Nolan Out Loud: Ban the book banners

Book banning is back in fashion in California.

The folks who run the Burbank public schools have outlawed several classics for being racist, among them: To Kill a Mockingbird, Huckleberry Finn and Of Mice and Men.

This is outrageous ignorance. All three books are powerful challenges to racism. 

Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn explores the internal struggles of a boy coming to the recognition of the humanity of a slave.

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee's masterpiece, is a direct assault on the Jim Crow  legal system and one man's courage in standing against the mob to confront it. It has particular relevance to the Black Lives Movement. 

And John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men attempts to explain what it means to be human.

All three use the vernacular of the times in which the novels are set. And that's the root of the objections. It's obviously the only parts of the book the Burbank censors read.

Keep toddlers in class

Michigan school districts are making a huge mistake in shutting down pre-school classes. We know these are critical learning years, and that's why the state has been pushing for universal pre-school. We also know that young children are the least at risk from Covid-19. These years that can't be reclaimed. See my column today.

Amazon Rx

Pharmacy stocks took a beating this week after Amazon announced it will start delivering medicines to doorsteps. There will soon be no sector of the retail economy not dominated by the online merchandizer. My question: How will they keep thieves from scooping up the medicinal packages? Prescription drugs are a target of home burglars. Porches will be prime pickings.

ETC.

Keep that bottle of Listerine close by. Scientists say gargling mouthwash for 30 seconds kills the coronavirus. I hope they do some research on bourbon soon.

The self-righteous intolerance of the left never ends. A petition is circulating at Harvard to ban any Trump administration official from speaking, teaching or even attending classes at the elite school.

If Donald Trump doesn't attend Joe Biden's inauguration, he won't be the first president who's snubbed his successor. A brief history. 

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