My calendar tells me that next week, September 22 — 28, is the American Library Association’s annual “Banned Books Week.” As there seem to be folks around who think that banning books should become a more common practice, I think it’s important (especially in this election “season”) to consider the implications of such actions.
First off, I should admit that I am prejudiced regarding this notion. With a mother who was a librarian, a grandfather who was a Professor of English, and having spent my own career studying and creating works of theatre (which are mostly literary-based), I admit that it probably won’t be a surprise that I am opposed to ALL forms of censorship. The fact is that I believe that the same basic notion should apply to all forms of art (including stuff that I don’t much care for, myself).
Perhaps we should begin by considering, however, WHY people are resurrecting this old idea once again. After all, the history of censorship IS quite lengthy, probably dating back about as far as one can consider human history to go. The usual excuse for taking such actions are usually something along the lines discussed in this Frank and Ernest:
First off, I should admit that I am prejudiced regarding this notion. With a mother who was a librarian, a grandfather who was a Professor of English, and having spent my own career studying and creating works of theatre (which are mostly literary-based), I admit that it probably won’t be a surprise that I am opposed to ALL forms of censorship. The fact is that I believe that the same basic notion should apply to all forms of art (including stuff that I don’t much care for, myself).
Perhaps we should begin by considering, however, WHY people are resurrecting this old idea once again. After all, the history of censorship IS quite lengthy, probably dating back about as far as one can consider human history to go. The usual excuse for taking such actions are usually something along the lines discussed in this Frank and Ernest:
In other words, someone objected to something in the book (or other item’s) content. Now the problem with that, as I see it, is that it CAN (sometimes does, certainly HAS) escalate to a position of creating “thought police,” rather like what Bagley has presented us with in this cartoon…
I am perfectly willing to accept that not ALL material is acceptable to EVERYONE! It is certainly POSSIBLE that one can reasonably object to some material under some circumstances. However, for something to be a reasonable objection, I would argue that the objector MUST actually have read or examined the material in question! I am convinced (based on comments in the public media), that such examination has often NOT taken place. The fact appear to be, however, that far too many people are willing to apply just about any opinion which they may have encountered on the Internet, or in Social Media, as a standard of ABSOLUTE TRUTH (Because they WISH to believe it?).
I really have no problem with people making their own choices as to what they wish to read, or have in their own libraries. MY concern begins when THEY start making decisions as to what I will BE ALLOWED to read. THAT, of course is quite properly referred to as censorship and I will be quick to admit that I don’t like it very much! I think that I should be allowed to make up my own mind regarding MY choices! I would suggest that, in the long run, censorship (in virtually any form) is unwise, unsafe and, in the long run, self-defeating. And I am not alone in thinking that.
Here are a few other people’s ideas regarding banning books and/or censorship:
“Censorship is to art as lynching is to justice.” ― Henry Louis Gates Jr.
“Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance.” ― Laurie Halse Anderson
“I believe in any kid’s ability to read any book and form their own judgments. It’s the job of a parent to guide his/her child through the reading of every book imaginable. Censorship of any form punishes curiosity.” ― Sherman Alexie
“He who dares not offend cannot be honest." — Thomas Paine
“Having the freedom to read and the freedom to choose is one of the best gifts my parents ever gave me.” ― Judy Blume
“If librarianship is the connecting of people to ideas…it is crucial to remember that we must keep and make available, not just good ideas and noble ideas, but bad ideas, silly ideas, and yes, even dangerous or wicked ideas.” — GraceAnne A. DeCandidio
“Censorship of anything, at any time, in any place, on whatever pretense, has always been and always will be the last resort of the boob and the bigot.” ― Eugene O’Neill
“Let children read whatever they want and then talk about it with them. If parents and kids can talk together, we won't have as much censorship because we won't have as much fear.” — Judy Blume
“You seldom get a censorship attempt from a 14-year-old boy. It's the adults who get upset.” — Robert Cormier
“Are we to have a censor whose imprimatur shall say what books may be sold, and what we may buy? And who is thus to dogmatize religious opinions for our citizens? Whose foot is to be the measure to which ours are all to be cut or stretched? Is a priest to be our inquisitor, or shall a layman, simple as ourselves, set up his reason as the rule of what we are to read, and what we must believe?" — Thomas Jefferson
“Men who look upon themselves born to reign, and others to obey, soon grow insolent; selected from the rest of mankind their minds are early poisoned by importance; and the world they act in differs so materially from the world at large, that they have but little opportunity of knowing its true interests, and when they succeed to the government are frequently the most ignorant and unfit of any throughout the dominions." —Thomas Paine
I am assuming, perhaps incorrectly, that readers will have some familiarity with at least some of the persons quoted above, as they are fairly well-known folks...
Probably my favorite quote in relation to book banning in particular, though, is (as I recently discovered) credited to Isaac Asimov, although I am MOST fond of it through it’s use in a cartoon by Mary Engelbreit (see below).
I really have no problem with people making their own choices as to what they wish to read, or have in their own libraries. MY concern begins when THEY start making decisions as to what I will BE ALLOWED to read. THAT, of course is quite properly referred to as censorship and I will be quick to admit that I don’t like it very much! I think that I should be allowed to make up my own mind regarding MY choices! I would suggest that, in the long run, censorship (in virtually any form) is unwise, unsafe and, in the long run, self-defeating. And I am not alone in thinking that.
Here are a few other people’s ideas regarding banning books and/or censorship:
“Censorship is to art as lynching is to justice.” ― Henry Louis Gates Jr.
“Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance.” ― Laurie Halse Anderson
“I believe in any kid’s ability to read any book and form their own judgments. It’s the job of a parent to guide his/her child through the reading of every book imaginable. Censorship of any form punishes curiosity.” ― Sherman Alexie
“He who dares not offend cannot be honest." — Thomas Paine
“Having the freedom to read and the freedom to choose is one of the best gifts my parents ever gave me.” ― Judy Blume
“If librarianship is the connecting of people to ideas…it is crucial to remember that we must keep and make available, not just good ideas and noble ideas, but bad ideas, silly ideas, and yes, even dangerous or wicked ideas.” — GraceAnne A. DeCandidio
“Censorship of anything, at any time, in any place, on whatever pretense, has always been and always will be the last resort of the boob and the bigot.” ― Eugene O’Neill
“Let children read whatever they want and then talk about it with them. If parents and kids can talk together, we won't have as much censorship because we won't have as much fear.” — Judy Blume
“You seldom get a censorship attempt from a 14-year-old boy. It's the adults who get upset.” — Robert Cormier
“Are we to have a censor whose imprimatur shall say what books may be sold, and what we may buy? And who is thus to dogmatize religious opinions for our citizens? Whose foot is to be the measure to which ours are all to be cut or stretched? Is a priest to be our inquisitor, or shall a layman, simple as ourselves, set up his reason as the rule of what we are to read, and what we must believe?" — Thomas Jefferson
“Men who look upon themselves born to reign, and others to obey, soon grow insolent; selected from the rest of mankind their minds are early poisoned by importance; and the world they act in differs so materially from the world at large, that they have but little opportunity of knowing its true interests, and when they succeed to the government are frequently the most ignorant and unfit of any throughout the dominions." —Thomas Paine
I am assuming, perhaps incorrectly, that readers will have some familiarity with at least some of the persons quoted above, as they are fairly well-known folks...
Probably my favorite quote in relation to book banning in particular, though, is (as I recently discovered) credited to Isaac Asimov, although I am MOST fond of it through it’s use in a cartoon by Mary Engelbreit (see below).
I particularly like the fact that the book titles which the little girl is carrying here (at least the ones I can read in the original) are all very well-known (and frequently challenged) ones.
As is obvious, I am a strong opponent of book banning and/or ANY form of censorship. Do I think that there are items which may be inappropriate for some age groups? Yeah, I suspect that there might well be. BUT, that should involve a PERSONAL choice of a parent, based on their knowledge of their child, it doesn’t mean that NO ONE, under any circumstances, should be allowed to encounter those ideas! After all,if our Founding Fathers had never even considered ideas which were, in fact, treason, we would still be subjects of the British monarch. It’s worth thinking about.
Of course, as anyone over the age of 12 probably knows, “controversial” material is now, and always has been, available, if one chooses to seek it out, and it’s likely to remain so, for simple reasons of economics, as this Non Sequitur cartoon suggests:
As is obvious, I am a strong opponent of book banning and/or ANY form of censorship. Do I think that there are items which may be inappropriate for some age groups? Yeah, I suspect that there might well be. BUT, that should involve a PERSONAL choice of a parent, based on their knowledge of their child, it doesn’t mean that NO ONE, under any circumstances, should be allowed to encounter those ideas! After all,if our Founding Fathers had never even considered ideas which were, in fact, treason, we would still be subjects of the British monarch. It’s worth thinking about.
Of course, as anyone over the age of 12 probably knows, “controversial” material is now, and always has been, available, if one chooses to seek it out, and it’s likely to remain so, for simple reasons of economics, as this Non Sequitur cartoon suggests:
Of course, like the characters in THIS Non Sequitur cartoon, I actually prefer THIS idea, but even it seems to be too controversial for some people.
Still, in the long run, I’m a firm believer that this Shoe cartoon has really summed up the whole point pretty well.
As Cosmo suggests, the solution is NOT in being completely inoffensive, but in allowing ALL ideas, so we can examine even those ideas with which we may disagree; to understand WHY we do so; to make sure that our position makes sense, at least to us; but NOT to try to control other people’s right to have (and peacefully express) a differing point of view.
Libraries aren’t supposed to be “safe” places! The purpose of a library is to provide a collection of material to be publicly available to provide us, the PUBLIC, with access to ideas, stories, and reference material which will allow us to make up our own minds about how we choose to see the world around us. Some MAY misuse that material for their own ends; some may not understand the ideas presented; but without ACCESS to ideas other than what our “leaders” might choose to allow us to encounter, progress of ANY form simply isn’t possible.
The American Library Association has to confront what has become a worsening situation every year. Below I have reproduced its poster related to THIS year’s “Banned Books Week.”
Libraries aren’t supposed to be “safe” places! The purpose of a library is to provide a collection of material to be publicly available to provide us, the PUBLIC, with access to ideas, stories, and reference material which will allow us to make up our own minds about how we choose to see the world around us. Some MAY misuse that material for their own ends; some may not understand the ideas presented; but without ACCESS to ideas other than what our “leaders” might choose to allow us to encounter, progress of ANY form simply isn’t possible.
The American Library Association has to confront what has become a worsening situation every year. Below I have reproduced its poster related to THIS year’s “Banned Books Week.”
I can’t speak for others, but I find the data on this poster more than slightly distressing.
Well, I’ll be back in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, enjoy yourself, read a banned book, it’ll be good for you. And, you just MIGHT enjoy it!
🖖🏼 LLAP,
Dr. B
Well, I’ll be back in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, enjoy yourself, read a banned book, it’ll be good for you. And, you just MIGHT enjoy it!
🖖🏼 LLAP,
Dr. B
P.S. Bonnie suggests you might start with the Harry Potter series. While those books seem to have become less widely banned these days, they WERE, not all that long ago, the most widely banned book series of the 21st Century. We, both, like them a lot (and they ARE better as books than they are as movies, in OUR opinion).
P.P.S. I’d also suggest that the same is true of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and a good many other frequently banned books, but I do not have space for the (all too long) complete list of frequently banned choices.
P.P.S. I’d also suggest that the same is true of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and a good many other frequently banned books, but I do not have space for the (all too long) complete list of frequently banned choices.
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