GOP: Book Bannings

[Beorn]

Aerin opened this thread (http://www.thetolkienforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5680) on Banned Books, and it got me thinking. If you look at the Top 100 Most Challenged/Banned Books (http://www.ala.org/bbooks/top100bannedbooks.html), you'll see a lot of titles familiar to you (Why Where's Waldo would wander with what 'woeful' writings, we won't wonder).

What are you opinions on banned books? Can you find justification?

[Legolam]

Who exactly banned these books? I've read at least 10 of them, and some are classics!

[LadyGaladriel]

My god . Its an outrage!
I have to study loadsa of those books at school . what on earth is going on with you americans? Lord Of The Flies (which Im studying now) is bloody Fantastic.




These "Banned" books are aginst your liberty and Intellectual freedom . Its a massive Restricition on what you want to read . appalling!

[Amichi]

These "Banned" books are aginst your liberty and Intellectual freedom . Its a massive Restricition on what you want to read . appalling!

I feel obligated to point out that these books are not banned for ALL United States citizens, but are only banned in specific school districts where overzealous parents see fit to 'protect' children by having books banned from schools. It is no national law, for sure. That being said...

I think it's stupid and should be something parents should decide individually. Banning books never leads anywhere nice.

[Aerin]

The extent to which I find the banning of books, no matter how small an area they are banned in, is extreme. I am disgusted that people think they are informed enough to restrict the access of books to anyone else.
"Overzealous parents" or not, no-one in the United States has the right to censor books. It is a right guaranteed in the First Amendment to the Contitution.


FREEDOM OF THE PRESS
There can be no censorship of print under the First Amendment.
The American Constitutional System
C. Herman Pritchett




Originally posted by LadyGaladriel
These "Banned" books are aginst your liberty and Intellectual freedom . Its a massive Restricition on what you want to read . appalling!

Well put, LadyGaladriel.
Restriction of our liberties, in any way, shape, or form, is against the law, as per the Constitution and the Amendments.


Originally posted by Amichi
I feel obligated to point out that these books are not banned for ALL United States citizens, but are only banned in specific school districts where overzealous parents see fit to 'protect' children by having books banned from schools. It is no national law, for sure. That being said...

While the books are not banned for all citizens, it remains a travesty and a shame that they are banned anywhere for anyone.

True, parents can shelter and protect their children from a lot of the "shadier side" of what's printed, but what about when the children become adults and "go out in the world"? They will be confronted with the self-same material as they were protected from when they were younger. Chances are, if they were really sheltered, they will not be able to cope with what is "out there" and will either seclude themselves or indulge in it in a very unhealthy way.

So I leave you with this question. Which is preferable: sheltering children until they are forced into the knowledge of what kind of material is available, or gradually let them read a wider range of material that might even include books that are "questionable"?

[Amichi]

Here's the thing... as a parent, you're well within your rights to restrict access to reading materials of your own child. While I disagree with the school (which is typically an extension of the government) censoring 'objectionable' material, I do think a parent is within their rights when they deny a child access to reading material.

Now, do I agree with the sheltering stance? Not at all... but I do recognize that they're within their rights if they do censor their own children.

That's all I was trying to say. ;-)

[Courtney]

I think parents have the right to sensor what books their children read as long as their is a decent reason behind it, such as sexual content, violence, or language. A parent should not keep his/her child from reading books because of the ideas expressed in it. Example: my parents and grandparents are catholic. They are creationists, but when I decided to read books on evolution and the beginning of the universe, they didn't stop me, because they understand that you can't change a person's ideas simply by forbidding books.

[Hirila]

Oh, come on Courtney, what can parents possibly do to keep their children away from any sort of violence and sex. And language! Ha! I've never met a child coming into schools for the first year (or even the kindergarten) and not learning bad words. Of course it is natural to want to protect the kids from too much violence and bad contents, but it is not realitic to think you can keep it away from them forever. And then I would want my kids to learn about the crimes in this world under my own supervision and not from some other kids in school. At least I could explain things when there are questions and I could control they don't get the wrong answers to their questions.
But yes, keeping kids away from books because of ideologies is not acceptable.

[HLGStrider]

I support my parents rights to restrict my reading. However, I think most parents will allow kids to read books they don't really like that much... my mom for instance hates Star Trek. She thinks it is satanic or something or other... I don't know why, she says she just has a bad feeling about it, but she lets us watch it.

[HLGStrider]

I had to go take my cake out of the oven so I didn't finish my last post...

Anyway, I don't believe in the government restricting books. I think I child should obey his parents and he can read those books when he turns 18 and leaves the house.

[Kat]

I agree that parents have the right to monitor what their children read, and do their best to limit the child's access to offensive material. However, many of the books on this list were what I would consider classics, and I remember reading Judy Bloom when I was in primary school (Im an Aussie, I think you Americans call it elementary!). Although this kind of thing doesn't just happen in the US, but also in Australia. There were many books at my high school in NSW which were locked away in storerooms, due to being banned. Two items I studied in English Lit in my final year of high school ended up being banned. My class had studied a play (TOP GIRLS) and a novel (LIVES OF GIRLS AND WOMEN) which were newly published. When students began to study these works in the next school year, do gooder parents who must have read their child's book kicked up a huge fuss about some minor parts of the books, and so of course the Education Department banned them. Sheer stupidity...

[LadyGaladriel]

I agree that parents have the right to monitor what their children read

In England they have intorduced a certicificate for Books so for example if a book has adult themes it prints on the back SUITABLE FOR ADULTS ONLY




Book bannings by the Goverment are just a resritcition . If someone writes a book then I want to read it without worrying that its banned. I want to be able to get hold of it Quickly and without differcuitly. The Internet can be very unreliable and Unsafe.

[Courtney]

It is difficult to judge when people are mature enough to read books with adult themes. Does adult necessarily mean age 18? I know a few 12 year olds who are more mature than some 18 year olds...

[Gloer]

Book banning attitude is great!

It is so great to fight for the right causes. This is a wonderful site:

http://www.lovekjb.com/chariots/

I was actualy looking for the musical theme from the movie The Chariots of fire. Great and up-lifting film!

With google search I wound up checking that site and since they play the music I stayed there. Have a look, these people teach they children to ban Dungeons and Dragons, Harry Potter and otherthings. And for all the wrong reasons! They see symbols as signifficant, not what they mean with the symbols. The word witch is bad, but if you call yourself scientist it would be ok. If Harry Potter went to a science school, it would be ok.... gee how stupid people are.

[HLGStrider]

Personally I don't have a problem with people having problems with even books I like as long as they don't pass legislation against them. Legislation is the wrong way to deal with anything...
Before I'd read or watched HP I said I wouldn't want a kid who I had under me (as a son/daughter, etc) reading it under the age of 13. When I watched the movie I almost raised the bar to 15 due to some of the creepy parts, but when I read the book I put it back down to 13.

The thing is, no one is losing anything by not reading Harry Potter... at least the Sorcerors Stone. The characters are typical, the writing style isn't worth all the hype, and while it has a fairly good storyline, I wouldn't call it a classic. There are many better fantasy stories. A kid can spend their time reading the Prydia series by Lloyd Alexander, Narnia, by CS Lewis, and the Curdie series by George MacDonald and be much better off. These are great, well written books. I don't see why any person would prefer H.P.

Kids over a certain age can tell wrong from right and know how to judge them for themselves. I still say that parents should be able to say "NOT IN MY HOUSE" whenever they darn well please (the only danger is if they are too strict then the kid will run away at 14 to join a less strict foster home), but I don't think banning Harry Potter would be strict to the point of insighting a child to wrath or rebellion.
Witch, before Harry Potter, normally implied a servant of Satan. That was the whole idea behind it (Except white witches who were followers of the goddess Diana according to a Hardy Boys mystery I read... Hardy Boys and Nancy Drews are a fount of such knowledge.) Harry Potter makes it out to be innocent and takes away the supernatural... That makes it safer and yet at the same time more dangerous because it makes it look safe. That is why I wouldn't let a ten year old who is innocent and impressionable to read it.
Symbols are powerful things, Gloer. There's a big difference between science and the supernatural.
I have no coment on D&D. I don't know anything about it.

[HLGStrider]

Let me elaborate:
I find that the HP magic debate is very similar to another debate among Christians, Alcohal.
Everyone agrees that in excess alcohal can harm you... or most everyone.
Some people take this to an extreme and don't allow any alcohal.
Some people just allow wine which seems to them somehow less bad than beer or other things, and then only for medicinal purposes
Some people don't drink but will look down on others for drinking
Other people will look down at people who don't drink thinking that they are prudes...

Can anyone see paralels?