Words for All Times…

… but especially these times we are living in, when free speech is under attack as seldom before.  Book banning has become pandemic, and now some are even threatening arrest for teachers and librarians who give students the “wrong” books to read.

 

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Published on August 31, 2023 09:24
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message 1: by Chris (new)

Chris Lira Can you please point me to some books that have been "banned" for adults? That's what book "banning" is. I am not aware of any. I do know that some books with content inappropriate for young children have been removed from access by young children. Our society has long made content available on an age-appropriate basis. We have had NC-17 and X-rated movies for a very long time, keeping young children away from them. Even twenty years ago a 10 year-old kid could not go to his public library and check out "The Joy of Sex". So I don't think books are being "banned". Unnecessarily inflammatory words like that have meaning and you of all people should know that.


message 2: by Chris (last edited Sep 03, 2023 07:40AM) (new)

Chris Lira PS- when a parent is at a school board meeting, tries to read from a "banned" book but is not allowed to because the material is inappropriate for public reading, why is it problematic that the parent is trying to keep that book from the hands of 8- and 9-year kids? If it's too graphic to read to adults, should kids be reading it? Have you looked at the lightning rod book, "Gender Queer"? It has graphic images of oral sex. Should 10 year-old kids be reading that?


message 3: by Magnus (new)

Magnus Durg Hear hear! With reading proficiencies dropping the last thing people need to do is restrict which books can and cannot be read!


message 4: by Gevorg (new)

Gevorg Harutyunyan US also doesn't like viewes that go against whom they consider "enemy"


message 5: by D. (last edited Sep 14, 2023 03:33AM) (new)

D. What books were banned? Who are those teachers and librarians and by whom are they getting threatened? and for what reasons? I also agree with hitler that the sky is blue, what does it mean?

Social media makes everyone so fucking dumb.


message 6: by Gevorg (new)

Gevorg Harutyunyan Well, there's ban and there's ban. Should children pf age 5 have access to detailed sexual life books? Should or should not Hitler's books be banned?


message 7: by Chris (new)

Chris Lira The author(and I mean that 2 ways) is just practicing hit and run "activism", posting misleading, inflammatory things, then running away and refusing to engage. Pathetic.


message 8: by Gevorg (new)

Gevorg Harutyunyan Chris wrote: "The author(and I mean that 2 ways) is just practicing hit and run "activism", posting misleading, inflammatory things, then running away and refusing to engage. Pathetic."


At leaat here we can diacuss. On his page he closed all discussion on almost all posts


message 9: by Chris (new)

Chris Lira Gevorg wrote: "At leaat here we can diacuss. On his page he closed all discussion on almost all posts"

Ironic, given the words in his post here, huh? Amazing writer, but flaming hypocrite.


message 10: by C.E. (new)

C.E. Crowder You're welcome to say whatever you like, exercise your right to free speech, just as he is doing. He is only preventing you from doing it on his doorstep. That's not censorship.

Otherwise we must say every printed book is censorship, since we cannot engage on the spot with its author.


message 11: by Gevorg (new)

Gevorg Harutyunyan C.E. wrote: "You're welcome to say whatever you like, exercise your right to free speech, just as he is doing. He is only preventing you from doing it on his doorstep. That's not censorship.

Otherwise we must..."

Printed books are very dofferent from online blog


message 12: by Chris (new)

Chris Lira C.E. wrote: "Otherwise we must say every printed book is censorship, since we cannot engage on the spot with its author."

Two very different things. One is a physical impossibility, the other is a choice made to present a viewpoint but accept no response.


message 13: by Chris (new)

Chris Lira Goodreads won’t let me post a link, but search for “Kennedy” and “Gender Queer” on YouTube and listen to Senator Kennedy read from the book. GRRM is complaining that 10 year-old kids can’t access it. Shameful.


message 14: by Magnus (new)

Magnus Durg Chris wrote: "Goodreads won’t let me post a link, but search for “Kennedy” and “Gender Queer” on YouTube and listen to Senator Kennedy read from the book. GRRM is complaining that 10 year-old kids can’t access i..."

Keep in mind that these book bans are applying to high school libraries as well as middle school. If you don’t want your kids reading whatever you deem inappropriate then maybe you should consider paying attention to what they read.


message 15: by Gevorg (new)

Gevorg Harutyunyan Ally-Grace wrote: "Do you understand how absolutely uncomfortable people like this make this generation? I had an entire rant typed out, but I was so scared posting it as minor that I just didn't. So, to summarise ev..."
Are all YA books removed? Is one person's comment enough for it. Someone posted on FB a library cabinet of "banned" books and it inclided Hobbit. What's going on in US? Asking as a foreigner.


message 16: by Aligata (new)

Aligata I agree with everyone above. No one is banning books for adults, only inappropriate content for minors...as we always have (we have always had censorship for children, that's why we don't allow porn for kids).


message 17: by Magnus (new)

Magnus Durg Alicia wrote: "I agree with everyone above. No one is banning books for adults, only inappropriate content for minors...as we always have (we have always had censorship for children, that's why we don't allow por..."

The issue is that they are labeling basically innocent books as containing "inappropriate content". "Speak", "The Hobbit", "Magnus Chase trilogy". Then they are completely banning these books from school libraries which is keeping kids in middle and high school from reading them also.
When I was in middle school I had to get a friend to drive me to the local public library (which these same people are trying to cut funding from) just so I could check out "The Golden Compass" and the "Harry Potter" books.


message 18: by Gevorg (new)

Gevorg Harutyunyan Magnus wrote: "Alicia wrote: "I agree with everyone above. No one is banning books for adults, only inappropriate content for minors...as we always have (we have always had censorship for children, that's why we ..."

Who are "they" and how can they ban Hobbit? What is their explanation and who are those accepting it?


message 19: by Magnus (new)

Magnus Durg Gevorg wrote: "Magnus wrote: "Alicia wrote: "I agree with everyone above. No one is banning books for adults, only inappropriate content for minors...as we always have (we have always had censorship for children,..."

I recant my statement about "The Hobbit" apparently it was only banned in my school (I went to a Catholic school in FL) and publicly burned by a church in New Mexico.

The main people pushing for book bans are Republican lawmakers. Generally, they're banning books that have LGBTQ+ content or ideas they generally disagree with.


message 20: by Gevorg (new)

Gevorg Harutyunyan Magnus wrote: "Gevorg wrote: "Magnus wrote: "Alicia wrote: "I agree with everyone above. No one is banning books for adults, only inappropriate content for minors...as we always have (we have always had censorshi..."
If those books are banned from children's access - good. "Ideas they disagree with" - should depend on the idea. E.g I doubt they'd manage to get Obamas' or Clintons' (auto)biographies "banned"


message 21: by Magnus (new)

Magnus Durg Gevorg wrote: "Magnus wrote: "Gevorg wrote: "Magnus wrote: "Alicia wrote: "I agree with everyone above. No one is banning books for adults, only inappropriate content for minors...as we always have (we have alway..."

So banning books where the only "inappropriate content" is that one character has feelings for someone of the same sex as them is ok? Because they're banning books with even slight mentions of LGBTQ+ people.

And by books with ideas they disagree with I'm talking about books with any mentions of systematic racism (The Hate U Give is a good example).


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