Banned Books Week Sept. 20 - 27, 2003

[den]

So many great books! There's a lot of information here, just thought I'd post this as there is much discussion around here about censorship and such.

Banned Books Week-September 29–October 6, 2007

[ihrocks]

Thanks for the link, Den.

Reviewing the 100 most targeted books list you can see the political agendas of at least two or three different groups coming through loud and clear. It's obvious that they have no problem writing letters and making a fuss about the availability of books, which is why people who believe in the freedom to exchange ideas, even challenging ideas, have to be just as ready to make a fuss when books aren't available.

Going off on a complete tangent here, which hopefully will circle back to a point, I once attended a lecture by a holocaust survivor. As the floor was opened to questions, a lady in the audience mentioned that a group of neo-Nazis had been given permission to hold a rally in her hometown. She asked what the ordinary citizens of her town could do to show people that this group did not really represent them or their community. One could tell from her demeanor there was an unspoken "without making a fuss" at the end of her question. The lecturer responded unequivocally that the best response was a counter-rally; the ordinary people had to be just as vocal and visible if they wanted to get their message across. And now to draw this back on-topic. To shake our heads and "tut-tut" when a book is unavailable, challenged, banned, or burned is the same as letting the skinheads represent our hometown. Remaining mute and hoping someone else will do something is the best guarantee that someone else will be deciding what you can and can't read.

Okay, that was quite tangent, but I think I brought it back to topic.

ihrocks

[Chardata]

::sigh::

[tarachan]

...

I see that list and am saddened as well.

But my question is: Why the HECK is <i>Where is Waldo</i> even on there?

[sloegin]

I have a book entitled The Roman Index of Forbidden Books by Francis S. Betten S.J., published in 1909. A list of books the Catholic Church thinks best if their students don't read. I'm not sure if I pity or hate, those that need to control.

[rachel]

I was only this morning telling my son about The Giver by lois lowry and how it impacted my life.I couldn't believe it was number fourteen on the list.
And I am more than a little surprised that anything by Judy Blume would be banned.
I must have been in a vacuum for I was not aware of a lot of those books in that category.
black sambo, well it is politically incorrect and the pictures, but one could just explain the times. you cannot pretend things were not a certain way in history. it is just how it was. you just don't need to glorify those things.
but what about child pornography however subtle? that is a heinous crime to me.
your thoughts? And are there any books out there that are thinly disguised as something else?

'give me freedom or give me death'