When the people in charge cancel Dr. Seuss, what they’re really trying to eliminate is a very specific kind of mid-century American culture — a culture that championed meritocracy and colorblindness and the superiority of individual achievement over tribal identity. These were once called “liberal values.” Modern liberals don’t want to be reminded that they once believed any of it.
If your kids can read Dr. Seuss, they’ll know this was a different country not so long ago, a place where people tried hard not to hate each other — a place where the population was encouraged by its leaders to reject identity politics in favor of universal values and the things that connect us all. Dr. Seuss was never a major literary figure, but his memory matters more than ever. The battle over what Dr. Seuss stood for — over what it means to be racist — will have consequences that extend for generations. If we lose that battle, America is lost.
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