Banned Books Week Thoughts
Next week is officially Banned Books Week at the library, but we already started setting up our display today. As I look through the reasons people cited over the years to justify censorship, I can't help but conclude that all the special snowflakes who feel offended by any literature need to shut up, or better yet, grow up and deal with their disputes like adults.
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A lot of the complaints are about books that would quickly fade into obscurity and eventually get weeded out of collections if the Streisand effect of censorship weren't involved. Next time, unbunch your undies, wait out the initial craze, and it will probably go away on its own. The sooner you quit whinging, the sooner The Twilight Saga, Fifty Shades of Grey, and the like can fade into obscurity and I won't need to keep promoting them just to spite your control freak attitude.
Some books do cover very unpleasant topics , discuss sensitive issues, or advocate ideas with which I may also personally disagree. That happens in life. Deal with it. If there is a factual error, address it as such. If it is a philosophical dispute, deal with it philosophically. Be an adult. All of this hue and cry muddies the waters. Some books do advocate things that are blatantly wrong, and that may need to be addressed, but this can be done without looking like a totalitarian censor.
Some books may not be age-appropriate. That's a matter for parents to address. Our age ranges are approximate anyway. Maturity level, reading level, etc. are individual matters. Our job is to make information available without deciding who can access it or not. Fussing about Harry Potter magic is stupid. I have seen a rise in profanity and vulgarity in common conversation, but blaming books is stupid. LGBTQWTFBBQ characters are a trend in books now, and whether it's righteous inclusivity or pushing a gay agenda, demanding a ban is stupid. Streisand effect, remember?
If Huckleberry Finn or To Kill a Mockingbird triggers you, it's time for you to grow up. Literature often needs to address uncomfortable issues, and sometimes that is its purpose.
We librarians can always offer advice upon request. Ask questions instead of making demands. We are here to help, but we don't tend to take kindly to being told what to do.
[/librarian rant]
Anarchist cookbook! Would love to get my hands on a copy
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I've browsed through a copy, and I am skeptical of some of their recipes. 😆
Of the books you mention, only '50 shades...' should be banned, because a) it's really badly written; b) it is (apparently) a very unrealistic portrayal of the BDSM scene. My wife writes romance and knows writers of BDSM fiction who are very angry about that series :)
I've seen a lot of really bad books, but none I really thought should be banned. As you say, the negative publicity drives sales and notoriety.
The Anarchist Cookbook is easily obtained on the web and is quite tedious.
'Mein Kampf' is also rubbish, and ofensive, but it shouldn't banned, just read with caution. Sort of like all the official religious books that people lead their lives by. Be aware of who wrote it, why they wrote it, and who their audience was expected to be.
Our copy of Fifty Shades... hasn't circulated in months. If people would just shut up and let it go, the hype would fade and it would eventually be weeded out of the collection as a dead item with no literary merit. There's no need for bans.
Many books do espouse evil ideas, but pretending those ideas don't exist doesn't make them go away. they need to be available so they can be understood and refuted.
As for the religious books, I can't help but notice that people who use them for evil universally combine religion with politics and seek to rule others. I can't speak for the Koran, but the New Testament of the Bible is quite clear: our kingdom is not of this world. The people who want to create a "Kingdom of God" invariably create a hell on Earth because in pursuing political solutions, they necessarily violate the teachings of Christ. Politics is the antithesis of the beatitudes, the fruit of the spirit, and the golden rule.
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Hahaha snowflakes. How they push their gender is beyond me. Which country are you? It would be interesting if you could throw us a few titles of banned books as well. Just to see which topics I should avoid with snowflakes of course 😉
The Special Snowflake isn't restricted to any party, race, or sexual preference. Ever see a Republican react to flag desecration?
Here's the ALA page on banned books.
reminds me of that scene from V....
I think I have 1984 around here somewhere, collecting dust🙈how many times did they attempt to ban that one?🤣
Lots. Fahrenheit 451 is another ironic choice of book to ban.
ooohhhh another good 1! yep i remember that on the ban list too lol