Ending Biden's Book Ban Hoax | Miranda Family Commission | Show Choir Hazing
Guaranteed to Be More Fun than a Poke in the Eye
Despite President Trump’s inauguration and his administration’s wide-sweeping activities (some good; others questionable) of the past two weeks, I only wrote on one action taken. For better and for worse, the pace of action has been, in a word, frenetic, so I’m going to let things settle a bit before writing more about much of it (it’s not like there’s been a lack written about the good, bad, and ugly already).
Sources and articles for this edition of Second Drafts include:
Department of Education: U.S. Department of Education Ends Biden’s Book Ban Hoax
Playbill: The Miranda Family Fund Commissions Everything You Need to Know About Abortion in One Hour or Less
WANDTV: Show Choir Suspended, then Reinstated after Investigation into Hazing
Comments are open after each article if you’d like to engage and share your own thoughts. The more, the merrier, but be warned: they’re public, so be reasonable.
As always, thanks for reading Second Drafts,
Craig
PS: For those (like my wife) wondering if January actually has an end to it, today is the day. Congratulations! You made it to the 31st! Please celebrate responsibly.
Department of Education: U.S. Department of Education Ends Biden’s Book Ban Hoax
A former high school student of mine (now a high school teacher herself) shared this press release from the U.S. Department of Education (now under new management in Washington, D.C.). The press release began:
“On Jan. 20, 2025, incoming OCR [Office for Civil Rights] leadership initiated a review of alleged ‘book banning’ cases pending at the department.”
The article continued in the following section, as excerpted by my former student:
“Attorneys quickly confirmed that books are not being ‘banned,’ but that school districts, in consultation with parents and community stakeholders, have established commonsense processes by which to evaluate and remove age-inappropriate materials.”
Her commentary came next:
“Explicitly trying to rewrite the meaning of the word ‘ban’ by simply describing a ban in multiple words. Ban: ‘an official or legal prohibition.’ Books being prohibited on school grounds by a district or school board is an official prohibition—a ban.
Also notice the labeling of efforts to investigate book bans as a ‘hoax’ not as ‘ridiculous’ or ‘unnecessary’; the latter descriptions are an opinion, the term ‘hoax’ is the language of propaganda and a word that carries explicit connotations of conspiracy.”
Wanting to make sure I fully understood her observation, I left a comment:
“Just wanting to make sure I’m tracking with you. What are you saying is positive/negative here? Need a little more to better understand.”
She wrote back in a private message (reprinted below with her permission):
“I was pointing out the fact that the new voices of the Dept. of Ed. were (as I understood) claiming that book banning has/is not taking place in our country and that the basis of the committee for investigating whether these book bans are constitutional or not was a hoax. My issue with this is that the statement offers the definition of a ban and says that that definition is not a ban.
My second issue is the use of the word ‘hoax’ implies that the new Dept. of Ed. wants the general public to believe that not only are book bans non-existent in this country but that any reports of book bans are a ‘hoax’ on the American people. To me I see eerie similarities to the Ministry of Truth in 1984 redefining words and rewriting events.”
Now, I’m no fan of generally banning books, nor of unleashing inappropriate material on children. My perspective: let wisdom and virtue lead parental common sense and have the courage to call the action what it needs to be called.
But I’m also not big on press releases (regardless of administration) written to redefine language and including an abundance of air quotes. We can do better.
I appreciated my former student’s nuanced critique of what she read and agree that, if the Department of Education is going to stick around (sigh), let’s at least not swap out old ideological brainwashing tactics with new and different ones.
Playbill: The Miranda Family Fund Commissions Everything You Need to Know About Abortion in One Hour or Less
Oh, that creative types like Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In the Heights, Moana) might discover and promote the virtues of chastity and fidelity (among others). Instead, we get his (and his family’s) propagandist schlock shilling for (what else?) unfettered abortion access, as reported earlier this month in Playbill:
“Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Miranda Family Fund has commissioned Everything You Need to Know About Abortion in One Hour or Less, a new play by The Wish Collective—Justice Hehir, Dena Igusti, Phanésia Pharel, Nia Akilah Robinson, and Julia Specht.
The new play is now available for the public to download, perform, stage, and adapt for free without any additional licensing thanks to the Fund's contribution. Click here to download the play.”
I downloaded and read the play in its 80-page entirety, and let me tell you: there is so much more that you need to know about abortion. Here’s the promo blurb:
“Set in an Oklahoma high school in December 2023, EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ABORTION IN ONE HOUR OR LESS tells the story of an educator ready to retire who decides on her last day she is going to educate high school students about medicated abortions, crisis pregnancy centers, and how to be a caring companion to someone having an abortion. Acknowledging she's in a ban state, with consent from her students, she locks them inside their auditorium, and risks it all by providing links like this one.”1
Here’s some initial dialogue (note the avoidance of detail) from the script:
HEALTH TEACHER
“We have abortion mentioned and not condemned multiple times in the bible…so, abortion is present in almost every civilization. For some it’s just a normal part of life, for some it’s a social problem, for a lot of reasons, often because it interrupts patrilineal property ownership, but blah blah blah, I don’t want to get too far in the weeds.” (pages 17, 19)
Here’s the show’s overriding ethic (or lack thereof) and its application:
HEALTH TEACHER
“If you’re here in Oklahoma you can’t tell a doctor what you took, you might be prosecuted. If you have to go to the hospital yourself, or if you have to take someone to the hospital, under no circumstances whatsoever should you disclose that anyone took anything. You go to the hospital and you say they’re bleeding and you don’t know why.VINETTA raises her hand.
Yes, Vinetta.VINETTA
What if they ask like, directly?HEALTH TEACHER
Lie. Sorry guys, I really wish you didn’t have to. But you do.” (page 29)
The rest of the script calls for the cast to play-act how to support those going for abortions. As expected, there’s no scene involving doubt of decision, nor any discussion of other possible options (never mind any allusions to what might have led to getting pregnant in the first place). These lines may come closest:
TRAVIS
“Well I…I like abortion. I mean I don’t LIKE abortion, or, but sorry no I, here’s what I meant, I meant, I like that people can have abortions, like I want the people I love to be able to have them……I don’t want life to be harder than it has to be. Like I have a cousin who had a…it’s a long story but she was pregnant and she had a really hard time and I just don’t want anyone to have to go through all that. If they don’t want to.”
The worst disservice of the play is its absolute mischaracterization of crisis pregnancy centers, which comprises seven pages (61-68) of dialogue. An excerpt:
HEALTH TEACHER
“So they get you in the door by seeming so real, that you trust them, and you’re willing to do what they say.Their next strategy is running out the clock, like I said. If they make a person hesitate for long enough, especially in a state where abortion is legal, that person’s window to get an abortion through an actual clinic will close, and they will lose yet another option.
So they’ll never say ‘we can’t give you an abortion here.’ They’ll maintain the illusion that it’s an option they can provide. They’ll stall—they’ll do the ultrasound, and say ‘if you still want an abortion, come back in 72 hours and we’ll help you.’ They’ll string people along until there aren’t any options left.”2
Miranda and his family’s commissioning of this project is both a waste of funds and an ugly bastardization of his artistry that is not at all true, good, or beautiful. It’s sad to see one so blessed with talent and resources use them for evil purposes.
WANDTV: Local show choir suspended, then reinstated after investigation into hazing
Keeping it local (Chatham is a bedroom community south of Springfield), I confess this story about local show choir hazing caused me to do a double-take:
“Glenwood High School’s show choir has been suspended, pending an investigation into hazing and bullying, according to the Ball-Chatham School District.
The district announced the suspension on Friday, following a meeting with parents Thursday night. BCSD5 said that multiple incidents of bullying and hazing within the Titan Fever show choir have been reported.
According to the choir's website, over 60 students are involved in Titan Fever and the T-Funk Combo. The choir schedule showed the group had planned on going to a competition in Iowa on Jan. 25.”
It used to be back in the day that the athletes picked on the artsy kids, who then found each other and took refuge in band, chorus, and theater. But now the artsy kids are hazing their own? By doing what? Making the basses sing like sopranos? Forbidding the singing of Wicked? What all comprises show choir hazing?
I jest, but not with malice or from an outsider’s uninformed perspective. As an athlete who participated in all the arts, I saw plenty of ego to go around in sports and on stage, but we had adults (more or less) in charge who instilled a sense of responsibility to make the most of what we could, together.
As of this past week, it looks like the TFever kids will get a second chance:
“School officials shared an update Sunday that after an investigation, the show choir group will be able to continue practice Monday Jan. 27.
The district said, ‘All students who are part of the show choir program were included as part of the investigation in order to provide every student an opportunity to privately share any information or concerns.’”
The statement continued:
“As a district, we are committed to adhering to state and federal laws, as well as district policies, which require maintaining confidentiality and protecting student privacy. Therefore, we will not share names, details, or any information related to student discipline. To ensure ongoing student safety, BCSD5 will review and strengthen current supervision and safety measures. BCSD5 values our fine arts programs and recognizes the efforts of our students within those programs while ensuring the well-being of every student.”
On the Titan/TFever Facebook page, a parent of a former member had written:
“I’m sick to hear of the news about the bullying stuff. I’m sick to hear about the possibility of no Showchoir participation for the rest of the year! Although I know very little details…and I am a previous Tfever parent…I am a retired teacher of music and Showchoir…I am most positive that this would never happen to a sport team for their entire season!?! It is absolutely out of line!”
Sadly, a lesson lost on one generation can become one easily lost on the next. If the cry of “Unfair!” becomes louder than the call for “Honor!” in helping the kids take responsibility for bad student behavior, maybe the show really shouldn’t go on.
“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” Mark Twain
This link is to one of many abortion pill sites, the latest loophole employed to get around laws in states in which surgical abortion is illegal.
From the website for First Step Women’s Center, where I volunteer each Wednesday: “We provide education on abortion and pregnancy options. We do not refer for or perform abortions or provide emergency contraceptives.”