1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am demanding that you stand up to the politicians and activists who are turning Texas into a national symbol of censorship. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has made restricting what Texas children can read a political mission. That is wrong. It is dangerous. And it has no place in a state that claims to value freedom. I decide what my children read—not Dan Patrick, not a school board, not a politician, and certainly not the government. Parents have every right to guide their own children’s reading. But no politician has the right to impose their personal beliefs on every family in Texas by removing books from public schools and libraries simply because they find them uncomfortable, controversial, or objectionable. Books introduce children to people, cultures, histories, experiences, and ideas different from their own. They build empathy, curiosity, critical thinking, and understanding. Taking books away does none of those things. It teaches children that ideas should be feared and that inconvenient stories should be erased. And let’s be honest about where this road leads: the “good guys” never ban books. History has shown us again and again that censorship is a weapon used by people who want to control what others are allowed to know. Texas should be leading the nation in educational opportunity—not competing for the title of most censored state. We are becoming a national laugh stock! I demand that Texas leaders reject political book bans, protect access to diverse literature, defend our librarians and educators, and respect parents’ right to make decisions for their own children. Stop the censorship. Stop the intimidation. Stop letting politicians decide what Texas children are allowed to read. Our children deserve books, not bans. Texas deserves better. Sincerely - A Texas Parent and Constituent