JOHN KENNEDY: Mr. Secretary, what are you asking us to do?
Are you suggesting that only librarians should decide
whether the two books that I just referenced
should be available to kids?
Is that what you're saying?
- No.
JOHN KENNEDY: OK.
Tell me what you're saying.
- Well, first of all, there's this--
JOHN KENNEDY: Don't give me a speech.
Tell me what you're asking me to do.
- With all due respect, senator, the words
you spoke are disturbing, especially
coming out of your mouth, is very disturbing.
But what I would also tell you that we're
not advocating for kids to read porn,
to Senator Booker's point.
JOHN KENNEDY: What are you advocating for?
- We are advocating for parents, random parents,
not to have the ability, under the guise of keeping kids safe,
to try and challenge the world view of every single manner
on these issues.
JOHN KENNEDY: You're getting conceptual again.
- I'm not getting conceptual. I'm saying that--
JOHN KENNEDY: Yes, you are. Yes, you are.
Because I want to know what you're recommending.
It sounds to me like what some of you are saying,
the librarians should decide who gets to see that book.
- I'm saying when you're making--
when individual parents are allowed to make a decision
of where that line is in "To Kill a Mockingbird,"
which involves a rape scene, should that book
be pulled from our libraries?
I think it becomes a slippery slope.
JOHN KENNEDY: Well, I think you ought
to think about it a little bit more before you come here.
- I've thought about, Senator--
JOHN KENNEDY: If you're going to propose something,
you ought to be able, in 30 seconds,
to be able to explain what you're asking us to do.
- Senator--
JOHN KENNEDY: Ms. Kelly, what do you understand?
Well, let me skip you for a second.
Mr. Cameron, tell me what you're proposing.
- It's pronounced Nicks.
JOHN KENNEDY: Nicks.
Is that how you--
how would you like me to refer to you?
- Senator, your definition of sexual
is synonymous with LGBTQ identity.
JOHN KENNEDY: I'm not asking you that.
I'm asking you to tell me you read those two excerpts.
- Gender queer--
JOHN KENNEDY: Do you think that--
are you asking that only librarians and not parents
have any say in whether minors can read those books?
Is that what you're saying?
- Gender queer has never been in my school library,
so it's never been banned.
JOHN KENNEDY: Well, suppose it was.
Should it be up just to the librarian,
or should parents have a say?
- There should be facilitation of collaboration
between students--
JOHN KENNEDY: Should parents have a say?
- Parents should be working with students and educators
to be making decisions because students--
JOHN KENNEDY: All right, and who decides ultimately?
The librarian or do you take a vote, or who takes the vote?
- Book review committees in the community
in my school district.
JOHN KENNEDY: You want a committee to decide?
- There are committees.
JOHN KENNEDY: OK.
Well, I'm asking you.
How do we decide whether the two books that I just referenced
should be available in the library?
What would you, if you were running things,
what would you do?
- "All Boys Aren't Blue," the scene you mentioned
is about sexual abuse.
JOHN KENNEDY: I know what it's about.
- It's not erotic.
JOHN KENNEDY: What would you do in terms
of making the books available?
Would you say anybody can see them,
or they have to be in a special session?
- Students who do not read books like "All Boys Aren't Blue"
cannot learn what is appropriate.
JOHN KENNEDY: I understand that. - They cannot learn about abuse.
JOHN KENNEDY: I understand, but none of you
want to answer my question.
You come here and you say censorship is bad.
And of course, it's bad.
But the obvious response is, OK, you heard
the books we're talking about.
OK, we're not talking about "Catcher in the Rye."
So tell me what you want-- who gets to decide.
And all I've heard is the librarians,
and parents have nothing to do with it.
And if that's your response, what planet
did you just parachute in from?
- Parents, senator--
JOHN KENNEDY: Or what country, more appropriately?
This is not China.
- Parents, senator, with all due respect,
parents absolutely have a say.
My parents were immigrants, came to this country.
We never checked out books without our parents seeing
what books we were reading.
They encouraged us to read books--
JOHN KENNEDY: Mr. Secretary, I understand
this is good for your politics back home.
- It's got nothing to do with my politics.
My bill has passed.
JOHN KENNEDY: Well, of course it doesn't.
- My bill has passed.
JOHN KENNEDY: It has everything to do with your politics.
- I'm here to--
JOHN KENNEDY: But you came here with a problem,
and I'm trying to understand the solution.
And you don't have one--
- We solved the solution.
We solved the solution in Illinois.
JOHN KENNEDY: --other than to tell us
that we don't agree with you.
You're on the wrong-- we'll be on the wrong side of history.
- We solved the problem in Illinois.
We fixed it because we pass laws that make--
JOHN KENNEDY: Well, there are others you could work on.
- Well, that's why I'm here, to help--
JOHN KENNEDY: I'm out of time. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
- --other states make these decisions.