Michigan School Board Bans USMC Memoir “Jarhead”

Grand Rapids’ ABC affiliate reports:

A school district in Ottawa County has voted to remove a bestselling memoir about one Marine’s time in the Persian Gulf War. The Hudsonville Public Schools (HPS) board narrowly decided to remove “Jarhead” from its school libraries by a vote of 4-3 last Monday. The decision came after two hours of public comment and discussion by the board. “We’re here to fight against darkness,” one community member said during public comment.

“We are allowing recruiters into schools where kids can sign on the dotted line, but they can’t read about actual service members and soldiers’ experiences,” another person said in opposition to the ban. The book was first brought to the boards attention due to complaints from parents who said the book disrespected the military and portrayed graphic scenes of violence and sex.

Read the full article. According to district librarians, the book has been checked out 21 times since being added to their collection in 2010.

The party that supports banning books is the party that is on the wrong side of history. https://t.co/bTNqLnXi2B

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) May 23, 2023