I love this: MoveOn's Banned Bookmobile

We are NOT going to become a nation of book bans, {NAME}. And here's the thing: Dear MoveOn member, We need to talk about the historic wave of Republican book bans sweeping our nation. I am distraught about the harm these bans are causing our children and also what they mean for the future of our democracy. Do you know what books Republicans are banning? Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye."1 "Maus," the Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about a family's escape from a Nazi concentration camp.2 "Gender Queer," a memoir about self-discovery and gender identity.3 We are NOT going to become a nation of book bans, {NAME}. And here's the thing: Banning books is incredibly unpopular.4 So much so that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who's responsible for more books being banned than anyone else—with bookshelves in some Florida schools being emptied of books—is trying to claim that his own book bans are a "hoax."5,6 And that's why I smiled when I learned about MoveOn's Banned Bookmobile—which will follow DeSantis around as he campaigns for president, giving away banned books and drawing attention to the extremism that's taken hold of the Republican Party. Imagine this: Every time the media cover one of DeSantis's campaign stops, they include video footage or photos of the Banned Bookmobile giving out books. The media will eat it up, and young people will be able to read banned books. That's the potential here! And that's why I'm writing to you today to ask you to start a $5 monthly gift to support MoveOn's Banned Bookmobile. Will you help out? [Yes, I'll chip in monthly.]( [No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.]( The Republican Party is rapidly turning into a White Christian Nationalist party, divorced from democracy and from reality. And DeSantis comes as close to a fascist as any politician in modern American history. To my mind, he may be even more dangerous than Donald Trump, because DeSantis knows exactly what he's doing and where he wants to take the country—into tyranny, bigotry, and ultranationalist culture warfare—while Trump is motivated by nothing more than himself. It isn't about Democrats versus Republicans anymore. Or Left versus Right. It's about democracy versus authoritarianism, protecting freedoms versus taking them away. And banning books gets right to the heart of it. That's why MoveOn's Banned Bookmobile can be a powerful tool to help many more people understand what DeSantis and other MAGA Republicans are doing and the risk they pose to our children, our freedom, and our democracy. Will you join me in supporting MoveOn's Banned Bookmobile by donating $5 a month? [Yes, I'll chip in monthly.]( [No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.]( {NAME}, I've lived long enough to see regimes rise and fall, and here is what I know: The side that bans books, limits freedom of expression, and scapegoats marginalized groups to gain political power is never, ever remembered as the good guys. In the absence of any real plans to govern and address the challenges facing our country, the GOP has fully embraced authoritarianism, and it is up to us to come together and ensure that this regime crumbles just like the others that came before. I'm in. Will you join me? Chip in $5 a month now. [Yes, I'll chip in monthly.]( [No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.]( Thanks for all you do. –Robert Reich Sources: 1. "Top 13 Most Challenged Books of 2022," American Library Association, April 21, 2023 [ 2. "The Fight Over 'Maus' Is Part of a Bigger Cultural Battle in Tennessee," The New York Times, March 4, 2022 [ 3. "Top 13 Most Challenged Books of 2022," American Library Association, April 21, 2023 [ 4. "Large majorities of voters oppose book bans and have confidence in libraries," American Library Association, March 24, 2022 [ 5. "The book bans leaving Florida school bookshelves empty," WBUR, March 3, 2023 [ 6. "Florida Book Bans Are No Hoax: Here Are The Facts," PEN America, March 10, 2023 [ Want to support MoveOn's work? Book bans have skyrocketed thanks to right-wing state laws which have forced teachers to remove books from their classrooms. In response, MoveOn is launching a "Banned Bookmobile," filling it with books that the far right has banned, and driving it around to hand out those books, for free, in highly trafficked areas that will attract media attention. To keep the Banned Bookmobile up and running into 2024, MoveOn needs your help. Will you start a monthly gift to power MoveOn's critical work? [Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.]( [No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- PAID FOR BY MOVEON POLITICAL ACTION, . Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. MoveOn Political Action - PO Box 96142, Washington, D.C. 20090-6142. This email was sent to {NAME} on June 13, 2023. To change your email address or update your contact info, [click here](. MoveOn's privacy policy was recently updated. To read our new privacy policy, [click here](. To remove yourself from this list, [click here](.