Classical Western literature, from Homer to Shakespeare and from Mark Twain to Harper Lee, is being destroyed today, just as the Islamic State and the early Christians destroyed ancient images that offended them. And they will not develop the logical and critical thinking skills necessary to understand and grapple with the great controversial ideas of classical Western literature. Its history has shaped Western literature–like Star Trek–for some 3,000 years. And so today, as is often the case, the amazing complexity of great literature and great writers is reduced to excessive bigotry and political correctness. Author Padma Venkatraman wrote an essay entitled “Weeding the Invisible Roots of Racism: Rethinking Children’s Classics” in the School Library Journal. Just a few days ago, bigots in San Francisco began removing offensive titles from public schools. But now these narrow-minded minds, who determine what books children can read, are the dictators of a new tolerant culture. When children associate literature with political indoctrination, whether right-wing or left-wing, the smart guys build a wall and shut it down. They put reprehensible literature on the back shelf, inaccessible to young people, where it gets lost and collects dust in the shadows. The political left and the growing movement for destruction–fueled by critical racial theory–in America’s public schools want to get rid of it. Challenging old classics is the literary equivalent of replacing statues of racist characters, “she” writes. But the purge of great literature often takes place in silence, among observant teachers and librarians. Odysseus the Wanderer, written for children by classicist Aubrey de Selincourt. If the new test for all literature, movies, statues–everything of historical value–is one hundred percent purity, they will all fail. This is Homer’s version of The Odyssey, the greatest adventure story ever told. Those who deny classical literature make themselves look like barbarians.
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