Admittedly, knowing the truth has its downsides. That’s why we have expressions like “ignorance is bliss” and “ what you don’t know won’t hurt you,” and respond to certain questions with “you don’t want to know.” Yet, on the whole, we prize the truth. We counsel people to “face the truth,” even when it is unpleasant, because we know that, ultimately, knowledge is better than ignorance.

And, yet, at this very moment, there are thousands of conservative Americans who have made it their mission to conceal the truth from their own children. I refer, of course, to the movement to remove books from school libraries.

What truths do these people wish that their children will remain ignorant of? Let’s look at a few of the 850 books that a Texas state representative told the Texas Legislature should be banned because “they might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress because of their race or sex.” (Note: Titles with an asterisk are in the Marshall Public Library’s collection.)

* “Jane Against the World: Roe V. Wade and the Fight for Reproductive Rights” by Karen Blumenthal: "An account of the tumultuous struggle for abortion rights in the United States. … Gripping reading; necessary for every library serving teens." Kirkus Reviews

“Real Talk About Sex and Consent” by Cheryl M. Bradshaw: “This comprehensive guide to the legal, emotional, social and physical aspects of consent shows teens that this issue is much more complicated than just saying 'yes' or 'no.' Bradshaw, who is a registered psychotherapist, focuses on creating healthy relationships that are safe and respectful, have boundaries and involve enthusiastic consent.” Library Journal

“Follow Your Arrow” by Jessica Verdi (grade 9 up): A story of two teen girlfriends, CeCe and Silvie, one white and one Hispanic, whose lesbian relationship suddenly breaks up and CeCe makes friends with an individualistic violin player “whose friendship will cause CeCe to reevaluate her identity, the price of keeping secrets and the meaning of family and love. Verdi addresses sexual identity and cancel culture.” School Library Journal.

* “Brave Face” by Shaun David Hutchinson: "As much a book about coming out as it is a book about simply coming to be, ‘Brave Face’ is the bravest memoir I've read in years. Illuminating, brutally honest, poignant and sometimes laugh out loud funny, this isn't a book just for queer kids, it's a book for any teen (or adult) who feels left out, rejected, confused and scared about their place in the world.” Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces.

* “My Heart Underwater” by Laurel Flores Fantauzzo: “A #OwnVoices story about a Filipino character who is gay. The emotional connection to a homeland, language and family is demonstrated by the use of Tagalog in dialogue and lush imagery of bustling cities and mountainous terrain. The book also incorporates political history effortlessly as Jun teaches Corazon about their country as they bond.” School Library Journal

“Jacob’s Room to Choose” by Sarah and Ian Hoffman (preschool-grade 2): Jacob, a boy who wears dresses, is threatened by several kids in the boy's restroom, while Sophie, a girl who dresses in a plaid button down and khakis, is chased out of the girl's restroom. Their teacher explains that there are more than two ways to dress.

* “An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People” by Jean Mendoza, Debbie Reese and Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz: “This adaptation of ‘An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States’ (2014) should be required reading for all middle and high schoolers — and their teachers. ... There is much to commend here: the lack of sugar-coating, the debunking of origin stories, the linking between ideology and actions, the well-placed connections between events past and present, the quotes from British colonizers and American presidents that leave no doubt as to their violent intentions. ... The resistance continues, and this book urges all readers to consider their own roles, whether as bystanders or upstanders.” Booklist

“What is White Privilege?” by Leigh Ann Erickson: This book “explores the concept of systemic and intrinsic racism in a comprehensive, honest and age-appropriate way. Developed in conjunction with educator, advocate and author Kelisa Wing to reach children of all races and encourage them to approach race issues with open eyes and minds.” Amazon book description.

* “Caste: The Origins of our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson: “Should be required reading for generations to come. ... A significant work of social science, journalism and history, Caste removes the tenuous language of racial animus and replaces it with a sturdier lexicon based on power relationships.” Joshunda Sanders, The Boston Globe

These books tell us that conservative Texans hope that their children won’t learn the following: that women have a legal right to have abortions; that teen girls need more than simplistic parental advice about dating; that human sexuality is a spectrum, not a dichotomy, and deviations from the statistical mode are neither sinful, nor unnatural; and finally, that, in America, the white race not only has a history of committing crimes against non-white peoples, but an ongoing habit of racial discrimination and prejudice.

The argument that teaching about these matters causes students “psychological distress” deserves this response: “Yes, it often does, but what’s your point?” Obviously, confronting the truth, especially about human behavior, can be disturbing, but there’s nothing wrong with that reaction; in fact, if classroom instruction about slavery, or the Holocaust, or the violent subjugation of Native Americans doesn’t arouse the emotions, as well as the minds, of students, it has failed. An impassive reaction to these crimes against humanity should be impossible.

And if student discomfort is the issue, what about the feelings of gay students when the books that provide them with affirmation and understanding are removed from the school library; and the feelings of black and Native American students when the books that chronicle their historical suffering and continued subjection to racial discrimination are taken away?

But, let’s face it, students’ distress isn’t really the issue: The issue is the distress of parents, who are outraged that public schools are exposing their children to facts and viewpoints that they find objectionable. And those parents actually seem to believe that the schools are obligated to support and validate their political and religious convictions. That is not the case. The obligation of public schools is to educate, i.e. to make students think and show them what is known to be true.

Leonard Hitchcock of Pocatello is an alumnus of the University of Iowa and did graduate work at Claremont Graduate University and the University of California, San Diego. He taught philosophy in California and Arizona for 15 years. In 1985, after earning a library degree, he was hired by Idaho State University. He retired from ISU’s Oboler Library in 2006.