Thread: Banning Books

I would like to know what you think about banning books.

Here is a list of books:

http://title.forbiddenlibrary.com/

I had a saying I came up with for the drama club sweatshirts banned once. I beamed with pride every time someone mentioned it. However, the slogan had a deliberate sexual undertone. In this day and age, I think banning books is rediculous. Tom Sawyer?! My goodness. How in the world is that worse than say television, movies, the internet, or teenage hormonal minds? The fact that a kid may want to read a book is commendable and banning books is silly. That's my opinion anyway. I hope that's what you were looking for.

Silverwriter, I'm not looking for any answer in particular just opinions on the subject.

It could also be to sell more books.

Thank you for responding to the post

Eve

Banning books is rediculas. It comes down to some people having a stick up themselves about topics, and they want books on it banned and destroyed, in my mind. Its the same with TV,CDs, and games.

If it comes down to it..I'd rather it be were they had age limits on books, if they have to. But banning them totally? If I was little and was told I couldn't read something because it was banned, I'd probably of started getting relunctant to even bother trying again. Tell me not to read something now, and I'd probably flick you off. -snort-

And the reasoing behind some of them makes me want to weep:

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. Anne Frank. Modern Library. Challenged in Wise County, Va. (1982) due to "sexually offensive" passages. Four members of the Alabama State Textbook Committee (1983) called for the rejection of this book because it is a "real downer."

Ban it because its a "downer"?!

Burn fascists, not books.

The only books that should be banned are those crappy anthologies from poetry.com. Put it to a vote, I'll vote for it. Allow me to take direct action, I'll do it.

Well, the market as a whole is a lot more tolerate now I think but there will always be those who complain. Some people can't seem to get it into their head that if they don't like a book - don't read it! No need to spoil it for everyone else by taking action to get it banned.

The real worry now I think is death threats, etc to authors. While their books don't get banned there are still plenty of people who read horror, for example, and then threaten to kill the writer (prime example, Shaun Hutson, British horror writer who has received numerous death threats because of his work). More ironically, there's Philip Pulman who mentioned once getting death threats from Christians because his kid's books had witches in them. Very Christian, I'm sure! The organisation PEN aim to stand up for writers in these kind of situations. A worthy cause, I think, in respect of the rights to free thought.

Good point Manx.

A Wrinkle In Time. Madeleine L'Engle. Dell. Challenged at the Polk City, Fla. Elementary School (1985) by a parent who believed that the story promotes witchcraft, crystal balls, and demons. Challenged in the Anniston Ala. schools (1990). The complainant objected to the book's listing the name of Jesus Christ together with the names of great artists, philosophers, scientists, and religious leaders when referring to those who defend earth against evil. Got it. Let's cross Jesus off that list, shall we?

I want to laugh . . . but can't.

It's sad to hear about books being banned--worse yet, books burned. You hear about Harry Potter books burned and the like. Book burnings . . . conjures up images of the Nazis and their bonfires, burning books that the regime deemed dangerous and subversive . . . .

I agree Lensman

Or Salman Rushdie, who must travel in secret, live in secret, as a result of the fatwa on his head. Fundamentalism is perversion.

I thought they were not after him anymore. I did not find The Satanic Verses that interesting, and some parts were funny to me. The whole controversy made it more interesting. The book is on my read again shelf, and I will get to it someday.

It's all about power. You have James Dobson, Donald Wildmon and others . . . they wish to have power over what we read or watch on TV or in movies or hear over the radio.

Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy film version is being stripped of its original content due to studio fears of religious backlash.

Let's hope publishers don't get that way . . . .

"Zen Buddhism: Selected Writings. D.T. Suzuki. Doubleday. Challenged at the Plymouth-Canton school system in Canton, Mich. (1987) because "this book details the teachings of the religion of Buddhism in such a way that the reader could very likely embrace its teachings and choose this as his religion." The last thing we need are a bunch of peaceful Buddhists running around. The horror."

The fact that it happened in the late 80s surprises me, I mean that's well after the rise of Zen in West during the 50s. If it had been in the 30s or 40s it wouldn't have surprised me: most early texts on Buddhism that were translated into English were given lots of really judgemental footnotes.

Uh-huh. Far be it that we make others aware of different beliefs . . . too too dangerous . . . .