To the Editor:

This is in response to the letter condemning the behavior of those opposed to censorship by the BOE at the meeting on May 16th.

I now believe that service to the children of this town is secondary to service of the agenda of the Republican party; and as such, the Republican members of the BOE present a threat to the well-being of many of the children under their care.

The two levels of ignorance are ignorance of content, and ignorance of the existence of content; the latter being most egregious. Banning books is an example of the latter. It funnels the spectrum of “what to think” into a narrow set of viewpoints and the BOE openly embraces that they want to teach our kids “how to think” about those viewpoints. The Republican members of this BOE are acting as purveyors of ignorance.

A year ago, while addressing the Newtown BOE, I referenced the issue of cultivated ignorance with the specific example of my son’s IXL homework question about WWII that touched on the battle of Midway and the surrender of Japan while excluding any mention of the atomic bombs. At the time, I thought that it may have been accidental, but I now believe that this is an example of cultivating ignorance in our youth and is core to the republican strategy.

If you are able to revere a statue of Thomas Jefferson, the hero and founding father, but unaware that he raped enslaved Black women then sold his own biological children into slavery, you are the product of cultivated ignorance. If you think Drag Queens are more harmful to our children than assault rifles and therefore more worthy of counteraction, you underscore my point that the assault weapon that you understand is less of a threat than the drag queen you don’t.

Banning these books supports ignorance, ignorance supports fear, and fear supports hate. Ignorance, fear, and hate are the most powerful facilitators for controlling other human beings.

Respectfully,

Konrad K. Miller

Newtown