American journalist Laila Frank goes in search of America’s soul

When Joe Biden launched his midterm campaign, he spoke about the “soul of the nation” in his first speech. Biden refers to norms and values, the soul on which the country is built. But what is the ‘soul of the nation’ according to Americans? Frank goes into the country to investigate.

‘The soul is in motion’

During her search, she ends up at a high school in Florida. Choosing a school doesn’t come out of the blue. “For two years now, school politics in America has been a battleground,” Frank says.

American journalist talks to students about what is the ‘soul of a nation’. For example, Frank talks to a 17-year-old boy whose parents are immigrants from Cuba. For him, the soul of America is always moving and changing, never static and never breathing. The student disagrees with the ‘soul’ that Biden talks about. “That’s true for a lot of the young people I talk to here,” says Frank.

School is a battlefield

So the school acts as a battleground that is due to Frank by two frames that are used as heavy weapons. Frank says one of these laws makes it possible for parents to object to teaching materials and books. “Under the guise of appropriateness, which is already open to interpretation, parents may object to certain books and teaching materials,” Frank said. As a result, 411 books have already been banned in Florida because of these objections. Frank notes that most of these books are about sexism and racism. “The number one banned book is a book about Black Lives Matter.”

The second law is the Parental Right to Education Act. Also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” law among critics. This law states that you are not allowed to discuss sexual orientation with children under the age of 9. As children grow older, talk only about what is ‘appropriate’.