Torching Words: The View Worries About ‘Paper Genocide’ Against Books

June 16th, 2023 3:06 PM

Recently, the loony left has taken to calling any sort of opposition to their agenda some form of “genocide.” Take their hysterical and false accusation of a “genocide” against transgenders, for example. Well, during Friday’s episode of ABC’s The View, racist co-host Sunny Hostin added a new one to the list when she described the supposed banning of books as “paper genocide.” This proclamation came while Hostin touted mothers who were able to hand out such books without getting arrested.

Since it was Friday, The View had another installment of Joy Behar’s “Banned Book Club,” where they highlighted books that were supposedly “banned” but for some strange reason were still readily available for purchase. This time it was about Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag.

“It was one of the most banned picture books last year. They're so uptight about these books it's unbelievable,” Behar proclaimed. Faux conservative and drag queen aficionado Ana Navarro agreed and said she was going to get a bunch of copies, “take them to Florida, and give them away for free.”

That idea reminded Hostin of women who she supposedly knew where she lived in liberal New York who would buy and give banned books to libraries. And according to her, they were the ones trying to “stop this paper genocide”:

That's a great idea. There are mothers who -- I think Ana really touched on something. There are mothers groups where I live and they're picking up banned books and giving them back to schools, giving them back to libraries. And there are mobile little libraries filled with banned books. And I think maybe that's the only way that we can stop this paper genocide that we're seeing of our history. We need to insist that we get these books back out there.

 

 

Hostin didn’t provide any information about where they were bringing the books. Were they giving them to New York schools? If they are actually banned in the schools, what’s the use of giving them the books? They’d have to get rid of them anyway.

In a previous edition of “Joy’s Banned Book Club,” they pushed a false claim that a book of poems was banned in a school district because it was moved from the elementary school library to the middle school library. They’ve also blamed conservatives for a book banned by liberals. So, this recurring segment wasn’t about honesty and accuracy.

Since the theme of the segment was Pride Month, they kicked off the conversation with how “Republicans were up in arms because the White House displayed a rainbow flag during a pride celebration.” She falsely claimed the massive pride flag that overshadowed the American flags flanking it was “in total compliance” with the U.S. Flag Code. She claimed it was fine because the White House had an American flag above it.

But that’s not what the U.S. Flag Code says. As explained by Military.com, “No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America” and it often calls for the American flag to take the position of honor.

And while Behar and Navarro were claiming that Republicans “will try” to “ban the rainbow” from the sky, they omitted the fact that the Biden administration hosted trans folks that ran around topless on the White House grounds. So much for keeping it to the privacy of the bedroom.

The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:

ABC’s The View
June 16, 2023
11:14:59 a.m. Eastern

(…)

JOY BEHAR: So, let me start with this, because this week Republicans were up in arms because the White House displayed a rainbow flag during a pride celebration. There's a picture of it in the White House. They were outraged because they said the pride flag was too prominent and that it violated the U.S. Flag Code. Okay?

But when you – But they clipped it. When you see the full picture, you see the uncropped photo. There's a U.S. flag waving high above the White House in total compliance with protocol. So, they all -- they just flapping their lips about it and clipped the picture.

ANA NAVARRO: Any moment they're going to want to ban the rainbow.

BEHAR: Well, they will try. They will try. They will try. But because of books like Pride, which is a book about basically how the rainbow flag came about and it has to do with Harvey Milk, who was assassinated in San Francisco.

Anyway, I read this book. It's charming. It's about basically about Harvey Milk and how the whole thing came about. And I think kids would like it too. Because it's a children's book. It's called Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag. Its authors are Rob Sanders and illustrator Steve Salerno. It was one of the most banned picture books last year. They're so uptight about these books it's unbelievable.

NAVARRO: Well, I'm going to take them to Florida and give them away for free.

[Applause]

BEHAR: Speaking of that, everyone in the audience is getting a copy for free.

[Applause]

HOSTIN: That's a great idea. There are mothers who -- I think Ana really touched on something. There are mothers groups where I live and they're picking up banned books and giving them back to schools, giving them back to libraries. And there are mobile little libraries filled with banned books. And I think maybe that's the only way that we can stop this paper genocide that we're seeing of our history. We need to insist that we get these books back out there.

ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: And by the way, with regard to the outrage over the flag pride being displayed at the White House. I have some unfortunate news for the MAGA crowd. Donald Trump sells pride merch on his website.

(…)