You’re either a punk or a pervert!
Pastor John K. Amanchukwu Sr.
On Sunday, January 26 nearly 150 people, including several local elected officials, attended a screening of Pastor John K. Amanchukwu Sr.’s documentary 22 Words: Exposing the Loss of Decency in American Education. The film was hosted by Marianna Cochran of Clean Books 4 Kids at Candlelight Christian Fellowship.
My goal is to educate and activate.
Marianna Cochran
The documentary which released in October 2024 exposes the abundance of sexually explicit books available to children in public schools and libraries across the United States. These books aren’t just accessible to children, in some cases the material is assigned to them. Not only do the books contain instances of crude humor and sexual innuendo, but the focus is often on promiscuity, prostitution, incest, bestiality, gender confusion, etcetera. Some of the titles include Sex is a Funny Word, A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl, Boy Girl Boy, Furyborn, Strangers Assume My Girlfriend is My Nurse, along with many others. These books often contain pornographic images accompanying the descriptive passages. Some authors even include QR codes that direct children to websites like Planned Parenthood. As stated in 22 Words, “It’s nothing short of child abuse.”
As shared in the film, exposure to sexually explicit content creates trauma in children from an early age, thus fundamentally altering their worldview and way of thinking. Today, the average age a child is first exposed to pornography is eight years old. This is well before children start puberty and begin thinking about sex and sexuality. Early exposure to sexual content—especially when the exposure is separate from parental guidance—leads to a heavily sexualized society.
One of the most dramatic moments of Amanchukwu’s film is when he vehemently called out school board members in another state, announcing that “You’re either a punk or a pervert; a punk or a pervert!” if they keep inappropriate content in school libraries. This notable statement led to a man running for a trustee seat to commit to removing the sexually explicit material from the school, eventually joining Amanchukwu in his aspirations to protect children.
Today, a significant number of professing Christians believe they should refrain from engaging in political matters. However, Amanchukwu noted that thirty-seven out of thirty-nine books of the Old Testament were written to or about kings and other political figures. According to the pastor, this means Christians should absolutely be observant of current events and participate in politics.
The pastor firmly believes that one of the reasons why books in schools have continued to become increasingly sexual and vulgar stems from the removal of prayer in schools. The title of the film 22 Words was inspired by the last traditional prayer commonly cited in public schools. The prayer is as follows:
Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our country. Amen.
The pastor called the pervasive sexual content in children’s schools “intellectual enslavement,” and reminded Christians that the Bible commands us not to be slaves to sin, but servants of Christ (Romans 6:6). He explained that prayer is an important component to establishing good morals and that active participation by parents is critical. He encouraged community members to donate to local groups who work to safeguard young minds.
Cochran said her objective was to equip concerned parents and members of the community with the courage, technique, and resources needed to address exposure to sexual content in local schools. As the founder of Clean Books 4 Kids, a local organization giving children access to a wide variety of clean books, she has spoken out against explicit content in the minor’s section at the Community Library Network (CLN).
Recently, CLN Director Martin Walters announced that staff is reviewing at least 140 books to determine if they violate the Children’s School and Library Protection Act, signed on April 10, 2024, by Governor Brad Little. This bill requires libraries to remove harmful material in the children’s section and place them in the adult’s section. Additionally, parents and even children can legally request compensation for damages if they find harmful materials in the children’s section, receiving up to $250 in return.
Sexually explicit books in public schools is a controversial issue with broad implications that many communities are struggling to address. Through their education, children form a worldview and eventually become adults who have the ability to fundamentally change society. The film highlights how the trauma from exposing children to sexually explicit material negatively impacts society. Amanchukwu’s 22 Words is a call to action to protect innocence in children and preserve American values.
