2023 House Resolution 139

Whereas, The freedom to read is essential to our democracy and reading is among our greatest freedoms; and

Whereas, Privacy is essential to the exercise of that freedom and the right to privacy is the right to open inquiry without having the subject of one’s interest examined or scrutinized by others; and

Whereas, The freedom to read is protected by our constitution; and

Whereas, Some individuals, groups, and public authorities work to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label views as “controversial,” to distribute lists of “objectionable” books or authors, and to purge libraries of materials reflecting the diversity of society; and

Whereas, Both governmental intimidation and the fear of censorship cause authors who seek to avoid attacks on their work to practice self-censorship, thus limiting our access to new ideas; and

Whereas, Every silencing of dissent, every enforcement of a conventionality, diminishes the imagination and resilience of American society and leaves it less able to deal with controversy and difference; and

Whereas, Americans still favor free enterprise in ideas and expression, and can be trusted to exercise critical judgment, to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read and believe, and to exercise the responsibilities that accompany this freedom; and

Whereas, Intellectual freedom is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture; and

Whereas, Conformity limits the range and variety of inquiry and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend; and

Whereas, The American Library Association’s Banned Books Week: celebrating the freedom to read is observed during the first week of October as a reminder to Americans not to take their precious freedom for granted; and

Whereas, Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to select reading materials that reflect a wide range of opinions, identities, and lived experiences, and reinforces the importance of every person’s right to gain access to ideas that challenge societal norms and empower them to read with pride; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body declare October 1-7, 2023, as Banned Books Week in the state of Michigan.