purchase in a bookstore?
— Craig for Common Sense (@CraigABrill) July 3, 2023
As this respondent pointed out, the governor with his exquisitely coiffed hair has fallen on his face in the past when trolling another state.
There will never be a better self-own than “look at me freely purchasing at a store all the books the Republicans banned.”
— Doug Powers (@ThePowersThatBe) July 5, 2023
Ingrid Jacques, a columnist for the Opinion Columnist, makes it clear that this topic is toxic.
Culture wars in the United States have centered on what books should be placed in school libraries. The rationality of the argument has been thrown out.
You are not just a parent who is concerned about the sexual content in classrooms: you are a fascist. And if your book promotes LGBTQ themes, what do you call yourself? You are a “groomer.”
The media and the left are still using the old tactic of “we will change the meaning of words,” by continually crowing that “book bans” are in place. These laws are not really bans but are simply meant to keep children from getting books. Adults can read the books whenever they want. Jacques:
It’s not a lot of work to ask for, but I would appreciate it if the “book ban” debates were framed in a more accurate manner. Let’s be clear, what’s happening in school libraries is not a book ban. Anyone who wants to read the books that are being debated can get them. Nobody is saying to stop publishing the books.
Ron DeSantis made a very good point. He is the Florida Governor that Newsom seems to have an odd obsession with. In March, my colleague Bonchie said that “Ron DeSantis performed one of the most effective trolls against the mainstream media on Wednesday.” He read out some of the materials that had been criticized by the national media for months. The content was so explicit, they had to stop their feeds. Many, including Newsom, believe that children should read books with content too intense for TV.
Newsom makes himself look foolish by failing to educate red states or their governors, while his own state is on the verge of imploding under the weight of its own war against business, in-your-face woke policies, and homeless epidemic. You would do better for the people of California if you stayed in your lane.
