1. United States
2. Ill.
3. Letter

October 10 is Let Freedom Read Day during National Banned Books Week. I urge you to defend our First Amendment freedoms, protect education, and confront the threat of censorship and authoritarianism. The freedom to read is inseparable from the freedom to think, question, and challenge those in power. When governments dictate which books people can access, which histories students can learn, and which voices can be heard, we must recognize the danger. Censorship is a tool of authoritarianism used to control, suppress dissent, and undermine democracy. Book bans are escalating as the Trump administration pursues policies threatening academic freedom, restricting discussions of race and gender, undermining educational institutions, and pressuring those who challenge its agenda. Government power must never be a weapon against intellectual freedom or constitutionally protected expression. George Orwell’s 1984 and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 warn of the dangers of controlling information and suppressing independent thought. Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings reminds us why people must be free to share their experiences and confront uncomfortable truths. These books speak directly to the freedoms we must defend today. Our children deserve an education that teaches critical thinking, not one that shields them from inconvenient truths. Educators, librarians, and journalists deserve freedom from political intimidation. Every American deserves access to diverse perspectives and the freedom to think independently. I urge you to: * Oppose censorship and book bans. Resist efforts to suppress ideas that challenge political agendas. * Protect education and academic freedom. Oppose policies that intimidate educators, politicize classrooms, or undermine educational institutions. * Defend free speech and a free press. Challenge government retaliation against those who lawfully speak, teach, report, and dissent. * Demand accountability. Use congressional oversight to investigate efforts to suppress viewpoints or undermine constitutional protections. * Call out authoritarianism. When leaders attack independent institutions, punish dissent, or control information, name these actions plainly. * Champion educational access. Support libraries, educators, students, and access to diverse sources of information. There is a difference between debating ideas and using government power to silence them. Authoritarianism advances when institutions weaken, dissent is punished, and those entrusted to defend democracy remain silent. On this Let Freedom Read Day, be bold in defending our constitutional rights. Use your power to challenge censorship, protect education, and hold this administration accountable. The freedom to read is the freedom to question authority, and that freedom is essential to democracy. Our democracy depends on representatives willing to defend the First Amendment, especially when doing so is difficult. Please be one of them. Thank you