Classical Western literature, from Homer to Shakespeare and from Mark Twain to Harper Lee, is being destroyed today, just as the Islamic State and the early Christians destroyed ancient images that offended them. And they will not be able to develop the logical and critical thinking skills necessary to understand and overcome the great controversial ideas of classical Western literature. Their story has shaped Western literature–like Star Trek–for some 3,000 years. And so today, as is often the case, the amazing complexity of great literature and great writers is reduced to an overabundance of bigotry and political correctness. Author Padma Venkatraman wrote an essay entitled “Weeding the Invisible Roots of Racism: Rethinking Children’s Classics” in the School Library Journal. A few days ago, bigots in San Francisco began removing offensive titles from public schools. But now these narrow-minded minds, who determine what books can be read to children, are becoming the dictators of a new tolerant culture. When children associate literature with political indoctrination, whether right-wing or left-wing, the smartasses erect a wall and shut it down. They put unwanted literature on a back shelf, inaccessible to young people, where it gets lost and dusted in the shadows. The political left and the growing movement for destruction–fueled by critical race theory–in America’s public schools want to get rid of it. Challenging old classics is the literary equivalent of replacing statues of racist characters, “he” writes. But the purge of great literature often happens quietly, among observant teachers and librarians. Odysseus the Wanderer, written for children by the classicist Aubrey de Selincourt. If the new test for all literature, movies, statues–everything of historical value–is one hundred percent purity, they will all fail. This is Homer’s version of The Odyssey, the greatest adventure story ever told. Those who deny classical literature put themselves in the position of barbarians.