Ban the Fascists, Free the Books

Two men standing outside. One is wearing a shirt that says "Ban the fascists. Free the Books." The other man's shirt says "Introverted but willing to discuss revolution."

The rise of far-right fascist ideologies is happening not only across the globe but also right here in the USA before our eyes. This is threatening the very foundations of democracy, equality, diversity, and intellectualism. In an effort to control the population, fascists are fervently working to dismantle our public education system. This is a multifaceted campaign that works to redirect taxpayer dollars into religious schools where they are free to manipulate the curriculum to promote a narrow, biased, hateful worldview. An ignorant population is easier to control and manipulate than an educated one.

This is why the battle over what books are accessible to students has intensified. Not only are the Karens attacking the books themselves, now they're going after publishers. Tennessee, for example, just passed SB 1059 which makes it a felony for  book publishers to distribute "obscene" material to schools. The law conveniently leaves it up to anyone's interpretation as to what's considered "obscene." Evangelical zealots' fingers are already itching to start pointing and screaming "WITCH!" Many of the titles under threat are those that teach vital lessons about Black history, introduce LGBTQ+ characters, and promote diversity and inclusion.

All of what's happening right now is the inspiration for our two latest shirt releases: “Ban the fascists, free the books” and “Introverted but willing to discuss revolution.” (Also available in matching tank tops, hoodies, and coffee mugs.)

Ash color unisex t-shirt with a graphic that says “Ban the Fascists, Free the Books” with a vintage illustration of a cartoon book leaping for joy. There is a circle of vintage-colored stripes behind it.Black unisex t-shirt with a vintage graphic on it that looks worn and grungy. The graphic says “Introverted but willing to discuss revolution” in a retro font in all caps. Each line is a different color: “Introverted but” is a retro yellow, “willing to discuss” is a retro red, and “Revolution” is a retro purple. The graphic is a wavy shape and slopes upwards to the right.

Republicans are openly and publicly embracing fascism in order to keep straight, white, Christian men in power with their boots on everyone else’s throats. They seek to control and punish everyone who isn’t straight, white, Christian, or a man. Fascism is a political ideology characterized by authoritarianism, nationalism, and the suppression of dissenting voices. It has historically led to the rise of dictators and the erosion of individual rights. Fascism is not a relic of the past, but instead a modern-day zealotry of the minority forcing their bigoted ideologies onto the majority.

The factors contributing to this resurgence are complex, but they include income and economic inequality and the exploitation of fear and division. That exploitation of fear and division is a tactic Republican leaders are using to inflame their base into a mindless frothing rage. They stoke the fires of homophobia, xenophobia, transphobia, and woke-phobia, just to name a few. Then they arm their raging base with pitchforks and tell them to “Go get those woke libs!”

So what can you about this? How do you fight back? Aside from getting involved in your local Democratic politics, phone banking for candidates, helping with campaigns, and so on… Well, you gotta let your voice be heard. For some people, that means being bold and calling out fascism at every opportunity. For others, that means being kind and putting positive energy out into the world. We even have a new collection Positivity and Kindness. It’s in its early stages so it hasn’t had a chance to grow, but go check it out!

Never stop fighting for a brighter, more inclusive future for all.  

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