Maus book ban (petition)

Please sign my petition telling the McMinn County School Board to overturn its ban on the important Holocaust book "Maus."

Sign the petition: Don't ban books about the Holocaust!

Dear MoveOn member,

Yesterday was Holocaust Remembrance Day. When I was growing up, the Holocaust loomed large in my family. I knew my grandparents had survived the Holocaust, but I also knew they found it hard to talk about.

In middle school, my mom encouraged me to read a groundbreaking book called "Maus." It's a graphic novel that told the story of how the author's own father had survived Nazi concentration camps. Because it was a graphic novel, and because of the powerful storytelling, it was easy to understand and helped me learn about what my family members had gone through.

Since it was published 30 years ago, countless children and teenagers have learned about the Holocaust through "Maus." So I was shocked to learn that a school board in Tennessee has banned this important book for 8th graders.

Please sign my petition telling the McMinn County School Board to overturn its ban on the important Holocaust book "Maus."

This is the same dangerous thinking that has lead to students being deprived the opportunity to learn about a range of issues including slavery, racism, sexuality and gender-based discrimination in the classroom. Some politicians and other officials want to whitewash history, and prevent students from accessing material that deals honestly and accurately with our grim social history.

When I was a child, we were told to "never forget" the lessons of the Holocaust. But as time goes on, fewer and fewer students are taught about this horrific time in history. A recent survey found that most respondents didn't even know that over 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust.

Some misguided folks like those on the McMinn school board want to deny students the opportunity to learn about atrocities ranging from slavery in the United States to the Holocaust—but those decisions also deprive our communities of important resources to teach tolerance and empathy.

I was 13 when I read this book, the same age as the students in Tennessee. It left a powerful impact on me, and I'm so glad my mom encouraged me to read it. It helped me understand what my grandparents and other families went through, but it also helped me understand how important it is to stand up for human rights and against injustice. These are important lessons for teenagers to learn.

Sign the petition today to reinstate "Maus" and make sure students learn the important lessons of the Holocaust.

Thanks!

–Raz P., ParentsTogether

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