Things Republicans Want to Ban

Ah, good old book bans. Some say it's necessary to protect our children, some say, “Wait, didn’t Ray Bradbury write a whole book about that?”

We’re pretty sure he did, but we couldn’t read it because it’s banned.

In 1993, the Alabama Board of Education imposed restrictions on yoga and meditation in public schools, citing concerns about their association with Eastern religions. 

The bill was not overturned until 2021, and any kind of chanting associated with yoga is still not permissible.

Some Republicans have expressed concerns about the economic impact of the ESA on industries like logging and mining.

If we have to choose between saving the loggers and saving the Loggerheads, is it wrong to point out that the turtles are cuter? 

Much of the criticism of the ACA has to do with the fact that it requires most Americans to have health insurance, inserting itself into personal decisions about healthcare. 

Unfortunately, getting rid of the ACA without creating other provisions for affordable healthcare would affect many people’s care– and possibly even their maternity leave. 

Some types of peaceful protests, like highway protests, are already banned for being a public nuisance. 

In 2016 and 2017, though, five states introduced legislation that would severely increase the penalties for these types of protests by making them felonies. 

Many conservative parents and religious groups have expressed concerns about the Harry Potter series, believing it promotes witchcraft. These concerns often stem from the depiction of magic, wizardry, and mythical creatures in the books. 

Some interpret these elements as endorsing occult practices. In 2021, the series was deemed the “most challenged books of the 21^st century.”

Okay, so it’s not quite that simple. However, Republican senator Raphael “Ted” Cruz does want to enact a bill that would make it illegal for companies to compel employees to call coworkers anything but their legal name. 

Oddly, Cruz himself has not only his coworkers and employees but also the entire nation using his preferred name: Ted. 

When Hasbro announced that they would be rebranding the toy line as "Potato Head" to make it more gender-neutral, there was backlash from those who perceived it as a form of "political correctness" or resisted changes to traditional toy brands. 

We get not wanting your childhood toys to change, but don’t we have bigger potatoes to fry? 

In 2017, Donald Trump and his supporters wanted to heavily restrict travel to the U.S. from Muslim countries. 

A travel ban was enacted on seven majority Muslim countries, but it had to be heavily revised before the Supreme Court would even agree to uphold it.  

No, we’re not talking about couples counseling. Since 1973, Section 43.21 of the Texas Legal Code has limited how many– nightstand accessories– a person can own. 

In 2007, Sen. Ted Cruz defended the ban, saying that even in the privacy of their own beds, individuals have no right to use them.