Challenged books

Published on May 30, 2005 By dharmagrl In Misc

Don't think you're going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don't be afraid to go in your library and read every book, as long as any document does not offend our own ideas of decency. That should be the only censorship.

....(we should) not try to conceal the thinking of our own people. They are part of America. And even if they think ideas that are contrary to ours, their right to say them, their right to record them, and their right to have them at places where they're accessible to others is unquestioned, or it's not America.

—Dwight David Eisenhower

No more challenged books!

Comments

Dusk411

on May 31, 2005

For me whenever I hear a particular book is challenged, it usually moves straight to the top to my reading list. (well, except Harry Potter. I'm not into reading it.)

The people who challenge any particular books are afraid of having their beliefs questioned or thinking in a new way. I read here that 1984 had been banned in the United States. For me, the book taught me more about government than any class.

ParaTed2k

on May 31, 2005

I kind of see both sides of the whole "censorship" debate. Libraries (especially public school libraries) can only add a limited number of new titles to their catelogue each year. Therefore, a form of "censorship" occurs naturally, just because of supply and demand. Is content any more or less valid a reason to reject a book than any other reason? The library staff can't go by the quality of the writing, editing or illustrating, since they aren't usually even asked (much less required) to read the books they accept.

There was a situation here in Wisconsin where some parents challenged a book because it glorified rape, abuse of women and had page after page graphically descibing both. There were members of the school board who wouldn't even let the challengers continue reading it in the meeting, yet some of those same members voted to allow kids school sponsored access to the book. It was on a few teacher's "recommended reading" list, yet none of those teachers were aware of the graphic parts.

There are many examples of books being banned that most of us wouldn't agree with. However, if there are laws against kids reading "penthouse letters" why is the same content acceptable, simply because it was marketed in a book?

Decisions need to be made about books. So where does "ban" begin and "rejected" end? And if a parent does have a problem with a book, why shouldn't they be able to make their case before the School Board? Isn't that one of the points of a school board in the first place?

dharmagrl

on Jun 01, 2005

For me whenever I hear a particular book is challenged, it usually moves straight to the top to my reading list

Me too.

However, if there are laws against kids reading "penthouse letters" why is the same content acceptable, simply because it was marketed in a book?

Yes, but we're not always talking about children's books. Some of the books that were on the challenged list were about 'contraversial' topics like gay marriage and drug abuse, but they were written specifically for kids, with no graphic content.

My main issue with challenged books is that someone else is making my decision for me. As Eisenhower said:

Don't be afraid to go in your library and read every book, as long as any document does not offend our own ideas of decency.

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