Best of the Blog: Not Even Mein Kampf: Why Hateful Books Should Not Be Banned

Editor’s note: We’re reprinting some of our favorite blog posts from the past five years. This week: Deborah J. Ross on banning books. This has appeared twice, in 2010 and 2012, but it continues to draw a lot of readers. It’s a particularly relevant post for U.S. Independence Day.

By Deborah J. Ross

In perusing the American Library Association’s list of banned and challenged books, I’m struck by the agenda underlying many of the objections. The general notion is that parents have a right, even...