Banned Books
Banned books shrinking
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.strausnews.com/articles/2006/09/08/the_chronicle/news/20.txt
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I've always found it amusing if not interesting when I see people react in such extreme measures, such as banning books. If there's something that I have learned from my experience with my parents, it's that which is off limits that becomes immediately what is most alluring and desirable.
Though, maybe that's just the kind of incentive that these kids need. Or perhaps, the incentive that the parents need as well. For if Robbie Jr. learns that his mother has petitioned in a puritanical rage for Salinger "The Catcher in the Rye" to be removed not only from the school but from the local library's shelves, hopefully he'll wonder why. Perhaps this will be just the push he needs to find the great book for himself and keep it secretly in his back pocket and read it only when nobody's looking... engaged with the text in such a way that only a banned book could ever do. The text becomes his partner in crime.
I remember back a long time ago, I wasn't allowed to read comic books. My mother told me that they were too violent and devoid of substance as literature. I remember asking to go off on my own in the toystores and as soon as her back was turned, I launched myself towards the rippling pectorals of Batman, and voluptuous beauty of Storm and Rogue of the X-Men. And when I read them... I found out that she was right. There wasn't really that much depth to the stories. And it was incredibly violent. But it was just as she had said it was going to be. And I'm no worse off today. And I have more respect for my mother for telling me the truth about how she really felt, rather than just telling me "comics will rot your mind."
Banning books is, perhaps, inevitable. As long as this country will give its citizens the freedom to say whatever it is that they want to say, there will be people saying things that other people will wish to silence. But every opinion, and I mean every opinion matters. The opinion of the Nazis and pedophiles matter. The racist conversations taking place right now in bars across America, that matters. It all matters because it's real and it's there and it's going to be there whether you agree with it or not. It is the discussion of such matters that brings about progress.
It is always good policy to know your enemy. Having a banned books list is a great thing I think. It shows us what we as a society are afraid of. It shows us exactly what we do need to talk to our children about. If you want to ban "The Catcher in the Rye" it is your American right to say so and to try and do it. But don't stop there. Don't place something far away and say, never touch that because I said so. Bring it up bring it close.
As a matter of fact, if you hate it so much, you should probably let your children read it and show them exactly why it's wrong. Show them exactly why it's filth. And if they happen to agree with you, then perhaps we've just moved forward to a consensus between us all. And if not, the discussion you have about your differences may simultaneously as beautiful and ugly as the book itself. And that's what life really is.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.strausnews.com/articles/2006/09/08/the_chronicle/news/20.txt
-----------------------------------------------------------
I've always found it amusing if not interesting when I see people react in such extreme measures, such as banning books. If there's something that I have learned from my experience with my parents, it's that which is off limits that becomes immediately what is most alluring and desirable.
Though, maybe that's just the kind of incentive that these kids need. Or perhaps, the incentive that the parents need as well. For if Robbie Jr. learns that his mother has petitioned in a puritanical rage for Salinger "The Catcher in the Rye" to be removed not only from the school but from the local library's shelves, hopefully he'll wonder why. Perhaps this will be just the push he needs to find the great book for himself and keep it secretly in his back pocket and read it only when nobody's looking... engaged with the text in such a way that only a banned book could ever do. The text becomes his partner in crime.
I remember back a long time ago, I wasn't allowed to read comic books. My mother told me that they were too violent and devoid of substance as literature. I remember asking to go off on my own in the toystores and as soon as her back was turned, I launched myself towards the rippling pectorals of Batman, and voluptuous beauty of Storm and Rogue of the X-Men. And when I read them... I found out that she was right. There wasn't really that much depth to the stories. And it was incredibly violent. But it was just as she had said it was going to be. And I'm no worse off today. And I have more respect for my mother for telling me the truth about how she really felt, rather than just telling me "comics will rot your mind."
Banning books is, perhaps, inevitable. As long as this country will give its citizens the freedom to say whatever it is that they want to say, there will be people saying things that other people will wish to silence. But every opinion, and I mean every opinion matters. The opinion of the Nazis and pedophiles matter. The racist conversations taking place right now in bars across America, that matters. It all matters because it's real and it's there and it's going to be there whether you agree with it or not. It is the discussion of such matters that brings about progress.
It is always good policy to know your enemy. Having a banned books list is a great thing I think. It shows us what we as a society are afraid of. It shows us exactly what we do need to talk to our children about. If you want to ban "The Catcher in the Rye" it is your American right to say so and to try and do it. But don't stop there. Don't place something far away and say, never touch that because I said so. Bring it up bring it close.
As a matter of fact, if you hate it so much, you should probably let your children read it and show them exactly why it's wrong. Show them exactly why it's filth. And if they happen to agree with you, then perhaps we've just moved forward to a consensus between us all. And if not, the discussion you have about your differences may simultaneously as beautiful and ugly as the book itself. And that's what life really is.
posted by D. Calkins at
4:35 PM
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