Posted on 02/18/2009 8:20:59 AM PST by Notoriously Conservative
You may or may not be aware that Harry Potter, The Anarchist Cookbook and Stephen King books have been banned from schools around the country. But where do we draw the line? We want to protect our children, but what about freedom of speech, artistic expression, etc.? It is pretty strange to consider Shakespeare has not only been banned from public schools over sexual themes, but that censored editions have been out since the 1700s.
Was there offensive material in them? Yes, but there is offensive material in Walmart too, not to mention offensive odors. Did Lolita make me sick to my stomach? Yes. But these are truly great works of literary art, and I'm glad I read all of them. Protecting our kids is very important, but when does it become over bearing, or harmful sheltering?
Of the Radcliffe Publishing list of the top 100 books of the past century, almost half have been challenged by schools, many are banned in whole countries. Here are a few banned titles that may surprise you:
*Note: Plot summaries may include spoilers.
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
Plot: A soldier, Henry, on the Italian front meets and seduces a young woman, Catherine. Their relationship continues as he heals a knee that was injured in battle. By the time his knee is fully healed, Catherine is three months pregnant. Unfortunately, Henry has to return to the war and the Germans break through the Italian lines. The Italians charge the soldiers for treachery for letting the Germans defeat them. Henry escapes during another officer’s execution and runs away to Switzerland with Catherine. They live happily until Catherine gives birth to a stillborn and then dies in labor.
Where it’s been banned: Published in 1929, this novel caused trouble immediately...
(Excerpt) Read more at notoriouslyconservative.com ...
There are a gazillion books in this world. Those who CHOOSE the books that are on the shelves are more powerful than hose who REMOVE the books from the shelves.
Banning books is like instituting the Fairness Doctrine. I’d rather raise my own kids than have the government tell me what they should and shouldn’t read.
Where do we draw the line on banning books?
At zero.
The schools should only assigning books that contain language and themes that be printed in the newspaper.
Pick up a copy of the Sunday NYT then get back to me on that one.
L
You know what I mean. If it is too filthy to be printed in the paper, it doesn’t belong in the hands of a student.
We keep passing porn off as literature.
I dunno, I’ve got real problems with censorship. It’s all well and good, I suppose, when your people are in charge, but what happens when the other people are in charge. Uh uh. Something about the government picking and choosing what books are “ok” gives me chills . . . just like the Fairness Doctrine.
Why would you want to reduce the standards to news paper writing, have you read any lately? The quality has degraded to the writings of an eighth grader.
What about Dean Koontz?
The problem comes when parents are not allowed to say what they’re children may or may not read in the classroom.
And I haven’t noticed any odors in Walmart, except in the candle aisle. ???
Exactly. People might think its a great idea when they are in charge, but what happens when they’re not in charge anymore
Banning books?
I turned on the TV just now and saw an Ad selling medicine to help old people get it on, showed during the break of a program where a slovenly woman was being confronted by 3 men all of whom possibly fathered her child.
We have greater problems than the sex in Shakespeare.
If the books have been REMOVED, then you can't very well CHOOSE them.
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This is about school libraries. Either way, government employees are choosing which books are "ok". The conflict is between government-employed school librarians who think they should have exclusive control over what goes on the shelf, and school boards who at least have some parental input.
The librarian can quietly ban a book by simply not buying it, or quietly taking it off the shelf.
Local entities should be able to make those decisions. You or I may not agree with them, and if we live in that locality, we can lift our voices, however the local population should have the right to decide what is in their children’s libraries at school. Frankly, I don’t know why anyone gets very upset about it. It is far too easy to get books today, so that if the school library doesn’t carry something a parent believes their child should read, they can run out and buy it on ebay or amazon.
So, shall Playboy be available in the public school library?
Censorship is when you say someone can’t read something. It has nothing to do with assigning work. Kids can still read those books.
Trust me. If the library doesn’ stock Harry Potter, it doesn’t mean that kids don’t have access to Harry Potter.
Hey, Dean writes about golden retrievers, it’s all good! ;)
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