Banned book Outrage.

[Rancher]

I read the 100 top banned book list. It is so upsetting to find Mark Twain among the authors.

James and the Giant Peach! Come on! It is better than The Naked brothers Band.

I don't get the banned book thing. Everyone has the option to leave the book on the shef. The libraries and book stores have the option to not order the book at all.

Of course just my opinion. So read it or don't, it's up to you.

[MaryLupin]

There are lots of different banned book lists. Here is a paragraph from this one. http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/banned-books.html (The bold bits are the funniest.)

"The Savannah Morning News reported in November 1999 that a teacher at the Windsor Forest High School required seniors to obtain permission slips before they could read Hamlet, Macbeth, or King Lear. The teacher's school board had pulled the books from class reading lists, citing "adult language" and references to sex and violence. Many students and parents protested the school's board's policy, which also included the outright banning of three other books. Shakespeare is no stranger to censorship: the Associated Press reported in March 1996 that Merrimack, NH schools had pulled Shakespeare's Twelfth Night from the curriculum after the school board passed a "prohibition of alternative lifestyle instruction" act. (Twelfth Night includes a number of romantic entanglements including a young woman who disguises herself as a boy.) Readers from Merrimack informed me in 1999 that school board members who had passed the act had been voted out, after the uproar resulting from the act's passage, and that the play is now used again in Merrimack classrooms. Govind has a page with more information about the censorship of Shakespeare through history. "

[Chris OConnor]

In my opinion the problem is that bookstores and libraries and schools keep these books out of reach of potential readers. Allow people to make their own decisions about what they want to read.

[Rancher]

I worry that by holding these books out of childrens reach we are creating a fiuture generation that is relying upon other people to make their decisions on what is proper for them.

The children should have the chance to make their own opinion about some of these books as long as they have warning labels that state they are for certain age levels.

In my opinion.

[Suzanne]

MaryLupin wrote:

"The Savannah Morning News reported in November 1999 that a teacher at the Windsor Forest High School required seniors to obtain permission slips before they could read Hamlet, Macbeth, or King Lear.

Here is a more recent case, this is from an argumentative report I wrote last year. The dad is very impressive. He stood up for what he believes is right, and I give him much respect.

The issue of censorship has been no stranger to the court system in the United States. [In April 22, 2003 a father filed a case on behalf of his daughter against The Cedarville School District located in Fort Smith Arkansas.] The issue in this case was that the father felt his daughter’s first amendment rights had been violated. The school district had a policy that students could only take out books if they first obtained a permission slip from a parent. The student desired to take out a book about witchcraft. The librarian took it upon herself to disallow this student from obtaining the book even with a signed permission slip. The librarian stated that it may cause disobedience in the student and may cause the student to disrespect authority due to the topic of the occult. The court found in this case, that the student’s first amendment rights were violated. The court stated that the personal taste of the librarian should not be forced upon a student who wishes to read about a topic that may be found distasteful to some people. This ruling by the court was an important one. The judge set a precedent that students are considered individuals, and that an individual has the right to choose under the first amendment.

Suzanne :

[Rancher]

I love it when people fight for what they believe in

Good article Suzanne.

I grew up in a very backwoods little town. The one thing I loved about that town is that everyone will stand up and fight for what they believe in. In our Library there is not a banned book.

[Ophelia]

About Suzanne's post, it's really amazing that so much fighting and energy should be spent on whether a book from the school library should be lent to a student or not.
Students tend not to to read a lot to start with, and educators are just too happy in France if a lot of books get borrowed-- this in my opinion is what we should get worried about.


A few months ago a student from a Canadian school, whose name I've forgotten, told us that the school Board had suddenly decided to withdraw Asterix cartoons from his library shelves. It was quite fun!

I don't know if there are simiilar stories from European schools but I've never heard one.

[Suzanne]

Ophelia wrote:

About Suzanne's post, it's really amazing that so much fighting and energy should be spent on whether a book from the school library should be lent to a student or not.

I see we are bumping heads again, do you really think it is amazing that someone would step up and bring to light an injustice? Without expending energy on a fight, nothing would every change. The rights of people would continue to be trampled upon.

I realize that the United States is considered the sue happy country of the world, but in the case from Arkansas, there was no monetary reward. Most people do not want to spend energy on an issue without a jackpot at the end. This father fought not only for the rights of his daughter, but for the First Amendment rights of all children. I agree, I am amazed too, but I am also in awe. Right V Wrong: always worth fighting for, always worth the energy.

Suzanne

[Ophelia]

Suzanne wrote:

do you really think it is amazing that someone would step up and bring to light an injustice?

No, of course not!
I was amazed that people wanted to spend energy compiling lists of books that students shouldn't read, including Shakespeare!

[Rancher]

It isn't even so much right verses wrong though I do understand that as well Suzanne.

But it is fighting in what you believe in and what you believe is right.

Even if the whole world believes it is wrong. if you beleve in it enough to argue than it is worth the energy.\


Dawn