A photo from “Green Eggs and Ham” is pictured in the Dr. Seuss museum in Springfield, Mass.

On March 2, schools all over the country celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday. This day and week is often called Read Across America. Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, was born March 2, 1904, and died Sept. 24, 1991. Seuss died on my 28th birthday. I’m not sure exactly what to make of that but I do feel as though it’s worth mentioning here. It’s hard to believe that he will be dead 35 years when I turn 63 in the fall.

Seuss was born of German Jewish descent and was raised in Springfield, Massachusetts. It is widely reported that Geisel was devastated by Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in Germany and by America’s initial ambivalence to it.

Although many of Seuss’ books were written before I was born, I grew up reading Dr. Seuss books and watching cartoon specials of his work on TV. I think most all men and women of a certain age did. What Baby Boomer can’t recite lines from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” or “Green Eggs and Ham” or “The Cat in the Hat?”

I am certain that my proclivity for using alliteration and rhyme in much of my teaching and writing comes from reading Dr. Seuss books as a boy.

When we brought our children home from Russia, I must have read 20 different Dr. Seuss books to them.

As a 4-year-old Russian girl learning the English language and learning to read and to count, “Red Fish Blue Fish” was one of my daughter’s favorites. It remains one of mine too. I loved reading to my kids when they were little. I will always love reading to children.

Dr. Seuss’ birthday was a huge deal when I was the principal at Northern Chautauqua Catholic School. The amazing teachers there went all out for Seuss. I have wonderful memories of wearing “Thing” t-shirts, eating green eggs and ham in NCCS’ awesome Pre-K classroom and reading Seuss books in so many other fantastical classrooms at the last Catholic School in Chautauqua County. I know that NCCS once again had a great time celebrating Seuss and Read Across America on March 2. I was thinking about my old school all day long. My NCCS friends sent me pictures that warmed my heart and brought back those wonderful memories. Those were some of the best days of my life.

I was livid when the cancel culture tried to come for Geisel a few years ago. Accusations were made that Dr. Seuss was racist, These claims were based on some of his work from the 1940s and 50s. Geisel was even criticized for drawing and writing racist propaganda for the U.S. government during World War II. It is so unacceptable that the artist who did some of the government’s dirty work was up for cancellation almost 80 years later.

It is so disappointing that six of Seuss’ books are no longer published by Dr. Seuss Enterprises. “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” and “If I Ran the Zoo” are two of my favorite Dr. Seuss books. I didn’t have a racist thought while reading them as an innocent kid. No child today would either unless an adult pointed out the current day political incorrectness of some of Seuss’ drawings.

Sometimes you have to judge people within the context of the time in which they lived. Watch any movie from that era. Read best sellers from that time period. You will find sexist and racist language and scenes in all art forms.

You will never convince me that the man who penned “Horton Hears a Who” and “The Sneeches” was a racist. Those two books often appear in antiracism curricula for children. After reading these two Seuss books, anyone who still makes the claim that Theodor Geisel was a racist has severe Dr. Seuss Derangement Syndrome.

Who will be next? Fred Rogers? Will we be told that untoward things happened in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood? Or will it be Captain Kangaroo? Will some cancel culture character assassin tell us that the Captain had an inappropriate relationship with the Dancing Bear? Is the Trump regime really going to cancel Sesame Street? Is Big Bird a Commie?

There are far too many racist, sexist and bigoted figures in today’s popular culture. Many of these individuals take pride in their shameful views. The cancel culture has plenty of targets in today’s world. Character assassins can leave the beloved figures of my childhood alone.

Andrew Ludwig is a retired math teacher and a retired public school and Catholic school administrator. He currently works as a substitute teacher in Chautauqua County.