“‘Do you want to promote p*rnographic books for children’? Barack Obama faces backlash over letter against book banning in USA”, Opindia, July 18, 2023:
“On 16th July (local time), former US President Barack Obama came in support of the librarians against the banned books. In a letter addressed to the librarians of America, Obama said that the free exchange of ideas is an important part of making sure that the citizens are informed, engaged, and feel like their perspectives matter.
Citing the First Amendment of the American Constitution that states freedom begins with the capacity to share and access ideas, he pointed out that some of these ideas often find space in the books. Remembering how writers including Mark Twain and Toni Morrison, Walt Whitman and James Baldwin taught him about America’s character, he said reading about people whose lives were different from his showed him how to step into someone else shoes.
Criticising the call for bans on books, he said, “Today, some of the books that shaped my life — and the lives of so many others — are being challenged by people who disagree with certain ideas or perspectives…..”
Read the full article at Opindia.com
