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California's Book Ban Prevention Bill: Guarding Diversity or Attacking Parental Rights?

AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

California is set to pass yet another law attacking parental rights. This particular bill appears intended to enable – or compel – school districts to sexualize children by presenting them with inappropriate material in libraries.

This measure, along with others that Gov. Gavin Newsom and his hair gel are expected to sign, will mark a wholesale effort on the part of California progressives to weaponize the state against people who do not buy into far-leftist ideas regarding sexuality and gender identity. Indeed, it is a way to foist Marxist ideas on the rest of the population.

The bill recently passed the state legislature and is headed to Newsom’s desk.

A bill designed to prevent book banning in California schools has passed the State Assembly and the state Senate.

Assembly Bill 1078 passed on Thursday and prohibits any censorship or removal of books, instructional materials, or curriculum resources that state law requires to be reflected in instructional materials, according to a press release from the bill’s author, Assembly member Dr. Corey Jackson.

“I am thrilled to see AB 1078 progressing through the legislative process,” Jackson said.

He continued, “We’re taking a firm stand against book banning in California’s schools, ensuring that our students have access to a broad range of educational materials that accurately represent the rich cultural and racial diversity of our society.”

While Jackson tried to make it seem as if the legislation is intended to promote diversity and a wider array of educational resources, it’s pretty clear what’s going on here. All across the country, parents have been protesting against books featuring sexually inappropriate material that could fall into the hands of small children. Several parents have been ejected from school board meetings simply for reading excerpts from some of these books.

Those taking an honest assessment of this debate acknowledge that most parents who advocate for removing some books from libraries are focusing on sexually inappropriate material. Folks like Newsom and Jackson know this, yet they still wanted to pass a law forcing school districts to carry this stuff. What could possibly be their motive?

This bill is only the latest in a series of actions California’s government has taken to compel people to acquiesce to their ideas on gender identity and sexuality. Newsom and his cronies have been working to deny parents their rightful role in their children’s education and even rearing. The Chino Valley School District found itself in the state’s crosshairs when it implemented a policy requiring teachers to notify parents if their children express signs that they are dealing with gender dysphoria. Attorney General Rob Bonta recently filed a lawsuit against the district, alleging that the policy is discriminatory and violates civil rights.

The state also recently passed another measure that is even more chilling as it is a direct attack on parental rights. The law mandates that parents recognize and affirm their child’s chosen gender identity or face losing custody. Indeed, the law would favor parents who align with gender ideology over those who don’t when deciding custody cases in divorce situations. But it could also allow the authorities to forcibly remove children from their homes if it is found that their parents are not affirming their chosen identity, which the state now considers a form of child abuse.

These developments are part of an overall battle over one fundamental question: Who should have the primary say in the upbringing and education of American children? On the hard left, they have shown where they stand. They believe your children should belong to the state, not to their parents, which means the government should be in charge of making critical decisions for these young ones.

Those opposed to the Marxist agenda understand that the responsibility for rearing children is up to the parent, not the teacher or members of school staff. Unfortunately, in states like California, the authoritarian side is winning so far. Having passed these laws, they have only made the government stronger, giving it the power to threaten one’s right to parent their children as they see fit. The question is: Which way will the rest of the nation go?

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