How do you feel about book censorship and banning at the hands of the government?
Anyone who has taken even a passing interest in the B.C. political scene will know what a strange place it is, full of shifting alliances, popularity that waxes and wanes, dramatic ups, and downfalls that are staggering in their completeness.
That brings us to the B.C. Conservatives profiting from a lacklustre performance by B.C. United (the new name for the B.C. Liberals). From two Members of the Legislative Assembly, the B.C. Conservatives now have four thanks to the defection of two people from B.C. United. The party is rising in opinion polls. It needs to be taken seriously.
In an interview last month, BC Conservative leader John Rustad said that his party is not yet ready to unveil the majority of its election platform with one exception.
And that is, if elected, the B.C. Conservatives would strike a committee to review all school textbooks and literature to ensure they are “neutral.”
“It shouldn’t be about indoctrination of anything, whether that’s environmental or whether that’s political or whether that’s sexual,” Rustad said, referencing his proposal to censor books deemed by his Conservative government to be inappropriate for students.
For those keeping score, this means the B.C. Conservatives are not yet ready to say what they would do about housing costs, grocery bills, or health care, but they’re all ready to send committee members (with what qualifications?) into school libraries looking for things they deem “inappropriate” (to whom, using what criteria?).
It’s tempting to ask, “Where are your priorities?” but the answer to that question seems abundantly clear.
When someone tells you who they are and what they plan to do, believe them.
And do a little homework about governments that have censored books.
– Black Press
