If you go to the Florida Department of Education’s website, you will see how its commissioner, Manny Diaz, Jr., included Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice as one of its recommended books for July. 

At first glance, Jane Austin fans might see that as a good thing.  Pride and Prejudice has always been one of my favorite Austin books.

Yet, his recommendation isn’t a salute to Austin’s literary talents—it’s a salute to Diaz’s embarrassing ignorance. 

According to the website: “The Commissioner’s books for the month of July highlight the importance of American pride as we celebrate the month of our country’s founding.”

I don’t know if I want to laugh over that absurd explanation, or cry at the dismal ignorance displayed by Florida’s Department of Education. And these are the people who feel they know best when it comes to banning books?  

The following quote appears on the Florida Department of Education’s website:  “As we look back upon our nation’s history and recognize the efforts of the founding fathers to build a country based on the values of freedom, it is paramount that we impart a sense of American pride on our students during the month of July,” said Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. “With this book selection, I encourage students to continue to celebrate American pride month and reflect on the unyielding spirit and heroic patriotism of the many Americans throughout history who fought in the pursuit of liberty and freedom.”

The absurdity of the book’s inclusion for the reason given by Diaz is not because it was written by a British author, years after our country was founded, but the fact the word “Pride” in the title of Austin’s book was not meant as a positive attribute—just the opposite.

If Diaz seriously wants readers to read Pride and Prejudice to reflect on the pride we have as Americans, is he suggesting that like Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth in Jane Austin’s book, we need to set aside our pride if we want to come together with others? Austin shows us in her book that pride is not a positive attribute. It can divide and alienate people, even people who could fall in love, as do Darcy and Elizabeth after they set aside their pride.

Or perhaps I misjudged Diaz, and he is not literature ignorant, but clever. Perhaps he is telling Americans that we need to set aside our pride—and even our prejudice—if Americans want to come together, as did Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth.