Dear Dr. Epps:

On behalf of the National Campaign for Freedom of Expression, a nationwide organization dedicated to defending artistic freedom, I am writing to urge the Rockford School District to reinstate Luis J. Rodriguez' book Always Running on library shelves.

Mr. Rodriguez has forwarded us news articles detailing the controversy over, and subsequent removal of, his book depicting his experiences as a youth member of Los Angeles street gangs. These reports indicate that the District ultimately voted to take the book off Rockford schools' library shelves -- even after it was endorsed by a District review committee, and received an outpouring of community support at a public panel discussion.

The function of education should not be to present students with a sanitized, insipid view of reality, but rather to expose them to a variety of ideas and experiences. Ironically, author Rodriguez states that he wrote the book not to promote violence, but precisely because "I don't want to see children killed anymore. I've seen too many go." How can students learn from his hard-won experience if they are denied access to his words?

If the School District is to embrace the notion that reading books causes people to imitate what they have read, it will need to remove most of the classics of world literature from its shelves. Violence and sex are powerful aspects of human existence that have always featured prominently in literary production as both writers and readers struggle to grapple with the issues involved. Banning books from school libraries will not make social problems vanish; it will only deprive students of potentially valuable learning tools. Retaining the book on an optional reading list does nothing to mitigate the damage done by removing it from library shelves.

The National Campaign for Freedom of Expression urges the Rockford School District to reconsider its decision and to reinstate Always Running in District libraries. We will be covering this issue in our Freedom of Expression Quarterly with a circulation of 30,000 nationwide, and invite you to submit a written response should you wish to clarify the District's position. Our deadline is August 16.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

David Mendoza Executive Director

cc: Luis Rodriguez, Author, Always Running
Judith Krug, Director, Office on Intellectual Freedom, American Library Association
Bob Chatelle, Political Issues Chair, National Writers Union
Anne Green, Artsave Coordinator, People For the American Way
Marjorie Heins, ACLU Artsave Project
Richard Vargas, Poetry Editor, Rock River Times