Given the rabid rightwingism of most Republican officeholders in my state of Texas, you might assume that the climate here is only fit for rattlesnakes, scorpions, and venomous critters of pious political extremism.

Yet, the true Texas political character (historically and currently) is vehemently anti-corporate and deeply rooted in the uniting ethic of the Common Good. For an historic example, look to the state’s first constitution – it outlawed banks and required a two-thirds vote of the legislature to form a corporation!

And today, grassroots Texans in the rural town of Llano have just demonstrated the power of progressive community values that are common in this supposedly-conservative state. The issue was book-banning – a batch of political extremists had decided to purge the public library of 17 books. Porno! they shrieked. Yet, none are pornographic. They are simply about ideas and realities that Republican culture-war zealots don’t like – namely books documenting the history of institutional racism in America and the normality of America’s LGBTQ community.

Common sense Llano locals rebelled, suing the county government for autocratically trying to control the people’s freedom to read and learn. And, a federal judge has now ruled that the book banning was flagrantly unconstitutional, ordering the targeted titles back on the shelves.

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