Khaled Hosseini

Because Trump doesn’t read

The Republican Party has become the official party of book bans, and a Trump victory in November will be vigorously celebrated by book banners across the country. The movement, aided by right-wing media, will be even more emboldened to wage pressure campaigns against schools to take books they don’t like off library shelves. Groups that, blind to irony, use words like “liberty” to curtail the liberty of other people’s children to read, will look to challenge and ban more titles.

My reasons for voting for Kamala Harris this coming November are legion. Chief among them is the pressing need to safeguard American democracy. Censorship harms democracy—I’m likely biased, but book censorship strikes me as the most damaging form, particularly to the young. The biases of a few parents should not keep schools from their fundamental task of preparing students for the duties and challenges of citizenship in a democracy. Many banned books—like my own, The Kite Runner—often allow students a glimpse of the humanity of others, those who may dress and speak differently, pray to different gods. Reading them fosters understanding, compassion, and respect for the dignity of another. I would argue these are vital traits in responsible citizenship. 

My reasons for not voting for Trump are also legion. On the book ban issue, he has already promised to abolish the Department of Education. And he doesn’t read. If there is a candidate this election season likely to condemn the censorship of books and ideas, it isn’t him. For this, and many more reasons, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will get my vote.

Khaled Hosseini was born in Afghanistan and is the author of The Kite Runner and other books.