In early March, the Dr. Seuss estate announced that it would no longer be printing six titles: “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” “If I Ran the Zoo,” “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!,” “Scrambled Eggs Super!” and “The Cat’s Quizzer” due to racist portrayals of characters. This decision is both well within the rights of this estate and a decision that should be respected.

Scrolling through Twitter last week, it was easy to see that not many people felt that this was a move that needed to be made. What was meant to be a respectful and open decision, soon turned into a “cancel culture” war. 

What needs to be understood is that this was not a decision made by a group of people trying to damn Dr. Seuss but by Dr. Seuss Enterprises itself. This decision was made by a group who did not want to continue to associate with a number of books that depicted cultures offensively, who did not want to add to the increasingly negative narratives that surround minority groups worldwide. 

The beloved children’s author has written over 60 children’s books including classics like “The Cat in the Hat,” “One Fish, Two Fish” and “Green Eggs and Ham,” but this is not the first time that there has been a controversy surrounding his works. In fact, in Dr. Seuss’ later life, he made alterations to a variety of his works that also depicted offensive terms or images. The racial controversy surrounding Dr. Seuss has been debated by numerous scholars and is by no means a new discovery.

The history of this racism aside, it is necessary to reiterate that this was a decision made by the estate of Dr. Seuss. This was not a political decision. This was not a decision made under pressure. This was a decision made by a group with intentions of respect and reverence. It is upsetting, now, to see this decision be politicized.

Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy even put his two cents in after taking to Twitter to share a video of himself reading “Green Eggs and Ham” in support of Dr. Seuss. This was not one of the books that is no longer going to be in circulation. Additionally, this makes the decision to not print the books a bit more muddled. This was not some radical leftist decision to eradicate a children’s writer in favor of the Socialist agenda. This was a private enterprise’s decision to cease the production of something that it does not believe portrays a positive image. 

Perhaps the most shocking thing about this decision is that it was not made due to public pressure. In the highly-politicized world that we live in today, it is surprising to see a decision made that was not a result of significant public outcry. In the past year alone, the U.S. has seen a significant rise in public displays of disapproval and frustration.

Wrestling with this turmoil certainly must have an effect on the way Americans view racial controversy, and in this sense, it is not surprising to think, “Why is this, the Dr. Seuss controversy the thing we are deciding to focus on?” 

The decision by Dr. Seuss Enterprises is a move towards inclusion and equity. It is a decision rooted in respect and made through understanding, a preventative move that is meant to prevent harm, not cause it. 

Image from Netflix via YouTube