Few images capture the American imagination like the burning book. We’re a nation that loves freedom, and core to the concept of “freedom” is speech, itself instantiated in words. Over the last year, with battles across the country, the notion America’s right wing is obsessed with banning books has become a favored talking point among our press… which itself demands censorship of speech online. Problem? In the first place, the war on books is absolute, with both of our major political poles ferociously engaged. In the second, banning books is close to impossible in the age of the internet. So what are we really talking about?

In today’s Sunday feature, Kat Rosenfield explores the “ban saga,” with the suggestion this culture war drama is not about books at all, but rather where they live — the library. Americans aren’t arguing over any one or several texts, or even the value of speech. We’re arguing over the public space, which is supposed to be neutral.

-Solana