Let me explain something about my carpentry skills: As a young kid, I was required in eighth grade to go through “Shop” class, where we worked with power tools and learned everything there was to know about being a good “young man.” Girls took Home Economics and boys, Shop. We were not given a choice in the matter. My goodness do I wish I could have swapped, because I had no ability, at all, to work a power tool. This manifested to the extent that in the end, I managed to pass the course with good grades because I helped my teacher figure out how to hook up a VHS cart and was willing go fetch drinks and whatever was needed. Outside of that, the only accomplishment I had was creating a salt and pepper shaker set that somehow managed to leak salt from the bottom. 

As an adult, though, thanks to a lot more time and effort, I’ve learned more about how to do it myself when it comes to tools. Still, don’t count on me for work unless it comes to electric, running ethernet, or basic home repairs. And I mean basic home repairs. Don’t ask me to paint a damn thing unless you want paint as much on my floor, ceiling, and clothes as on the walls. As I watch more and more communities work on banning books, I’ve decided now is the right time to do something about it.

Book banning has become the conservative fad at the moment, and books of all kinds are banned: books about racism; books about sexuality; books about LGBTQ youth; books about hatred; books about Nazism; books about history; etc.

Some of the books involved are books I’ve never heard of but would be interested to read now. Others represent books that provide everyone an opportunity to discuss the facts and feelings of certain situations and what really matters. Banning White Bird because it opens up the discussion of the Holocaust? Going after Perks of Being a Wallflower? City of Thieves? Beloved? The Hate U Give? To Kill a Mockingbird? 

Come on now. 

Let me stock up a little library outside of my house. Come one, come all. Nice books to lend and to have. Take it if you want. Leave one if you want to share. I’ve got plenty to share back and forth. 

There is a crude and, frankly, ridiculous feeling among the conservatives that they will shelter their children from the truth and decide to make sure that no one really knows history, really hears the viewpoint of someone else, and surely avoids developing critical thinking skills to determine their own beliefs.

Why not? I need a project or two that doesn’t just place me behind the screen of a computer or on Zoom calls with candidates and organizations. I mean, seriously, I absolutely love my job. In my off time, I can do something fun for myself that is the equivalent for me of saying: “Yeah, this is my lawn and I’ll control what is out there on it.”

Come on by. Get your banned books here. I may need my girlfriend to paint and make sure it isn’t a total disaster, but at least the blueprints are freely available.