#caic2021

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Dr. Suess is not banned, now that much is a lie, Go ahead and read on all about this false outcry

From the burning of ‘thousands of books,’ under the Qin Dynasty, to the burning of ‘all 200,000 volumes,’ of the Library of Alexandria in 640, to the destruction of 20,000 books on May 10th 1933, and a later banning of 5485 books under Nazi rule, attempts at censorship throughout history have been numerous, and destructive. The recent discontinuation of the publication of six Dr. Seuss books however, bears no real comparison to these events.

The decision to discontinue publication of these books was made last year by Dr. Seuss Enterprises who stated, ‘these books portray people in ways that are hurtful, and wrong.’ Many have subsequently expressed outrage at the decision, most of which has resulted from misinformation, and exaggeration. With networks like Fox News claiming that the books have been ‘banned,’ and comparisons even being made to ‘book burning,’ it is easy to see why things escalated.

Naturally, the preservation of information is crucial, and is the basis of the famous George Santayana quote (‘those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,’) but this is not a matter concerning the potential destruction of information, and these books are not being banned, or destroyed at all, and any comparisons to ‘book burning,’ are ridiculous.

In summary, it is evident why so many have perceived this as censorship, but ultimately this is a falsity perpetuated by misinformation, and exaggeration. Most ironically though is, that which so many have seen as threat to information, has actually brought attention back to these books, providing an opportunity for an important re-examination of both the commendable, and problematic information within these works in line with Santayana’s words.

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Horton Hears A Bigot

A statement from Seuss Enterprises was announced earlier this month, stating that six of the most controversial titles from Seuss’ entire collective works would no longer be printed, as “These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.” As stated in an article by A Alter and E A Harris, as a result of the six childrens books being pulled from publication, “Dozens of his books shot to the top of Amazon’s print best-seller list; on Thursday morning, nine of the site’s top 10 best sellers were Seuss books.” This comes at a time of much contention, with the ever growing ‘cancel culture’ present within the media, in which influencers, celebrities and politicians face being called out for their behaviours and comments in the past, and having their career and potential their following taken away from them.

I think that it is important that we remember that the books pulled from publication are in fact childrens books, and it is books that shape our understanding of the world from the minute we are able to read the words on the page for ourselves. Whilst it is important not to simply erase the flaws and mistakes made by those we hold in high regard, children are easily influenced, and should not be exposed to such offensive and racist stereotypes. It is also important to emphasise that these titles have not been ‘banned’, they have simply been pulled from publication, and given the fact that the first title was published in 1937, and has been made readily available to readers in the 84 years since, it seems likely that there are enough copies to go around for those wishing to remind themselves of the the racial stereotypes and dehumanising characteristics of non white characters.

All in all, these are children's books, and should not be made readily available to children as such. We live in a multicultural world, and if we have any hope of raising later generations in a way which allows all cultures and societies to be accepted, and not as victims of racism and intolerance, we need to make some changes. I see this as the first step in one day achieving this goal.

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And To Think That I Saw It On The Bookshelf

Dr Seuss is a household name. Whilst some of his attitudes and beliefs were socially backwards, he was a pioneer in creativity and imagination in children’s writing. Throughout his career, his collection of 60 books have made an impressive sale of 700 million copies globally.

Despite remaining a literary figure in many of our childhoods, it would be discouraging to ignore the harmful racial transgressions written about people of colour in some of Dr Seuss’s creations. In 2019, a study conducted by the University of California found that just 2% of Dr Seuss’s human characters are non-white, and the vast majority are portrayed in a way that perpetuates racist stereotypes. 

Whilst it is easy to pass off Theodor Geisel’s racist commentary down to the nature of his environment, we have to acknowledge that countless other childhood classics preserve the same racist notions. Said Classics include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Secret Garden and Peter Pan. Etc. Such casual narratives of racism with no character challenging or even questioning the racist assumptions justify racial prejudice that translates into the real world.

 Removing Dr Seuss and his six distasteful stories was a good start, but now it is time to pave the way for new and inclusive classics to fill the bookshelf. In 1920 Du Bois published the ‘The Brownies Book’ depicting images that celebrated Black beauty while telling a story of Black childhood as something ordinary and American. We can only hope to see the same exposure to other races, sexuality, and disabilities in the 21st century.

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What’s in a Name?: The Renaming of “Columbus Day”

Though supported by many, a recent decision to rename “Columbus Day,” to “Indigenous People’s Day,” in Philadelphia has sparked controversy. This day holds many different associations for various groups. For Indigenous Americans it is clear why a day named after ‘a man who only brought disease, genocide, and various assault to Native communities,’ is problematic, and offensive. Conversely for Italian-Americans this day historically ‘became a source of dignity, and self-worth,’ ‘at a time when Italians were vilified.’ Subsequently, with many Italian-Americans currently facing hardships, the decision to rename a day associated with their acceptance within American society has left many ‘up in arms.’

Many views, and solutions are being expressed. An effective resolution seems to be both an “Indigenous People’s Day,” and “Italian Heritage Day.” Regardless, Columbus, whilst someone to be studied is certainly not a figure to celebrated. Thus, renaming the day seems best, however (without understating the power of renaming) perhaps attention would be better focussed on year-round education regarding Natives, and Italian-Americans (not just their history of oppression, but also their cultures) so as to better understand, and aid these groups. Still, the existence of days honouring these cultures would be a good start, and if nothing else I would encourage everyone to dedicate some time towards learning about these cultures this October 11th. Stories are always a great place to start, and the Algonquin tale of the “Chenoo,” is one of my personal favourites, and I would also recommend “The Aeneid,” for a glimpse into early Italian culture. I hope with this mindset we can turn a day that for too long has represented conflict into a seed for greater understanding.

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Not the first time this has come up...

Christopher Columbus’ complicated legacy has once again been called into question as America grapples with its racial history in the aftermath of George Floyd, and other unarmed black people, being killed. This could be another voice to add to the pile of those who extol or criticizing cancel culture, but I’ll look instead at Columbus and what his supporters claim him to be: the first.

Columbus’ accidental landing in what is now the Dominican Republic in 1492 lead to his name being immortalised in the New World as a country, the American capital, countless statues, and of course Columbus Day. Evidence of Leif Erikson’s earlier settlement on the continent did little to tarnish his legacy (along with the numerous indigenous societies already there), because in reality it matters little if you’re first, it’s about presenting yourself as such.

America likes to think they won the Space Race because they were the first on the moon, ignoring all the ‘firsts’ the Soviets beat them to. North Carolina’s state motto ‘First in Freedom’ is in reference to the alleged Mecklenburg Declaration, a supposed claim to state autonomy predating July fourth, 1776.  No one outside the Tar Heel State recognises the document, and the ‘real’ first state Delaware gave up on the First State nickname, realising no one outside their borders really cared.

Americans strongly subscribe to the adage ‘second place is first loser’ even when they are in fact the runner-up, but when history is written by the winners, sometimes first place gets disqualified.

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Trump and Obama: The Promised Land No More?

Last month saw the release of the last President of the United States’ long anticipated memoir ‘A Promised Land’, published in the final stretch of arguably the longest year in recent American history.

In a review from The Guardian, Julian Borger highlights Obama’s discontent at the typically democratic news networks: ABC, NBC and CNN for reporting extensively on Trump’s racially motivated slander throughout his first Presidential campaign. Obama criticised, “at no point did they simply and forthrightly call Trump out for lying or state that the conspiracy theory he was promoting was racist”. The birther movement conspiracy was spearheaded by Trump in order to delegitimize Obama’s presidency, as he repeatedly called for the President to release his full birth certificate. When Obama complied, he was further questioned about the authenticity of the documents he provided. The fact that such networks, usually in support of democratic nominations, remained passive on the issue of Trump’s racist conspiracies is important to consider when debating the motivations of such coverage.

It is clear why Obama was inclined to publish ‘A Promised Land’ at this time, as he is constructing a rather nuanced commentary on the last 4 years of presidential history, as well as compiling his own history’s narrative. He carefully depicts his time before, during and after his presidency, with a clear narrative of comparison of the attitudes he faced from the American people as the first African American president. “It was as if my very presence in the White House had triggered, as deep-seated panic, a sense that the natural order had been disrupted.” He comments on the myth of the post-racial America that supposedly came with his election and relates this to the growing support Trump received throughout Obama’s administration. Ultimately, considering contemporary American politics, it is clear what kind of reception Obama’s memoirs will garner, although one can hope.

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Oops...They Did It Again!

The tabloid press is so 2000’s, and whilst the noughties are coming back into fashion I hope we leave the tabloids behind. Before we had Taylor Swift and the constant jabs at her dating life, there was Brittany Spears and a never-ending attack on her public image. As a victim of the media herself Taylor Swift put it best, she said, “There is a different vocabulary for men and woman in the music industry.”

Say what you want about Britany Spears but her career speaks for itself. Since January 12th1999, the release of her debut album Baby One More Time, Britany’s career has paved the way for future female artists navigating their way through a time of the internet and scrutinised media. Our Iconic Britany Spears is one of the best-selling artists of all time having sold over 100 million records worldwide. With such major achievement’s, you would think the press had something better to write about than mental breakdowns and sexy outfits right?

The whole concept of the paparazzi is…Toxic and yet the behaviour was encouraged. Millennials, I’m looking at you. At the peak of the tabloid press, reports surrounding Britany’s mental health was publicised globally, not out of concern for her mental health but rather a glorified reaction to witnessing the downfall of a successful woman. If anything Britany Spears is a harsh reminder that misogyny still dictates how woman are received rather than how they should be received. With a direct focus on their careers and achievements rather than their saucy outfits and dating history.

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Trump’s lies don’t fly

Well if there’s one thing no one can accuse Trump of, it’s avoiding digging deeper holes. After a divisive pandemic strategy that resulted in over 200,000 American dead, Trump cemented his legacy of failing to control the virus by taking to his favourite soapbox Twitter to announce both he and Melania had tested positive.

In the following days, the couple were joined by various other visitors to the White House in contracting the virus, including senior advisors Stephen Miller, Chris Christie and Kellyanne Conway. Rumours swirl over whether everyone who tested positive have actually been announced by the White House, as Conway’s case was only ‘announced’ by her daughter over TikTok. The general distrust around the administration’s response was only compounded when the President’s doctor was asked about Trump’s condition and the care he was receiving.

Initially insisting that oxygen wasn’t administered as a treatment, Doctor Sean Conley contradicted himself 24 hours later, explaining that he “was trying to reflect the upbeat attitude that the team, the president, that his course of illness has had,”. The lies continued, with a picture of Trump appearing to sign blank pieces of paper with a sharpie and a video of him returning to the White House and yet still seemingly struggling to breath went viral.

With Trump’s approval rating hovering around 43% and two thirds of Americans either somewhat or very worried about coronavirus, Trump’s clear lack of precautions to prevent his infection and a laughable attempt to conceal the truth from the public don’t bode well for a President facing the ballot box in the coming month.

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Who Gives a F*** About Christmas

It’s that time of year again. The snow is settling on the White House, the Christmas trees are up and the Turkey is being prepared, however, Melania Trump is not feeling the festive spirit this year. For one last time, the first lady will fill the White House with her obscure decorations and unusual taste in Christmas Trees. Melania Trump has been heavily criticised by both the media and public following a leaked tape of Melania venting her frustrations over her duties as the first lady. With headlines over Melania Trump’s comment, “Who gives a f*** about the Christmas stuff and decorations?” it is time to ask ourselves the same question? Why do we give a f*** about Christmas?

For centuries now, the Christmas Holiday has been celebrated worldwide. As a Celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Christmas holiday has become known for its gift exchanges, colourful decorations, and homily meals. Steering away from its religious connotations, the festive season is a time to celebrate with friends and family and take a moment to reflect on the year, and what a year it’s been. 

Over the years, Melania Trump has gained a reputation for her unusual Christmas décor, however, her last year in the White House has sparked a different approach from the first lady. Running with the Theme “America the beautiful” Melania Trump claims she wants to pay tribute to the majesty of our great Nation,” aimed at celebrating the country’s “boundless natural wonders.” 1 Portraying a much simpler Christmas.

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Sacrificing One Culture for Another

Celebrations of Columbus Day date back to 1792 however, the notion of Indigenous Peoples’ Day emerged in 1977 but, didn’t start to take off until 2014 when “Seattle and Minneapolis adopted resolutions to replace the holiday.”

Many states have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day, in recognition of mistreatment and colonization of Native Americans  glorified by Columbus Day. Here’s where the controversy lies;  while Columbus Day is a symbol of Italian-Americans’ writing themselves into the civic-record celebrating Italian heritage, on the other hand Columbus Day is viewed as a celebration of a man who brought disease, enslavement and committed horrible atrocities against Native Americans. At least eight states, 10 universities and more than 130 cities across 34 states now observe Indigenous Peoples Day as an alternative to the federally recognized Columbus Day.

Arizona, among other states, celebrates Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Phoenix is one of the cities with the largest population of Native Americas with 43,724; 3.02 %. Many have told Arizona Independent that it is important to bring out the truth of narratives that have been sugar coated.  "For us to celebrate a man who’s done these horrible atrocities against indigenous people, to me, it’s a slap in the face. I understand where the Italian-American community is coming from, it gives them a chance to celebrate their heritage, but at the expense of another’s culture." 

By changing the name to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we recognise the suffering that Native Americans have faced. Although Columbus Day acts as a symbol for Italian-Americans, it is important to understand the truth of history and move forward, more states adopting Indigenous People’s Day brings about greater understanding.

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On the First Day of Christmas the White House Brought to me a Long History of Controversy

 In a year that has seen considerable turbulence with the Coronavirus pandemic, and the US Presidential election, the ‘season to be jolly,’ is now upon us. Yet it would seem even Christmas is enough to breed controversy when the Trumps are involved.

 In keeping with tradition, First Lady, Melania Trump has again taken on the task of decorating the White House, opting for the theme ‘America the Beautiful,’ a ‘strikingly normal,’ look compared to previous years. Also, in keeping with tradition, Ms. Trump has caused Christmas controversy.

In the past there has been a great deal of criticism surrounding Christmas at the White House. The Nixon’s came under fire for topping their tree with the ‘atomic peace,’ symbol, as did the Clinton’s for displaying an ornament mocking opponent Newt Gingrich. Even Michelle Obama somewhat controversially used her ‘Reflect/Rejoice/Renew,’ theme to present Obama’s presidency as ushering in a new era.

This year, Melania’s equally politically charged decorations reference her ‘Be Best,’ initiative (adorning the Blue Room tree), as well as a Space Force logo on a trinket found in the East Room. Nonetheless, the biggest source of controversy appears to be a leaked audiotape in which Melania asks, ‘who gives a fuck about Christmas stuff.’ This release, following Trump’s declaration ‘Christmas… will be cancelled,’ if Biden takes office, has naturally resulted in many criticising the Trumps, pointing out the irony of the situation.

Despite criticisms however, Melania has arguably brought a somewhat classier feel to her decorations this year, celebrating transportation in the East Room, wildlife in the Green Room, and displaying children’s drawings relating to Women’s Suffrage. Regardless, I wish you all a Merry Christmas.

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Potatotally Heading towards a boost in sales

The Potato Head has joined the Aunt Jemima’s Syrup and Uncle Ben’s Rice as brands having a face lift as the boundaries of social justice expand.

My first response to this is ‘Who cares? I haven’t thought about any tuber-based toy since at least the release of Toy Story 3’ and unfortunately the answer is ‘all of us’. Without the fancy balance sheets and stock reports I can’t say how well this has worked out for Hasbro, but a quick check of Google Trends proves no one can stop giving them free advertising.

And it works two-fold: those against the change will rush out and buy the old Mr. Potato Head and likely stuff it in the attic never to be seen, while those in support excitedly buy a brand new Potato Head… and proceed to stuff it in the basement never to be seen again.

And this isn’t just an ingenious tactic for just Hasbro. Are you telling me no one at Burger King in the age of million-dollar PR campaigns looked at this tweet and didn’t think about the backlash? And yet come International Women’s Day, only one fast food chain was trending on Twitter. Corporations don’t care if you burn your Nike trainers or swear off Goya Beans for a week until you need to make a chilli, each overreaction has an equal and opposite overreaction on the other side of the political spectrum, and ten more who remember they need new trainers or that their potato loving niece’s birthday is coming up. And it all comes together to buy the CEO their third yacht.

Now I’m off to eat a Whopper.

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Indigenous Peoples Day gains the recognition that it arguably deserves

This week brings news of Phillidelphia mayor Jim Kenney’s decision to participatie in the ongoing movement to better recognise the achievements and histories of the Native peoples and change Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day. This decision has unsurprisingly raised tensions between the Italian and Native American demographics.

This is not the first instance of a proposition to rename the holiday, as for as long as the holiday has been in place, not everyone has united in celebration of either the day or of Columbus’ legacy. An organised protest took place in Berkeley, California, in 1992, planned against the celebration of the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ landing. Furthermore, A committee led by Berkeley resident John Curl also successfully petitioned the city council to rename the holiday, which then birthed the movement to rename. This was done to ensure an homage to Native history instead of to the man who effectively ensured its demise. Since then, 14 states and over 130 cities now celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day.

Mayor Kenney’s decision has sparked, in response, a lawsuit filed by Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organisations, along with the 1492 Society, and was also supported by Mark Squaller, an Italian American member of the Philadelpia City Council. It proposed to block the name change on the grounds that it constituted an act of discrimination, particularly agaisnt Italian Americans, who many of which view Columbus’ ‘discovery’ of America as a celebration of Italy’s role in the foundation of the US. The law suit claims that the decision is part of a larger pattern of discrimination against Italian American citizens of Philadelphia, that is claimed to have been perpetrated by Kenney, and his office, especially with the removal of the Frank Rizzo statue in 2020.

The thing is though, Columbus never held an Italian heritage and worked mostly for the Spanish and Portuguese governments.