One central aspect of a healthy democracy is the practice of democratic dissent. For the first time in many years, dissent is being widely practiced in town hall meetings and on street corners across the United States. Despite this presence, dissent is often suppressed or omitted in the prescribed, tested, hidden, and external curriculum of US…

Discussion of censorship against books in public and school libraries focuses on intellectual freedom; First Amendment rights; and curriculum development to include lessons on the First Amendment. Offers suggestions for activities focusing on censorship and banned books. (LRW)

Recent court decisions in Tennessee and Alabama requiring the teaching of "creationism" and the banning of "secular humanism" challenge educators to listen to the critics and present a wider curriculum including the role of religion in human affairs while protecting our heritage of intellectual freedom. (MD)

The growth of groups of the religious right has resulted in a major ideological division in the United States. Outlines the strength of these groups, the particulars of the secular humanism debate, and the ability such groups have to coordinate issues and join together in campaigns influencing public education. (MD)