100-year-old woman stands up against Florida's book ban during school board meeting - The 11th Hour

[Rhiannon12866]

A 100-year-old woman stands up against Florida’s book ban during a heated school board meeting, arguing the freedom to read is under attack. - Aired on 03/22/2023.

[Ahna KneeMoose]

1. Grace Linn

A beacon of light shinning ever so brightly against the darkness of a fascist-style movement of suppression in her home state. Thank you Grace Linn for speaking out against your governor (a wanna-be dictator).

[Rhiannon12866]

2. And her husband died in WWII fighting against what we're seeing happen in this country today

Powerful message and one brave lady!

[Duppers]

3. "Fear is control!"

"Fear is not liberty. Fear is not freedom. Fear is control."

Bravo! What a lady!

Thank you for posting this, Miss R.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. Thanks. my friend!

What I can't get over is that she lost her husband in WWII! And to add insult to injury, like she said, he was fighting against what we're experiencing in this country today! Amazing lady and kudos to her for speaking out!

[Duppers]

5. Indeed!

[True Blue American]

6. My Husband was wounded

On Omaha Beach in the second wave. Spent 8 months in the Hospital. The second man in front of him stepped on a mine, the second was badly wounded, he was hit by shrapnel.

Then went on through Germany to help liberate the Concentration camps. The German people were so happy they shared what little they had, including their homes. He was 19, 2 of his brothers were there , too.

So was my Dad building bridges for the Infantry.

We can only hope this insane madness of these ignorant Republicans flame out in their excesses. Books are a big part of what Freedom means. DeSantis is even meaner than Trump.

I am embarrassed at what part of my country has become.

[Rhiannon12866]

12. Kudos to the heroes in your family

They are one more important reason to fight the creeping fascism in this country, to honor their sacrifices and to continue what they started, this must never happen again, including here at home...

[Irish_Dem]

15. Thank you for what your family did.

My uncle was US Navy and killed in WWII, his ship sunk by the enemy in the Pacific.
My dad was a tail gunner in WWII over Burma.

What would the men in your family and mine think about what is happening in the US right now?
I am deeply ashamed of the US. They have made a sham of what so many people died or where injured defending.

Omaha Beach second wave was no picnic, it was hell on earth.
More courage in his finger than in the entire GOP.

ETA: The people who fought or were killed in WWII have been on my mind a great deal as we see
our democracy under assault. Also is on the mind of this 100 yr old lady.

[True Blue American]

17. It happened

8 years before I met him and he never talked about what happened unless he was with his brothers. 3 of them met in Germany. All were staunch Democrats.

Like us they would be ashamed of the part of the country that has become greedy, grasping, cheating crooks.

But we can all be proud as we try to cut the cancer that is a big part of the Republican Party now!

[Irish_Dem]

20. Yes they never talked about it.

My father was career USAF and flew combat in three wars.
No discussion about it whatsoever. And he never talked about his
brother who had been killed at Guadalcanal.

That's great your husband and brothers met in Germany.
What a reunion that must have been, they were still alive and had
defeated Hitler.

Landing on Normandy Beach, vicious fighting against the Germans
mile by mile to Berlin. Those brothers had stories to tell.

Yes my father was a Democrat to his core. A son of Irish immigrants
he loved the USA more than words can describe. Loyal, brave,
dedicated to the US and what it stood for.

I think they would be more than ashamed. They would be damn angry.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Wow.

Thanks for posting! I was listening to MSNBC's programs on my SiriusXM simulcast when I went to bed last night and woke up in the middle of Lawrence's program and dozed back off again and missed this.

She told the "history" like it was and that underscored how they are actually repeating that horrible history right there in Florida.

[MagaSmash]

8. There is NO difference between banning books and BURNING books. Just less smoke.

[Timeflyer]

9. What a wonderful lady!

We must follow her example and never stop speaking out when our rights are under attack.

[Hekate]

10. KnR

[Uncle Joe]

11. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread Rhiannon

[True Blue American]

18. Rhiannon always

Shares the best posts. I look for them

I do love this board that shares so much with us. Facts, not fantasies.

[Irish_Dem]

13. Wow. An amazing woman. More courage in her little finger than in the whole GOP.

[Rhiannon12866]

14. It blew me away that she lost her husband in WWII - and I sure agree, kudos to her for speaking out

And speaking out so well.

[Irish_Dem]

16. That part really got to me.

And yes her bright, coherent, heartfelt speech is amazing.

[True Blue American]

19. A friend of mine who speaks before she thinks said," Yeah, 100

Years old I bet she could speak!” I stopped her, said ,” She was very clear and articulate when she spoke about burning books.

A friend of mine, his Mother is 98, his MIL, 103! Both still do their thing!

[Irish_Dem]

21. Yes this lady is 100 yrs of age and sharp as a tack.

She probably has some cognitive slippage but is more coherent than most of the population.

Likely she has a high IQ, so even if she loses some IQ points as she ages, she is still smarter
than the rest of us. Also has a strong moral core.