HOUSE RESOLUTION NO.139
Reps. Byrnes, Miller, Dievendorf, Edwards, Morgan, Hope,
Hoskins, Arbit, Morse, Rheingans, Breen, Tsernoglou, Wilson, Coffia,
McFall, Andrews, Churches, McKinney, Brixie, Wegela, Brabec, Conlin
and Glanville offered the following resolution:
1 A resolution to declare October 1-7, 2023, as Banned Books
2 Week in the state of Michigan.
3 Whereas, The freedom to read is essential to our democracy and
4 reading is among our greatest freedoms; and
5 Whereas, Privacy is essential to the exercise of that freedom
6 and the right to privacy is the right to open inquiry without
7 having the subject of one's interest examined or scrutinized by
8 others; and
9 Whereas, The freedom to read is protected by our constitution;
10 and
Banned Books W 23H
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1 Whereas, Some individuals, groups, and public authorities work
2 to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content
3 in schools, to label views as "controversial,” to distribute lists
4 of "objectionable" books or authors, and to purge libraries of
5 materials reflecting the diversity of society; and
6 Whereas, Both governmental intimidation and the fear of
7 censorship cause authors who seek to avoid attacks on their work to
8 practice self-censorship, thus limiting our access to new ideas;
9 and
10 Whereas, Every silencing of dissent, every enforcement of a
11 conventionality, diminishes the imagination and resilience of
12 American society and leaves it less able to deal with controversy
13 and difference; and
14 Whereas, Americans still favor free enterprise in ideas and
15 expression, and can be trusted to exercise critical judgment, to
16 recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own
17 decisions about what they read and believe, and to exercise the
18 responsibilities that accompany this freedom; and
19 Whereas, Intellectual freedom is essential to the preservation
20 of a free society and a creative culture; and
21 Whereas, Conformity limits the range and variety of inquiry
22 and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend; and
23 Whereas, The American Library Association's Banned Books Week:
24 celebrating the freedom to read is observed during the first week
25 of October as a reminder to Americans not to take their precious
26 freedom for granted; and
27 Whereas, Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to select
28 reading materials that reflect a wide range of opinions,
29 identities, and lived experiences, and reinforces the importance of
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1 every person’s right to gain access to ideas that challenge
2 societal norms and empower them to read with pride; now, therefore,
3 be it
4 Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of
5 this legislative body declare October 1-7, 2023, as Banned Books
6 Week in the state of Michigan.