To Kill a Mockingbird has been banned again from a school district.

My normal reaction would be outrage, and I would scream that this would horrify the book’s author, Harper Lee, who passed away last year. But in this case, I think Lee would actually understand the rationale.

A school board official in Biloxi, Mississippi, in explaining the reason for the school board banning the book said it “makes some people uncomfortable.”

Yes. Yes it does. Lee would agree. Furthermore, she would probably smile and say, yes, my book does make some people uncomfortable. Because that’s exactly what I was trying to do.

People need to be made uncomfortable. And given the state of discourse in our nation today, we need this now more than ever.

Banning this Pulitzer-Prize winning American classic from children is cruel, ill-timed and another example of how our country seems to dig in on side or another, with no tolerance of the other side’s point of view.

So, for those children in Biloxi, Mississippi, here are some of the lessons from To Kill A Mockingbird that you are missing:

1. Bravery comes in many forms.

2. You must walk around in someone else’s shoes before you can begin to understand them.

3. Humans are humans, no matter their differences. Each person deserves to be treated equally.

4. It is not possible to shield one’s self from all the bad in the world, but it is one’s duty to be an advocate for the good.

6. Form your own opinions and stick to them, don’t feel pressure to walk in step with the crowd.

7. Fight for what you believe until the very end – never give up and fold.

8. Be confident in yourself and stand up for what is right.

9. To be able to read and understand is a powerful gift.

And for the adults in Biloxi, Mississippi who supported this ban, here is a lesson for you:

10. There is a difference between protecting your child and sheltering your child.

While you may think you are shielding them from potentially offensive themes and language, what you are really doing is depriving them of the opportunity to discuss some profoundly important ideas about tolerance, bravery, and morality.

"A house without books is like a room without windows" - Heinrich Mann