The ideas in books spark more ideas
To some, ideas are dangerous. The Nazi book burnings were a campaign conducted by the German Student Union (German: Deutsche Studentenschaft, DSt) to ceremonially burn books in Nazi Germany and Austria in the 1930s. The books targeted for burning were those viewed as being subversive or as representing ideologies opposed to Nazism.
- Wikipedia
Here come the Thought Police
It's happening again today. There is a concerted effort by conservatives to ban books that mention racism, slavery, the holocaust, anything about LBGTQ people, and feminism. It's a continuation of the culture war issues advocated by Pat Buchanan. It's an effort to advance thought control.
Jan 30, 2022 commonsensemedia
Schools provide safe spaces to talk about controversial issues, and literature presents characters portraying human experience in all its richness and contradictoriness. Reading is a way to take in the difficult situations and understand them.
- Julia Alvarez
I read banned books in high school. You see, they weren't banned at my school. "Johnny Got His Gun," "Catcher in the Rye," "Huckleberry Finn," "Native Son," "The Great Gatsby," "Of Mice and Men," "1984," "To Kill A Mocking Bird," "Fahrenheit 451," and more. We had free and open discussions about the contents and the issues the subject matter represented. We were encouraged to debate. We were encouraged to express our thoughts. We were taught to think.
I did not grow up hating my parents. I did not change my sexuality. I did not become a communist or a member of the John Birch Society.
“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech."
- Julia Alvarez
I read banned books in high school. You see, they weren't banned at my school. "Johnny Got His Gun," "Catcher in the Rye," "Huckleberry Finn," "Native Son," "The Great Gatsby," "Of Mice and Men," "1984," "To Kill A Mocking Bird," "Fahrenheit 451," and more. We had free and open discussions about the contents and the issues the subject matter represented. We were encouraged to debate. We were encouraged to express our thoughts. We were taught to think.
I did not grow up hating my parents. I did not change my sexuality. I did not become a communist or a member of the John Birch Society.
“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech."
-Benjamin Franklin
— First Amendment to the United States
Constitutional Basis
Freedom of speech is guaranteed in the Constitution. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.“— First Amendment to the United States
What are the effects of banning books?
For teachers, book banning means shaky, ever-changing curriculum, fear for personal choices, and the tragedy of self-censorship. For students, book banning means a denial of First Amendment rights, a narrow world view, and psychological deficits. For the classroom, book banning means discourse is hindered. Core values of the public radio audience include Belief in Civil Discourse. The power to find solutions depends on informed individuals able to understand the complexity of the issues we face.Book banning can hang on the thinnest thread of reasoning.
The Top Ten Ludicrous Reasons To Ban A Book -The Januarist/Amy Thibodeau
- “Encourages children to break dishes so they won’t have to dry them.” (A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstien)
