Glenn Beck, the far right wing conspiracy theorist and multi-millionaire broadcaster, went on a disinformation rant Tuesday, falsely claiming that Dr. Seuss’s children’s books are being “banned.”
In truth, out of the 60 or so books written by Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as “Dr. Seuss,” who died 30 years ago, the organization that owns the copyright to his works announced it is ceasing publication and licensing of six of his mostly lesser-known works because of racist depictions.
“Dr. Seuss Enterprises, working with a panel of experts, including educators, reviewed our catalog of titles and made the decision last year to cease publication and licensing of the following titles: And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo, McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat’s Quizzer,” their statement reads. “These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”
Like any business or copyright owner they have the right to produce or not produce what they want.
But according to Glenn Beck, that’s “fascism” and the “end of freedom in America.”
“They have now banned six books from Dr. Seuss,” Beck lied to his viewers Tuesday, not bothering to explain that “they” is Dr. Seuss Enterprises.
“Dr. Seuss,” he repeated, aghast. “You can no longer print these six books,” he declared, naming several of them.
“This according to a panel of educators and ‘experts,'” he said, with disdain for experts.
“They are banning Dr. Seuss books,” he repeated, again lying.
“How much more do you need to see before all of America wakes up and goes, ‘This is fascism. This is fascism.'”
“You don’t destroy books,” he continued, despite the fact that the books aren’t being destroyed, they are merely not printing more of them or licensing more of them.
There are no book burnings taking place at anti-Dr. Seuss rallies, the police are not showing up at schools, libraries, or homes with school-aged children. No “experts” are scrounging in anyone’s attic or tag sales. The “book police” are not getting search warrants to examine Amazon and Barnes & Noble sales data to track down Dr. Seuss fans.
But Beck wasn’t finished.
“What is wrong with us America?” he asked, not realizing what is wrong with America is staring at him in the mirror.
“Go out and buy those books today, find out if you can get ’em. Buy Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head,” he added, jumping on the lie they too have been banned.
“It’s the end of an era. It is the end of freedom in America, where you are bullied, to the point to where you better not have that book.”
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