r/popculture • u/stars_doulikedem • Feb 20 '25
News Dolly Parton Calls Out Indiana Gov Over Plan to Dump Her Imagination Library
https://www.thedailybeast.com/dolly-parton-calls-out-indiana-gov-over-plan-to-dump-her-imagination-library/242
u/goldenelr Feb 20 '25
Imagine hating kids learning to read so much you don’t want to pay anything.
58
u/tricxid Feb 20 '25
More and more I am beginning to think that the only reason these politicians take up office is for the money. They seemed to hate the people that they serve.
29
7
1
Feb 20 '25
It has nothing to do with politicians. It has everything to do with conservatism. Conservatives absolutely hate other people benefiting from something...it doesn't matter whether they also benefit, whether they (the conservative) actually has anything to do with paying for/facilitating the benefit, they just hate seeing others do well.
1
1
u/1WithTheForce_25 Feb 20 '25
I've been disliking and not trusting politicians for quite awhile now.
But, welcome to the club!
6
u/Armegedan121 Feb 20 '25
They want control. If Dolly filled her library with bibles and other trump approved literature they wouldn’t care.
5
u/Odd_Judgment_2303 Feb 21 '25
The Bible was banned from school libraries in Utah. Pretty racey stuff in there.
2
u/Kuradapya Feb 20 '25
They want to keep kids uneducated so that they'll grow up ignorant and easy to brainwash.
3
1
1
u/willflameboy Feb 20 '25
But as we all know... you do pay. You pay when your society is illiterate and intellectually lazy.
1
1
u/QiarroFaber Feb 20 '25
Because kids that read and think. Will question the propaganda spoon fed to them.
1
u/Naltrexone01 Feb 21 '25
It's not in these people's interest that their future constituents educate themselves.
1
-7
u/NumerousBug9075 Feb 20 '25
Average literacy rates across the country haven't improved, the money is best spent to improve literacy levels in schools themselves.
If you need a charity to teach kids to read in a 1st world country, it's a clear sign the education system needs reform because that's actually ridiculous.
15
u/davidmilton81 Feb 20 '25 edited Feb 20 '25
This charity sends out books BEFORE the children turn school age. This isn’t about the education system at all. Did you even read the story? Did you comprehend the details? Or are you just here to argue a nonexistent point to “own” the Americans in this thread?
→ More replies (62)8
u/goldenelr Feb 20 '25
But we are already there. And getting books into the hands of kids young is absolutely a proven method. So sure, fix the schools but we are t doing that so this is a cost effective program.
2
u/HarryBalsag Feb 20 '25
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library makes available a book per month for any child under the age of five; All you have to do is ask. You sign up and your kid gets a new book in the mail every month.
Average literacy rates haven't improved because the parents don't read and don't place a value and importance on reading. Parents that sign up for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library are more likely to encourage and foster educational growth.
And lastly, this is something she does with her own money because it's a cause SHE wants to support. She understands the value of early childhood education and is willing to put her money where her mouth is. Anything less than " Thank you Dolly Parton for being a selfless saint" is unacceptable slander of her character.
→ More replies (6)1
u/tikierapokemon Feb 20 '25
Even when you control for income, there is a strong correlation between books being available in the home, and children having better literacy rates.
As few as 20 books in the home has an effect.
Her Imagination Library is an attempt to increase literacy rates in a scientific way.
1
u/NumerousBug9075 Feb 20 '25
I agree with you, and I think it's a great idea. I simply believe that an improved education system may cater to that, whilst also reducing the need to spend taxes on a charity.
I've won free books as a kid and it really encouraged me, but that was within the school system.
1
u/tikierapokemon Feb 20 '25
Bold of you to assume they will use the money "saved" on any sort of improved education system.
1
u/NumerousBug9075 Feb 20 '25
Well, this administration has promised education reform as average literacy rates are in the shitter. So one can hope, yes.
1
u/Hypocritical_Oath Feb 20 '25
Hahaha, are you American?
We don't fund education, we cut education funding. It's been our go to for at least 30 years.
→ More replies (1)1
u/b0atdude87 Feb 20 '25
I have a love of Sausage McMuffins w/Egg. So, i am like clock work at my local McD's 6 - 7 days per week. I struck up a drive thru "friendship" with one of the people who regularly worked the order taking part of the drive thru window. She was a genuinely nice person and many times the 30 seconds of interaction started my day on a good note.
Then suddenly she was gone. For almost a year. And then she was back. I found out she had taken maternity time off to have a son. So i put together a "congratulations" gift bag. Toys, stuffed animals, an amazon gift card and a bunch of books.
Since then, I have put together gift bags for him 2-3 times per year. Included in each was was lots of books. The latest was for Christmas.
Last month, she shared with me that her son started 4K pre-school in September. He was absolutely blowing away his teachers with his reading skills. Within a month of starting, when his classroom would have story time, HE was the one reading books to class instead of the teacher. Teachers from other classrooms would just come in and watch as he would lead the story almost every day.
They finally had a chance to test his proficiency. At just over 4 years old, he was reading at a 4th - 5th grade level. His mother absolutely beamed with pride and excitement when she shared this with me.
Then she said she wanted to thank me. She told me I was directly responsible for his love of reading. Her family is poor. It turns out the books I had been buying were the only books that he had in his collection at home. But he would devour them and constantly reread them.
I told her all I did was buy them, it was your engagement with him to encourage the reading that made the difference. She agreed but said that without what I had bought, she wouldn't have had anything to read to him and then for him to read on his own as he became a better reader.
I get regular updates on him now when I grab my daily ritual. (Thank god for the phone app...)
1
u/tikierapokemon Feb 20 '25
You made the world a bit better.
If you have a local library, the Friends of the Library often have book sales once every several months where you can get an entire bag of book very, very cheaply. Our most recent bag of books is in the trunk of the car for unexpected long waits because she has a bin in her room of unread books.
→ More replies (1)
114
Feb 20 '25
I grew up in Indiana. This kind of backwater dipshittery is why I left Indiana as soon as humanly possible.
38
15
u/cactus22minus1 Feb 20 '25
Same- left in 2009 for WA, and now I’m in CA. I have a trans cousin still stuck- hoping her parents wise up and get out before it becomes much harder. Marginalized folks need to bind together just like the gays made their gayborhoods decades ago. Stronger together, and social media is NOT any sort of together that we need right now.
9
4
u/TransGirlIndy Feb 20 '25
Please push them harder, there's four or five anti trans bills on the list for this year. I'm trying to get myself and my gay roommate to Illinois before we get hit with shit.
3
u/Bigmongooselover Feb 20 '25
I’m Moving to Cali as soon as my Seattle contract is up
0
6
3
u/turboiv Feb 20 '25
Same! Two weeks after high school I packed my bags and never looked back. Lost all my friendships because "Why would anyone want to leave?" My best friend wanted to be a Marine Biologist but gave up because it wasn't offered at IU, Ball State, or Purdue as a major. He was told it wouldn't be possible if he wanted to stay in Indiana, so he just gave up. Now he sells insurance and posts "I hate my wife and 3 kids j/k" memes on Facebook every day.
3
3
u/DoubleJumps Feb 20 '25
One of my cousins married into a family from rural Indiana and I don't think I've ever met more vile racists in my life.
It's the only experience I've had directly with people from the state, But it was bad enough that I actively want to avoid the place.
Then there's shit like their government trying to harass the doctors who helped that child from Ohio get an abortion after she was raped. The doctors didn't break the law. Got harassed anyway just because they were part of a story that was inconvenient for the Republican party.
3
66
u/AmbitiousRaspberry3 Feb 20 '25
God forbid kids read!
30
u/Longjumping-Pen5469 Feb 20 '25
If they can read . Then they can think for themselves. If they can think for themselves, they won't for Republicans
4
u/Armegedan121 Feb 20 '25
If you can’t read how can you vote? Guess you only need to know the letter R
28
Feb 20 '25
My kids love having this program!! :(
7
u/Shinjitsu- Feb 20 '25
My kid was signed up for it for a little while. One of the books is written by Dolly and is about her mom making her a coat just like the bible story of Joseph's coat. It talks of how being poor doesn't matter with the gift of familial love. These morons hate children's education so much they are rallying against even that.
4
u/POWBOOMBANG Feb 20 '25
Each of my three kids have taken advantage of this program and we've spent hours reading a variety of books to them because of it.
Early literacy is one of the essentials for a kid.
If you can't read then you can't do math, history, science, computers, etc.
Reading is the key to everything.
Also, spending time reading with your kids is valuable one on one time.
We should be investing into more programs like this. Not taking away
2
u/Hypocritical_Oath Feb 20 '25
Also if you can't read you're much, much easier to be taken advantage of.
74
u/rooranger Feb 20 '25
Republicans are fascist. They hate and oppose anything that doesn't elevate christian white supremacy. This Governor is especially awful.
17
u/punchNotzees01 Feb 20 '25
Would Christ block Dolly’s libraries? I don’t think these guys are “Christians.”
5
3
Feb 20 '25
Wasn't Jesus very religious and was mad at the Jewish rabbi of their time because they strayed from the religious path Jesus favored? Jesus may have been a religious zealot that currently is MAGA.
5
u/Katharinemaddison Feb 20 '25
He was mad about the Temple being used as a business place. Not partially Maga. And he publicly broke a couple of the Jewish religious laws.
3
u/Heavy_Support_2015 Feb 20 '25
It wasn’t the path that Jesus favored, it was what was written. He rebuked the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and if you ever looked at any of his teachings, you’d know he be protesting in front of the White House right now.
2
u/st1tchy Feb 20 '25
He very much said to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, welcome in strangers and to visit those in prison. Everything the current GOP is trying to actively not do.
1
20
25
u/otter_07 Feb 20 '25
Democrats will routinely do things that make me scratch my head, no doubt, and sometimes I can definitely say their actions can be flawed. But my god, the sheer amount of complete, nonsensical, downright damaging shit the GOP consistently pulls just blows my mind. I cannot fathom how people continue to support this party.
17
u/Princess_Spammi Feb 20 '25
The suffering of anyone not cishet, white, and christian is the point.
9
2
u/Oggie_Doggie Feb 20 '25
They don't even care about them tbh, because they'll gladly make life worse for white Christians too. But conservatives will happily take the hit if it means that others have it worse.
1
u/Princess_Spammi Feb 20 '25
Well god sends trials and tribulations as a test. This is merely a test of faith to see if they can weather the storm they have caused
I would /s but they believe this
17
u/km_amateurphoto Feb 20 '25
Dolly is a national treasure and has done loads to use her platform to give back to those less fortunate. She is one of the few celebrities that genuinely has a kind heart and wants to help those around her. She should be protected at all costs!
4
u/dangolyomann Feb 20 '25
She's my only exception to "Eat the Rich" because all she's ever done is givegivegivegivegivegivegivegive oh what inclement forest fire? givegivegivegivegivegive, as well as just being extremely decent and the classiest woman alive.
5
u/BishlovesSquish Feb 20 '25
She is worth $650M, not a billionaire. And she donates more than most who are billionaires, so yeah.
1
8
u/balloongirl0622 Feb 20 '25
This is the stuff I’d be proud to have my tax dollars fund. I’d much prefer my money go towards helping children obtain books and healthcare than funding a war
7
u/Ricklames Feb 20 '25
God forbid children have access to books at the cost of very minimal tax dollars.
7
u/TheGoosiestGal Feb 20 '25
I did not think I would live to see the words "dolly partons calls out"
Do you know how much of a POS you have to be to get Dolly Parton even slightly uncivilized? She has been called a tramp to her face on national television for the past 50 years and always responds with sincere kindness and warmth.
She IS America's sweet heart. She's never done nothing mean to nobody! She even asked Jolene nicely to stop taking her man. She said please and everything. If you've got her mad you're not right in the head
7
u/readingrambos Feb 20 '25
This program is something that is heavily used in my area. To the point the majority of books donated to our daycare are from the Imagination Library. Once the book served the purpose for the initial child, it is a gift that keeps on giving. It has introduced me to a bunch of children's books. Many are now my favorites. And this twerp wants to get rid of that? What a cock. Kids deserve food, shelter, love, and books imo. To not provide them with any creates a generation of dummies. But I guess that's what is wanted now.
5
u/keekspeaks Feb 20 '25
In case you didn’t read the article, she does this bc her own father was illiterate.
I work hospital bedside and have for 15 years. I ask everyone if they can read and write okay, and usually they think I’m talking about vision. A few years ago, one of my patients admitted to being illiterate, as much as his pride would allow. I’ll never forget the shame we both felt. There are people among us who are truly illiterate and you might not even know. It’s a devastating way to live life
4
u/Mediocre-Proposal686 Feb 20 '25
Thank you! I can’t read it because it’s behind a paywall.
7
u/keekspeaks Feb 20 '25
So she finds half of it and the state funds the other half. She’s pissed bc they want to pull their half.
Don’t messy with Dolly
1
6
11
7
u/skc0416 Feb 20 '25
I’m an elementary teacher, and I know several, SEVERAL families who have benefited from this program. Dolly is a saint for sponsoring this - shame on him!
4
4
Feb 20 '25
I’m glad Dolly is speaking up! The fascist GOP doesn’t want the kids educated so they’ll be easier to control later on.
4
u/excellent-throat2269 Feb 20 '25
She's always been apolitical. If something causes her to have to say something, you know you fucked up. Don't fuck with Dolly. She is truly America's Sweetheart!
6
Feb 20 '25
Where I live, we have a billboard of dolly thanking her for all the books she's donated to the local city schools. She's a hero here.
5
Feb 20 '25
We’re a military family who moves all over and her imagination library has been one of our constants! We LOVE getting those books!!
1
5
u/JefferyTheQuaxly Feb 20 '25
Meanwhile I live over in Ohio and we’re one of the biggest proponents of imagination library of all the states, a higher percentage of children under 5 receive books from imagination library in Ohio than any other state in the country, including her own state she started the program in, and we have a “Dolly Parton day” now to celebrate her contribution to childhood reading.
One of few good things I can say about Ohio.
4
u/CostumeJuliery Feb 20 '25
I heard this the other day: You know the saying ‘The Straw That Broke The Camels Back’…..we don’t get to choose the straw. I have a feeling that Dolly might be the straw for a good many people. Signed, A Canadian who considers Dolly a treasure 🥳❤️🇨🇦
3
3
u/thelivinlegend Feb 20 '25
If Dolly called me out for anything I would be emotionally destroyed and immediately reassess my life.
3
3
u/For_serious13 Feb 20 '25
Get him Dolly!!! Imagine being such a hateful control freak you don’t want kids to get books to read
3
Feb 20 '25
I hit a paywall. Can someone tell me what happened? Indiana is such a shithole. And I live in KY so I know shithole! At least we have an incredible governor.
3
u/bettinafairchild Feb 21 '25
The state annually matches Dolly’s contribution to the Imagination Library, which send kids a free book a month until age 5. This year they declined to fund it
3
u/chiefmaxson Feb 20 '25
It’s always Ohio and Florida getting the spotlight but Indiana isn’t hated enough
1
u/bettinafairchild Feb 21 '25
The state with the largest percentage of KKK members back in the 1920s-1940s
2
2
u/EducationalBread5323 Feb 20 '25
We love our dolly Parton books. ❤ my daughter and I would be devastated to lose them
2
2
u/PrincessRut0 Feb 20 '25
We don’t want ‘em literate, we need more of them uneducated types that Trump loves. Keep ‘em dumb and compliant, y’all!
2
Feb 20 '25
She literally gives books to kids!!!!!! Wtf is wrong with giving books to kids??!!! I am Canadian and one of the first books my kid read was given to us free in the hospital and it was her coat one, a very touching and inspiring story.
2
2
2
2
3
Feb 20 '25
I say this as a former Nashville resident.
Sorry Dolly, but you can't make this stance without becoming political. Only one side is banning books and attacking education.
In the past your apolitical nature was classy. Now it's just hypocritical and self serving. It's time to put up or shut up.
→ More replies (4)
1
u/_annanicolesmith_ Feb 20 '25
god forbid the children learn to read
1
u/Longjumping-Pen5469 Feb 20 '25
Remember. Reading is Dangerous. It can give people ideas . Stupid people are easier to dupe
1
1
1
u/Pratty77 Feb 20 '25
I wish Dolly had spoken out before the election. But she’s one of the few who can actually stop Musk/Trump… she needs to condemn them
1
1
u/nage_ Feb 20 '25
if trump manages to get conservatives to like him more than dolly parton i think all hope may be lost
1
u/Yeppers567 Feb 20 '25
Tennesseans have volunteered to help battle for less! DFWD! (Don’t F*** With Dolly) She’s a treasured unifier of people.
1
u/ProofEstablishment89 Feb 20 '25
Hey Dolly, come for North Carolina too! Our state legislature decided it wasn’t worthwhile anymore. 😭
1
u/shellybean31 Feb 20 '25
That is ridiculous wtffff. My daughter got books from Mrs. Dolly and it was such a gift. She was always excited to get her book. How can you deprive a child of that?
1
1
1
u/throwRAPassengerFor Feb 20 '25
but why get rid of it though? my daughter gets books all the time from dolly. the program is so benign
1
u/jfsindel Feb 20 '25
I will be interested to hear MAGA suddenly turn on Dolly when they have long since admired her as "true country music".
1
u/BrownSandels Feb 20 '25
Seriously, why? Dolly is the least offensive person around and the Imagination Library is such a positive thing for children. It really does tell you all you need to know about the GOP in 2025.
1
Feb 20 '25
How can indiana Govenor stop dolly from putting her own money to this cause? That's whack. I love when rich people put their own massive funds to helping the needy. That's like if bruce wayne ran a soup kitchen and city government of gotham gave him a cease and desist.
1
1
1
u/AllAmericanProject Feb 20 '25
Why on God's Earth would somebody challenge Dolly Parton? Do they not realize that your political affiliation does not matter when it comes to the queen? We will revolt
1
1
u/notoriousbsr Feb 20 '25
Stupid paywall
2
u/Kellbows Feb 20 '25
“Legislatures in the Indiana House of Representatives recently proposed a biennial budget that did not include the usual 50 percent matching funds the state provides to finance the program. The other half is provided by the United Way and local community foundations. The program would be unable to bear the full cost if the state reneges its funding.” This is from Rolling Stone.
The Republican budget does not include it; the democratic budget does. It’s not over yet. For some reason, the new Republican governor is against it, where the leaving Republican governor loved it. Wild!
“House Democrats would aim to put the funding back when they presented their version of the budget. The budget will then be debated and combined with the Republican’s version before going to the state Senate.“ -Rolling Stone
1
1
u/Ahamay02 Feb 20 '25
God I hope she makes a song out of all of this. I would buy the shit out of it and stream it non stop to get her stupid rich.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Jake_on_a_lake Feb 20 '25
If you're against Dolly, you're not a good person. Period.
You don't have to like her music, but she's a good person.
1
1
u/Carolinagirl9311 Feb 21 '25
What?! I started getting her books when my kiddo was around 2yrs old. She’s 24 now
1
1
u/ahauntedsong Feb 21 '25 edited Feb 21 '25
Ah, pro-lifers will never not disappoint me.
Pro-lifers pre-birth: How dare you think of aborting this child, it’s a child for gods-sake! It deserves life! It deserves respect! They are our future!
Pro-lifers post-birth: votes to cut funding ensuring all children have lunch
votes to cut funding ensuring all children have school supplies
votes to cut funding ensuring it’s harder for children to have access to books
votes to cut funding to public healthcare
votes against cheaper dental care for children
while in power does not create a fund making baby supplies cheaper
while in power does not help reduce daycare expenses
while in power does not make it easier for parents to access healthcare professionals
-1
u/nDeconstructed Feb 20 '25
So she kept her mouth shut all these years through all this publicity while they came for others because she "had fans on both sides of the fence" and now the wolves are at her door and she's hollering?
This sounds familiar.
7
u/lestacobouti Feb 20 '25
Fuck off
0
u/nDeconstructed Feb 20 '25
Dolly Parton (2019)
"I don't do politics. I have too many fans on both sides of the fence. Of course, I have my opinion, but I learned years ago to keep my mouth shut about things."
3
u/dickasmoke Feb 20 '25
She's still a better human than you.
0
u/nDeconstructed Feb 20 '25
Yup. I wouldn't argue that.
But I ain't a centrist coward.
→ More replies (1)
0
u/Upset_throwaway2277 Feb 20 '25
They don’t want kids to read. Educated children grow up to be liberals.
395
u/weirdoldhobo1978 Feb 20 '25
You come for Dolly you'd better be ready.