Freedom of speech. Sounds nice doesn't it.
Freedom to read. That's a different story, at least to some. The Birmingham News has a front page story Book banning attempts still occur throughout U. S.
And you might be surprised at the titles. Little Red Riding Hood, Harry Potter, Huck Finn.
This is American Library Association's Banned Books Week (Sept 27 through Oct 4). Everyone should read a (attempted) banned book this week, I guess.
This was interesting:
Also drawing attempted bans are books that imply the Bible should not be interpreted literally, and books that include references to evolution, he said.
I will let you draw your own conclusions about that.
Here are the 10 most challenged books of 2007:
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
TTYL by Lauren Myracle
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
10 Most challenged books of the 21st century
The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling
The Chocolate War by Rober Cormier
Alice Series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Fallen Angels by Waler Dean Myers
It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
Scary Stories Series by Alvin Schwartz
Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey
Forever by Judy Blume
How many of you remember this? (Also from today's Bham News, no link. The article gives this as well as other examples of Attempts to ban or regulate books at public and school libraries in Alabama)
In 2004 an Alabama lawmaker failed in an attempt to ban novels with gay characters from public libraries, including university libraries. The bill by Rep. Gerald Allen R-Cottondale, would have prohibited the use of public funds for "the purchase of textbooks or library materials that recognize or promote homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle." Allen said he filed the bill to protect children from the "homosexual agenda."
Some of you already know this, but I am writing a book, a historical novel of sorts, that takes place in 1965 in Washington, D. C., Franklin, Tennessee and Selma/Montgomery, Alabama. Although this is not my goal, if the book actually get published, maybe somebody will attempt to ban it. What better publicity! The book should be finished by the end of the year.
The Year of Moving Forward
At our 4 person wedding reception in DC
4 comments:
I can't believe that people are still trying to ban The Chocolate War. They have been trying that since I was in high school.
And Tango Makes Three - About gay penguins!!!
The Chocolate Wars - language obviously not appropriate for young readers.
Olive's Ocean - Sexually explicit
and on and on and on we could go.
Thank God there are people with morals STILL ALIVE in this country.
Morals vary but the constitution does not (Republicans don't understand that). So thank God there is a constitution that keeps those better than thou moralist control freaks in order.
If you don't like it, don't read it. Just as you have control over what you watch on T.V. you can control what books you check out of the library (or buy). You shouldn't be afraid that your children may read something and become corrupted by it.
I saw more craziness and vulgarity in high school (and my church youth group) than my parents could ponder. Teens cuss, talk about sex (and have it), talk about drugs (and do them), etc. I promise that none of it was the result of English lit class (those that paid attention in that class usually were the better behaved kids). You are not going to be able to shield them from this stuff. You can teach them to respect your families personal beliefs however. Just because they read a cuss word in a book doesn't mean that have to say the cuss word in their everyday speech and you can teach them that.
The article talks about a girl that checked a book out of the library and, after reading it, found the content objectionable. She then took it upon herself to not return the book (theft) to the library. To me this is an attempt by one individual to impose their belief system on the rest of the school and in the process breaking one of God's laws (man's law as well). I cannot express how much it infuriates me for someone to tell me what is best for me, especially when they act the hypocrite in the process.
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