I recieved this email from Edward J. Renehan Jr., illume Media / New Street Communications, LLC - Newport, RI:
"As an author, a registered Democrat, and a proud member of American PEN, I'm a free speech absolutist who staunchly opposes all book bans - whether we are talking about conservative activists seeking to ban LGTBQ titles or liberal activists trying to ban "Of Mice and Men" and "Huckleberry Finn," as has happened.
"I live in North Kingstown and am astonished to see our various Independent candidates for School Committee branded as book banners in your recently published "scorecard" which is based - as you say - on the decisions of an un-named "team of volunteers" researching "candidate records, news stories, and direct emailing candidates to request information."
"In fact, I'm not aware of a single one of NK's Independent candidates for School Committee ever calling for book bans of any kind. I also note that absolutely NONE of them are endorsed by "Moms for Liberty" or any similar organization, even though that sort of thing is pretty much de rigueur for book ban candidates these days, including a number of candidates in RI towns other than NK.
"I'm likewise astonished to see Steven Ahlquist in his Substack article concerning your "Scorecard" explicitly describe Megan Reilly of North Kingstown as a book banner. At ONE meeting of the North Kingstown School Committee quite some time ago Ms. Reilly stood up and questioned the age-appropriateness of certain literature for school libraries. That is a far cry from burning books in the town square. At no time during that conversation did Ms. Reilly call for any book to be "banned." Not only that, but she certainly has never "led" a "book banning campaign" such as is described in Ahlquist's Substack report. In fact, there has never been such a "campaign" here in North Kingstown that I am aware of.
"For two years running (2023/24) each spring here in North Kingstown we have had the "We Are All Readers" book festival held at our high-school and sponsored by Towards An Anti-Racist North Kingstown, headed by School Committee incumbent Jennifer Lima. I am not aware of a single voice ever being raised in opposition to this event - and I include in this the voices of the people who are now Independent candidates for our School Committee. (For reasons unknown to me there will apparently be a hiatus and no such festival in 2025. Whatever the reason, it is not because of opposition. Perhaps a funding issue. I just don't know.)
"Ironically, book banning is not even a hot-topic here in North Kingstown vis-a-vis the School Committee races. The focus here is on financial and administrative incompetence - boring but important matters of procedure, management, budgets, and allocation of resources. Still, given their lousy record concerning these mundane but vital issues, I can see why School Committee incumbents would prefer to talk about some sexy but hallucinatory pending local book banning Armageddon, just as Trump and Vance seem bent on talking about hallucinatory cat-eating Haitians instead of real issues. But it isn't working for our School Committee incumbents any more than it is working for the Trump/Vance circus.
"(Ironically, Ms. Reilly has attended and spoken at dozens of School Committee meetings through recent years. At one, as mentioned, she questioned age-appropriateness regarding certain literature. At ALL the others she has spoken to topics related to finance, strategic planning, and administrative procedures. The one local "campaign" that Ms. Reilly has headed was her successful fight last year against the approval of a large and highly-controversial local bond issue.)
"Truth be told, I'm not particularly worried about fallout from your scorecard, as I've not noticed any public commenter other than Alquist actually take notice of it. And I've never before heard of your organization - such as it is. But I have nevertheless felt compelled to set the record straight."
I recieved this email from Edward J. Renehan Jr., illume Media / New Street Communications, LLC - Newport, RI:
"As an author, a registered Democrat, and a proud member of American PEN, I'm a free speech absolutist who staunchly opposes all book bans - whether we are talking about conservative activists seeking to ban LGTBQ titles or liberal activists trying to ban "Of Mice and Men" and "Huckleberry Finn," as has happened.
"I live in North Kingstown and am astonished to see our various Independent candidates for School Committee branded as book banners in your recently published "scorecard" which is based - as you say - on the decisions of an un-named "team of volunteers" researching "candidate records, news stories, and direct emailing candidates to request information."
"In fact, I'm not aware of a single one of NK's Independent candidates for School Committee ever calling for book bans of any kind. I also note that absolutely NONE of them are endorsed by "Moms for Liberty" or any similar organization, even though that sort of thing is pretty much de rigueur for book ban candidates these days, including a number of candidates in RI towns other than NK.
"I'm likewise astonished to see Steven Ahlquist in his Substack article concerning your "Scorecard" explicitly describe Megan Reilly of North Kingstown as a book banner. At ONE meeting of the North Kingstown School Committee quite some time ago Ms. Reilly stood up and questioned the age-appropriateness of certain literature for school libraries. That is a far cry from burning books in the town square. At no time during that conversation did Ms. Reilly call for any book to be "banned." Not only that, but she certainly has never "led" a "book banning campaign" such as is described in Ahlquist's Substack report. In fact, there has never been such a "campaign" here in North Kingstown that I am aware of.
"For two years running (2023/24) each spring here in North Kingstown we have had the "We Are All Readers" book festival held at our high-school and sponsored by Towards An Anti-Racist North Kingstown, headed by School Committee incumbent Jennifer Lima. I am not aware of a single voice ever being raised in opposition to this event - and I include in this the voices of the people who are now Independent candidates for our School Committee. (For reasons unknown to me there will apparently be a hiatus and no such festival in 2025. Whatever the reason, it is not because of opposition. Perhaps a funding issue. I just don't know.)
"Ironically, book banning is not even a hot-topic here in North Kingstown vis-a-vis the School Committee races. The focus here is on financial and administrative incompetence - boring but important matters of procedure, management, budgets, and allocation of resources. Still, given their lousy record concerning these mundane but vital issues, I can see why School Committee incumbents would prefer to talk about some sexy but hallucinatory pending local book banning Armageddon, just as Trump and Vance seem bent on talking about hallucinatory cat-eating Haitians instead of real issues. But it isn't working for our School Committee incumbents any more than it is working for the Trump/Vance circus.
"(Ironically, Ms. Reilly has attended and spoken at dozens of School Committee meetings through recent years. At one, as mentioned, she questioned age-appropriateness regarding certain literature. At ALL the others she has spoken to topics related to finance, strategic planning, and administrative procedures. The one local "campaign" that Ms. Reilly has headed was her successful fight last year against the approval of a large and highly-controversial local bond issue.)
"Truth be told, I'm not particularly worried about fallout from your scorecard, as I've not noticed any public commenter other than Alquist actually take notice of it. And I've never before heard of your organization - such as it is. But I have nevertheless felt compelled to set the record straight."
Anyone who wants to ban books should be banned from voting.