Banning books

[sound_readerrev]

There is no point in banning books. If someone wants to find certain information, they will. I mean...look at the Internet....Should Internet be banned too because of the topics that can be found on it?

[literarycat]

Some of the books that are being banned or challenged are done so for ridiculous reasons for example someone challenged Hop On Pop because it promoted violence towards Dads or Harry Potter because it promotes wizardary and witchcraft. How many of us as children wanted to be a wizard?? Seriously. Other books like To Kill A Mockingbird or Huck Finn are being banned because of language and graphic scenes. I understand some things are offensive and kids could be sensitive to those things, that is where the parent comes in and discusses those things with children. Explain such books were written in a time when that was okay or normal, but times have changed. Too often we try to hide from the past and pretend it didn't happen, and I think that is happening with the banning of certain books.

[zjones99]

I agree with that and saying that books should not be banned. I do however think that maybe some books should be banned from like elementary schools so that way children do not learn about certain things. But after elementary school, free game.

[Stephanie Runyon]

Books should not be banned. Content in nonfiction books should, however, be supported with facts. Otherwise it could fall under slander/libel laws if the book is about a person. In America we have the Right to Freedom of Speech and Press. My view is biased because I see people using those rights to remove historic statues and stomp on flags. In history, if the American Flag and the National Anthem was disgraced like it is now- the violaters could be hung for treason. I find that the history of the United States has been forgotten and books are the only way to commemorate the past. I am all for speaking and writing anything a person wants. For the people who find Huckleberry Finn offensive- don't read it. If you don't want your child to learn something in school use your parental rights located in a Hatch letter and be INVOLVED with your child's education. Personally, I don't want my children taught anything about Muslim/Islam history and beliefs. My mother used her rights to not have me learn anything about Mythology and other deities. I remember when I was 7 years old and was reading a book from the school library and asked her what a "negro" was. She explained it and then had one of our African American friends explain the term. In the reference to pornography/erotica being accessed by children- if you don't want them to see it/read it, then the parents should be parents and tell little Johnny and Sally NO and instill their morals. I read everything my children read, including the books from #BOTD children's stories. My 13 year old generally reads out loud to my 8 year old before we go to bed at night. I feel that banning books is just a group of people forcing their opinions on others. A lot of the people wanting certain books banned have not even read them. They are just being "sheeples" following suit.

Banned Books
http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/freq ... s/classics

Hatch Letter
http://www.crossroad.to/Quotes/Educatio ... ndment.htm

I have included the two links for information for anyone interested.

I will step down from my ranting soapbox now.

[Mtibza eM]

Books that should be banned are books that incite violence and may cause danger to the reader or the society as whole. But books that that don't do that should not be banned because that would be restricting the authors' freedom of speech.

[Amber Nichole]

Notes

.....all the things that go with it
I and many of my friends have had first hand experiences
of this, starting in the 60's with underground publications in the Uk
like.OZ. IT. The little red schoolbook & Free London.
Poetry..'Golden convulvas' publisher condemned on an obscenity charge
leading to loss of his job as a male nurse and registered as a sex offender
for writing a poem about a gay encounter.
a few years (1971) ago I came across another backlash to writing a poem September 11th) , being busted for a half gram of hash 35years before
& writing for underground publications in the 60's I was refused admission to the USA for a coast to coast tour. the reason that I was a danger to the moral welfare of the American people. what had happened was that the officials now check all flight records for passengers and do a check on them
before they arrive. of course they checked out my website saw the poem & the tour details found out that I was booked at a few radical events etc...and bingo arrested when I arrived and sent back to Amsterdam.
a note was placed in my passport which meant that every time I traveled and crossed a passport computer checkpoint, I was searched, all manuscripts and CD's etc were checked and I was cross questioned.

I have heard from many poets in the USA that their books are being removed from bookstores, libraries & schools, they have lost their jobs or contracts are not renewable because they wrote against war.

we are not communists, dictators or anarchists, we are just human beings
who are concerned for others.

Barry Fitton

Not renewable because they wrote against the war... It's sad. Reminds me of Eartha Kitt. I always remembered her from Batman and Earnest Scared Stupid while I was growing up. I had no idea how truly an icon she was until I got older. Being blacklisted because of offending Lady Bird Johnson with her criticism of the war. How she had to go to an entirely different continent so she could keep working in the industry until returning to America for what? A decade?

In terms of censorship -- so many people are concerned about influence of opposing views, or things long ago deemed inappropriate. Freedom of thought should be celebrated.

[Stephanie Runyon]

Books that should be banned are books that incite violence and may cause danger to the reader or the society as whole. But books that that don't do that should not be banned because that would be restricting the authors' freedom of speech.

Who chooses the rating system. The Bible, Quran, and other religious books could fall under inciting violence. True Muslims are told in their religion to kill Christians. Yet in the Bible, many condemn homosexuals and nonbelievers.
The mental capacity of some readers is questionable as well. Freedom of speech is an American right, whereas it is not respected worldwide. I think if we ban books based on one group not liking it, then we are closeminded. My belief is if you don't like it, don't read it.

[EddyFiend]

I don't think books should ever be banned, even those that may promote a violent viewpoint. Knowledge is power, and everything should be available for anyone to read and form their own conclusions from.