The Dr.  Seuss books Controversy

The Dr. Seuss estate discontinued publication and distribution of six  Dr. Seuss books because they contained racist images or themes. This event provided right-wing propagandists a pretext for trumpeting their favorite diversionary battle cries: Cancel culture! Censorship! Freedom destroyers. 

How about the freedom of authors and their representatives to cease publication and distribution of their books for whatever reason they like? There are still lots of Dr. Seuss books available to delight young readers and pre-readers. I haven’t seen the ones said to be racist, but I can understand that it’s not good to subject either white or black pre-schoolers to books that give the impression that blacks are inferior. In a recent column, the African American New York Times columnist Charles Blow recounted the effect such books had on him as a child.

Just as there is a Holocaust Museum, maybe there should be a White Supremacist Museum, where books like these would be exhibited. The historical record should be preserved and be accessible to the general public, but little kids shouldn’t be subjected to racist picture books, any more than grownups should be subjected to the sight of statues in public venues of racist politicians and generals who were bent on perpetuating slavery.